Mid week noticed that I had some Metheny plums ripening a little earlier than the rest on the tree. Bit into one, yup, ripe and tasty but wait, what's this worm. A closer inspection revealed that quit a few were infested. Not good.
This spring I had moved one of my hives in the middle of my orchard. Maybe not a good idea after all. Limits me as to my options in dealing with pests.
Have used some stuff from Lowe's before Bayer Advanced. Measure the tree at the base, use the chart to see how much you need, mix with water and pour it around the base of the tree. No spraying. I thought that's for me and the bees. No worry about the girls getting a dose from spray drifting on them.
Was at Lowe's (going back for my money back shortly) to get some of this neat new stuff. Read the label, doesn't say anything about plums so figured I'd take it home and research this stuff on the web. Boy am I glad I did. Look what I found. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imidacloprid_effects_on_bee_population
Having said all that and more. Anyone got ideas on how to deal with worms in my plums before I loose the whole crop? Guess I cold move the hive and spray but being a little on the lazy side, don't want to do any more work than I have to and don't want to do anything that might harm my bees in any way.
Fellow bee keepers, for your bee's sake always research anything you think you might Want to use. The Bayer rep was at Lowe's and assured me this stuff was harmless to bees. The Lowe's sales rep had no use for bees and tried to get me to use a spray to get rid of ALL insects, had no idea of the benefits of bees, thought I was nuts for even being concerned.
Quote from: gunny on June 07, 2008, 03:24:04 PM
This spring I had moved one of my hives in the middle of my orchard. Maybe not a good idea after all. Limits me as to my options in dealing with pests.
Have used some stuff from Lowe's before Bayer Advanced. Measure the tree at the base, use the chart to see how much you need, mix with water and pour it around the base of the tree. No spraying. I thought that's for me and the bees. No worry about the girls getting a dose from spray drifting on them.
Was at Lowe's (going back for my money back shortly) to get some of this neat new stuff. Read the label, doesn't say anything about plums so figured I'd take it home and research this stuff on the web. Boy am I glad I did. Look what I found. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imidacloprid_effects_on_bee_population
Most of the stuff is toxic to bees if applied during the blume. If spraying for worms is necessary wait until most of the petals have fallen and the bees have quit working the flowers. Spray at night so any airborne overspray will disapate by morning.
QuoteHaving said all that and more. Anyone got ideas on how to deal with worms in my plums before I loose the whole crop? Guess I cold move the hive and spray but being a little on the lazy side, don't want to do any more work than I have to and don't want to do anything that might harm my bees in any way.
Neither I or my parents, be fore me, have ever sprayed our fruit trees and we've had little if any problem.
QuoteFellow bee keepers, for your bee's sake always research anything you think you might Want to use. The Bayer rep was at Lowe's and assured me this stuff was harmless to bees. The Lowe's sales rep had no use for bees and tried to get me to use a spray to get rid of ALL insects, had no idea of the benefits of bees, thought I was nuts for even being concerned.
Both were trying to make a sale, some people think lying is all part of the sales pitch. Others can't believe there is such a thing as a benificial insect.
i always have worms in my plums. i think to catch them, you have to spray early and as brian points out, that puts the pollinators at risk. the best way i know to keep fruit tree critters down, is to be vigilant in your dormant spraying. it doesn't get everything, but it helps with the eggs and stuff that winter over. spray the ground also.
Imidacloprid is nasty stuff. At one point it was discussed as a colony collapse disorder culprit. As the article you posted mentions, they have had problems with bee populations in Europe because of it.
The real issue with it is that it turns up lots of places you wouldn't expect. If you check some of those other bags at Lowe's (or Home Depot or where ever) you will also see it in some potting mixes, lawn products, etc.
It is even the med that is used on our pets to rid them of fleas and ticks (Advantage).
As far as your plums are concerned - check the company Garden's Alive - they have lots of really great environmentally and pollinator friendly products that might help you out. They are online. I have ordered several products from them - fertilizers and pest control products - and been very happy with all of it.
And I have to agree with Brian - don't ask for advice at the box stores - they just want to sell you something.
Applied to the soil, Imidacloprid is absorbed by the plant and is present in the nectar at levels that are toxic to insects: PubMed study 18284749 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18284749) That alone should give pause for thought.
While Ididacloprid may or may not be dangerous to bees when used properly, there is ample evidence that homeowners do not use pesticides properly. They tend to apply much more than the labels direct, as most have a hard time believing that a very small dose will be effective (and more must be better). There is also much less of an economic incentive - professional farmers can't afford to spend an extra hundred or two hundred dollars per acre when they have hundreds or thousands of acres and their profit margin is so slim. But when a middle class homeowner buys a bottle of poison for $15, there is little incentive not to use it all in a year, even it that is 10 or 100 times more than they should use.
QuoteThe Lowe's sales rep had no use for bees and tried to get me to use a spray to get rid of ALL insects, had no idea of the benefits of bees, thought I was nuts for even being concerned.
Yipes. Insectophobia is rampant. I've also come across people that were emotionally devoted to wiping out all the moss growing in their yard (in places too wet and shady for grass - and they thought the moss was killing the grass). I've even encountered a few people that wanted to get rid of the earthworms in their yard!
Mankind is doomed. My only comfort is that there is a good possibility that honeybees will survive whatever mess we make.