[Dave Burrup]

How many have had a neighbor intentionally poison a hive or hives?

What about encounters with extreme environmentalists that are against honey bees because they are not native to the USA?

I had a conversation with the environmental type. She was poisoning bees because they competed with hummingbirds, and native pollinators. If it was up to her she would eliminate honey bees from north America.
Dave

 

[shinbone]

Humans aren't native to North America (even the first native Americans immigrated from somewhere else).

Maybe these people should start their purification process by eliminating themselves first?

 

[Dave Burrup]

I would not disagree shinbone.

 

[Saltybee]

Idiots come in all types. Environmentalist and poison. Guessing most of them will not willingly claim her. Probably keeps it in her SUV.

 

[mathesonequip]

wow.. watch out this imbecile could turn violent.

 

[Tenbears]

Don't know why these types feel that all who think differently from them in the slightest bit is wrong. Live and let live I always say. Or I'll kill you!

 

[Digginmich]

She sounds mentally ill. In my experience these "extreme" types of people aren't even worth debating with (or knowing for that matter)

 

[waynesgarden]

I know lots of environmentalists. Can't say I know any that are poisoning bees. Some keep bees themselves.

Idiots poisoning bees come in all flavors. Just look at all the threads on these forums. I can't recall any reported attacks by "environmentalists," usually just a cranky neighbor.

Wayne

 

[bbruff22]

Wow...I'm a new beek, but an old dude, and this thread is really disturbing. There was a recent thread on here regarding some fringe vegans who won't eat honey because the bees are our "slaves". That one sort of dropped my jaw, but this one is more absurd and more irritating.

 

[philip.devos]

Amen to Shinbone's reasoning.

I have not EVER encountered anyone with such Psychopathic thinkng as the person you have encountered. That is jaw-dropping. I hope you are not affected by her. My guess is that whatever measures she is taking may very well be poisoning her beloved hummingbirds.

 

[lazy shooter]

We had a lady a few years back that wanted all beef off the market. She was sure the supplements and antibiotics fed to beef were behind several cancers and immune diseases. In a year of so, someone began to shoot cows from the road. The cattle were shot with a .22 bullet and most of them didn't die, but the cows and the cattle people were suffering. (Vet bills aren't cheap) The culprit was never caught, and it passed into history, but I still have my first guess.

God save us all from the zealots out there.

 

[Chemguy]

Call me crazy, but I've never seen hummingbirds and bees use the same nectar source. Maybe it's just due to the nectar sources available in my area.

Here's a list of Idaho invasive plants: http://www.eddmaps.org/tools/statereport.cfm?id=us_id Maybe you could redirect attention. Notice that dandelions aren't there, even though they aren't native.

Since we're talking about a nonnative that made it to Idaho a few hundred years ago, you might also ask whose land she is living on, and if she would be willing to give it back.

Ah, never mind. Reason doesn't enter into this situation, and is likely to incite action.

 

[Acebird]

but I've never seen hummingbirds and bees use the same nectar source.

Just the hummingbird feeders. I would make a call to the EPA if it were in my state. This is best handled by a government agency. The use of poisons with out a license is likely going to cost her enough that she isn't going to be able to afford sugar water for her hummingbirds.

 

[Dave Burrup]

What disturbs me the most about this, she is the only one that admitted to action against non-native species, but I have known others with the same attitude. I have eaves dropped on conversation about shooting cattle on federal range land because they are not native and are damaging the range. I have talked to several others that wanted all no-natives removed. These people are all associated with major environmental groups.

I sold 3 nucs this spring to two brothers. The hives are on an small acreage, but not close together. One of them was poisoned while the other two are okay. I suspect that a neighbor sprayed the one. If the poison was encountered during foraging why did the other two not get poisoned. The event was sudden and remove almost all of the adult bees. The brood died from chilling and lack of care. Anybody else have similar experiences.
Dave

 

[Saltybee]

Dave, They are lucky robbing did not get the other 2. I think you are correct, quick acting spray directly into the hive, Long lasting insecticide picked up foraging spreads, directly or from robbing.

 

[Redbug]

If my bees were sprayed with pesticide, I would have the sheriff's office out to have a report made and let them handle the confrontation. You need documentation for a crime and have ammunition for future problems. Let the law handle it first. Then small claims court for reimbursement. That's the proper way. If that does not work...there's a direct solution...

I guess everyone has an agenda. It's like hunting, which I do. A lot of people are against that. Mostly people detached from the natural world and not plugged in to the real world. One thing I don't like is the term, "robbing" the bees when you are getting honey. A better way to put it is to "harvest" the honey. Like "harvesting" a deer and not "killing" it. Semantics I know...but to people that don't know-it sounds bad and they get their impression from those kind of things.

Oh well...Save the seals and kill the whales...

 

[Millenia]

I had someone take offense recently to a comment I made wishing we could get our cats to understand which wildlife we prefer they kill and which we prefer they not kill. She said we should leave 'nature' alone and let 'nature' takes its natural course. (As though domestic cats are 'natural.')She was quite incensed by my suggestion. Apparently she doesn't realize she interferes with 'nature' every time she feeds the birds or drives down the street, or by even living in America. Yet she had a problem with my conversations with a cat. Irrationality knows no boundaries.

 

[Backyarder]

A cat is the first thing I thought of. If we are talking about destroying/displacing native species you can throw in starlings, sparrows and eurasion collared dove.
I wonder if she tries to poison invasive birds?
Blind environmentalism is more a cult than a way of thinking.
Here is Kansas the lesser prairie chicken is having a rough time. Habitat loss is the main culprit. Did you know they won't nest under overhead structure? Guess where they are building wind farms? We are getting "green" wind energy, but adding another bird to the threatened list for it.
It's always a trade.

Edit: Millennia, when you figure out how to train a cat to listen to us. Write a book, make an infomercial, and you will be RICH!

 

[lazy shooter]

Fireants in the south and southeast have done away with more natives species than anyone knows. The only thing they did that comforts me is, they did away with ticks in our area. They are a blanket of pollution where they exist.

 

[j.kuder]

Just the hummingbird feeders. I would make a call to the EPA if it were in my state. This is best handled by a government agency. The use of poisons with out a license is likely going to cost her enough that she isn't going to be able to afford sugar water for her hummingbirds.

i need a license to by a can of raid?