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Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU

An Bee Lab

3-1-1967

Protecting Honey Bees from Pesticides

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/bee_lab_an

Part of the Entomology Commons

Recommended Citation U.S. Department of Agriculture, "Protecting Honey Bees from Pesticides" (1967). An. Paper 13. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/bee_lab_an/13

This Brochure is brought to you for free and open access by the Bee Lab at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in An by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LEAFLET NO . 544

· PRO?ECTING> - ... ,. .. HONEY BEES FROM ; . . P.EST ,1 CI ~DES - --~ r

·...- ·, 'f PROTECTING HONEY BEES FROM PESTICIDES

Information for this publication was furnish ed by Entomology R esearch Division, Agricultural Research S ervic e

Honey bees frequently are in billion. For this reason, farmers danger of being killed when crops and beekeepers should cooperate are treated with pesticides . in protecting the bees from Hone y bees produce honey and pesticides . beeswax valued at $55 million an­ Observanc e of precautions rec­ nually; but even more significant, ommended in this publication can the annual value of crops that re­ significantly reduce bee losses quire bee pollination exceeds $1 from pesticide poisoning.

PRECAUTIONS FOR FARMERS

Us e p estic i d es only wh en Sel ect th e right p esticide.-All needed.-D o not apply a pesticide pesticides are not equally hazard­ unless the benefit from its use will ous to bees. Some pesticides will outweigh the harm it does to bees. kill an entire colony; some will Consider the value of the pollina­ seriously weaken it; others ar e tors to your crops , and the effect relatively safe. Do not use the th e pesticide will have on them. more hazardous pesticides on Also consider the effe ct the pesti­ flowering plants that attract bees. cide will have on th e pollinator s Commonly used pesticides are of other crops in your area. A grouped in the chart according to pesticide that aids production of their relativ e hazards to bees. one crop could seriously reduc e production of other crops in ad­ Apply granul es or sprays rather joining fields. than dusts.-Sprays do not drift

2 COMMONLY USED PESTICIDES GROUPED ACCORDING TO THEIR RELATIVE HAZARDS TO HONEY BEES1

Group 1.-H azardous Pyramat* Copper 8-quinolinol itte Nicotine sulfate Sabadilla 3 Copper sulfate (monohydrated) NPA Tepp 2 Cryolite Olancha clay Arsenicals Zectran* Cupro us oxide Ovex (Ovatran *) Azinphosethyl (Ethyl Guthion*) Zinophos* Dalapon Paraquat Azinphosmethyl ( Guthion *) ( Systox*) Phost ex* Azodrin* Dexon* Banol* Group 2.-Mo derately hazardous Dicamba (Banve l D*) Pyro lite Bay 39007 (Baygon*) Dichlone (Phygon*) Rotenone (Trithion*) Bay 41831 (Sumithion*) (Kelthane*) Ryania Chipman RP-11974 () Benzene hexachloride (BHC) Dilan * (OMPA) Chlorobenzilate Bidrin* Dimite* (DMC) Sesamin Couma phos ( Co-Ral * ) Bomyl* Dini trocyclohexyl phenol ( D N OCHP) Sesone DDT Carbary! (Sevin*) Dinocap (Karathane*) Sillica gel (SG-78) (Delnav*) Simazine (Di-Syston*) Chlorthion * Diquat Strobane* (Thiodan*) Ciodrin* Dodine (Cyprex*) Sulfur Endothion Dyrene* Sulphenone* Dicapthon EPDC (Eptam*) TDE (Rhothane*) Methyl demeton (DDVP) Eradex* ( Tedion *) Tetram* Perthane * EXD (Herbisan*) Thiram (Arasan*) (Thimet*) Dinitrobutylphenol (DNOSBP) Fenson Ronne) EPN Ferbam Trichlorfon (Dylox*, Dipterex *) Tartar emetic Famphur (Famophos*) Folcid (Difolatan*) Zineb Folpet (Phaltan*) Ziram Genite 923* 2, 3, 6-TBA (Trybsen*) Imidan* Group 3.-Relatively non­ Glyodin (Glyoxide*) 2, 4-D lsobenzan ( Telodrin *) hazardous IPC* 2, 4, 5-T Isodrin Allethrin Kepone* Amitrole Maneb 1 Terms followed by an asterisk ( *) Aramite* MCPA are trade names of proprietary products . Bacillus thuringensis Menazon 2 (Phosdrin*), (Di­ Matacil* Binapacryl (Morocide*) brom *), and tepp have short residual Methyl activity and kill only the bees contacted Bordeaux mixture Monuron at time of treatment or shortly there­ Methyl Trithion* Captan Morestan* after. They are usually safe to use Mevinphos (Phosdrin*) 2 when bees are not in flight; they are CDAA (Randox*) Mylone* not safe to use around colonies . Naled (Dibrom*)2 CDEC (Vegedex*) Nabam (Parzate*) a Usually, losses to sabadilla are low Parathion enough to be no problem. Sabadilla Chlorbenzide (Mitox*) Nemagon* should not be applied to open flowers Copper oxychloride sulphate Neotran* that are freely visited by bees.

3 4 Conflne bees to hives when hazardous pesti­ cides are to be applied: A and B, Covering hives with burlap; C, soaking the burlap with water.

as much as dusts and, conse­ or at a time of day when bees are quently, are less likely to harm not visiting them. bees. Granules are usually harm­ Bees may cluster outside the less to bees. entrance of their hives on hot nights. If this happens in colonies Use ground equipm ent.-Air­ that may be exposed to drifting c.:raft discharge pesticide at higher pesticides, do not apply pesticides altitudes and with greater turbu­ until the bees move inside their lence than ground machines; this hives and until danger of drift is increases the likelihood that fly­ minimized. Hive bees can be killed ing bees will come in contact with by fumes of some pesticides, such the pesticide and that it will drift as parathion, Guthion, malathion, onto adjacent crops where bees and benzene hexachloride . may be foraging. Notify b eekeepers.-N otify bee­ keepers in your area several days Time p esticide application.­ before you apply a pesticide. This The safest time to apply pesticide will give them an opportunity to is when bees are not working protect their colonies. However, plants being treated. Treat plants notific ation is not a release of re­ befdre or after flowering, at night, sponsibility for damage.

5 PRECAUTIONSFOR BEEKEEPERS Select safe locations.-When of air or water. They should be practicable, place colonies where covered at night when all the bees they will not be subjected to drifts are in the hives. During the day, of sprays, and away from fields soak the burlap with water at that are routinely treated with least once every hour. pesticides. Relocate colonies.-If your col­ Identify y o u r colonies.-Post onies are located where they are your name, address, and phone repeatedly in danger of exposure number in a conspicuous place in to pesticides listed in group 1 on your apiary. Let farmers in your page 3, the safest way to protect area know where your bees are them is by moving them to a new located so they will not unknow­ site. Since colonies often must be ingly poison your bees. moved to a less satisfactory loca­ tion where they may still be in Know thepesticides.-Acquaint danger of pesticide poisoning, yourself with pesticides com­ moving is recommended only as monly used in your area. Be pre­ an emergency measure. If you pared to protect your bees if you must move colonies, move them at are notified that a hazardous night when the bees are in their pesticide is to be applied. Pesti­ hives. cides are grouped according to Try to convince farmers of the their relative hazards to bees on value of bee pollination and the pages 3 and 4. importance of using pesticides Confine your bees.-When haz­ that do not kill bees. ardous pesticides are to be applied, bee hives may be covered with Trade names are used in this publica­ plastic sheeting that will confine tion solely for the purpose of providing the bees and exclude pesticide speci fic info rma tion . Mention of a trade spray, dust, or fumes. Heat builds name does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by the U.S. up rapidly under plastic exposed Department of Ag r iculture or an en­ to the sun. Therefore the confine­ dorsement by the Department over ment should be limited to a few other products not mentioned . hours after dawn. This may be long enough to protect the bees from some pesticides that do not have a long residual effect. Hives may be covered with wet burlap for a day or more, even t¼,p~-.f,M, during the hottest weather, and l"OLLOW TH• LA •• L the bees will not suffer from lack

Washington, D.C. Issued March 1967 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Governm ent Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402. Price 5, cents * U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1967--0 235-401 6