Another Oregon bee kill ? pesticides ?

[JackM]

I hope KathyP is not one of the victims here, she lives pretty close to Sandy and Clackamas Oregon.  I guess there were several hives killed by apparent pesticide poisoning.  What I saw on the news was literally nauseating, the whole bottom of the hive was 3" deep in dead bees. 

Educate, the public needs education.  You see commercials for herbicides they show the flower being sprayed.  Tell folks not to, post it on your facebook page, the word has to get out.  I don't think people intentionally do stuff that kills bees, after all they probably need them for their crops, and this sounded like an agricultural issue.  Poor bees

[capt44]

I got a call today folks had bees in there house.
I got there and said what happened to these bees, there were dead bees on the porch and ground.
The woman said Oh we sprayed them yesterday thinking they would leave.
I told her to get someone else I didn't want to mess with them since they sprayed the nest.
She got angry but I just smiled as I drove away.

[MsCarol]

The woman said Oh we sprayed them yesterday thinking they would leave.
I told her to get someone else I didn't want to mess with them since they sprayed the nest.
She got angry but I just smiled as I drove away.

Me thinks that somehow we need to get the word out that IF they have to spray "So they would leave" then something like Bee-be gone (OK I am mean :evil:) or one of the less offensive smelling bee removal sprays might be the key. A new hive would likely abscond i would think, leaving only minor cleanup and sealing. Older hives might be tougher. Just a thought. Make the bees miserable enough for them to move on WITHOUT killing them!!

More and more people ARE becoming aware the the honey bee is in trouble and that they should think twice. But most have been so conditioned to simply "SPRAY" the offending insects. Maybe awareness is not fast enough, but it is happening.

Remember there are those......ya can't cure stupid!!

[SueCT]

Is there a link to the story - would love to read and crosspost to my FB wall!  Thank you!

[JackM]

Check the Channel 56 website in Portland Oregon to see if the story is still available.

[JackM]

News yesterday clarified much.  It was a pesticide applicator in Medford that was spraying trees in bloom for aphids.  He has had his license suspended.  Channel 2 news carried the update.

[Kathyp]

i didn't hear a word about it.  i'm in a good area to avoid spray. mostly berry farms and the farmers are careful of the bees.  some back yard gardens but that's the advantage to living in tree hugger land, people don't use many pesticides  :-D