# Is Sevin spray and issue w/ bees???



## kilnrat

Well I am an avid gardner but also am very concerned about my little girls since I am into my second year of bee keeping. Bees are currently on the blooms on my cucumbers, squash, watermelons and cantaloupes. I normally spray with liquid sevin to keep off the insects that try to kill the plants. However, I was wondering if sevin spray might not be harmful to the bees and if so, what could one use to accomplish the same prevention that sevin gives and not harm the bees? Anyone that is familiar with this problem, please advise. Thanks for your help. Jim


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## NasalSponge

Y E S!!! It is extremely toxic to bee's in all forms!


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## Brent Bean

NasalSonge is correct seven will kill honeybees and most other insects, and humans in the correct dose or application. How can you prevent this? Plants like cucumbers melons ect. Will bloom at different times of the day. For example zucchini blooms in early morning, cucumbers will start blooming at mid-day. Apply spray when plants are not blooming the bees will be somewhere else.


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## bruce todd

Its Death. Listen to the Sponge.


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## Rob73

If you are trying to control those squash bugs, good luck! They are hard to prevent. I usually have more trouble with those vine borers that eat up the roots and kill the plant. An old timer told me to dig a hole for the squash plant and throw in a handful of sevin dust. Put the squash plant in on top of the sevin and cover it up. Its not on the plant, but in the soil where those worms are gonna be. I dont know if it will work, but this year I gave it a shot. 
Last year I had a nice big crop of squash very early, but it didnt take long for those little caterpillars to eat em up! I'll give ya an update at the end of the season, or here in a month or so if my plants are dead!

Rob


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## Vance G

Sevin is being pushed in advertizing right now as a way to save your fuits and vegetables from all those bugs! It is the insecticide I fear the most! I might try burying it to control root borers, but if the bees carry it back to the colony, you have a deadout. A bee keeper is the last one who should use Sevin.


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## sqkcrk

Did you read the label? It should say right on the label what the toxicity to honeybees is and how to use the stuff in a safe manner. Follow Label recommendations. Or, find an alternative.

What are you spraying for? Can you be more specific than the insects that try to kill the plants? Are youi being proactive or reactive? Spraying for what harmful insects you have or the ones you fear you will have?


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## Rob73

They sell praying mantis & lady bugs in the gardening magazines to control unwanted bugs. Anyone ever put those in your garden? I have been wanting to try it for a few years. I have never talked to anyone that has tried it, though. I am not sure about keeping the bugs under control, but 50 or so praying mantis running around loose in the garden would for sure keep the ole lady out of there!

Rob


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## larrythebeek

Rob73 said:


> They sell praying mantis & lady bugs in the gardening magazines to control unwanted bugs. Anyone ever put those in your garden?


I'd like to hear if anyone had success with this method also... I'd much rather use a few praying mantis cases instead of insecticide. From what I've read, the hatchlings eat each other, or may just wander off to be where they want to be http://www.nicerweb.com/sketches/mantis/mantis.html . 

Here's a clip of a mantis killing a mouse! www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNcIUIULafw

Cucumber beetles wreak havoc in my garden, I tried using Sevin in 'bait' bottles with a little clove oil. Never found a bee in the bait bottles but had a little success with the cuke beetles.

Larry


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## hoodswoods

Check out this product:

http://www.livingwithbugs.com/permethrin_pyrethrum.html

I apply it at night as a drench on the ground under and around my hives to control ants and beetle larvae & sparingly to squash and melons at non-foraging times of the day & try to avoid spraying the blooms.

If you can believe it, food is good for consumption in some cases 1 day after application.


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## Beeslave

Menards has a commercial that shows SEVEN being applied to flowers in full bloom.


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## Ray4852

I use seven all the time when I dont have blossoms. when I have blossoms I switch to Pyganic. Pyganic will kill bees if you dont know how to use it. I spray at dark or early morning when the bees are in the hive. once the stuff dries on my plants its safe. this stuff is organic. its very expensive. when this stuff comes to market soon it will be the best organic pesticid for bugs. right now I pay 60 dollars for a quart but its worth. it kills just about everything.


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## John V

I don't know how effective it is for the garden pests but I spray the whole yard AND garden in early February with an "organic" flea and tick control. It has a huge list of insects it controls by killing off live ones as well as the eggs. We don't have any fleas or ticks all year long. I imagine it contributes to the low garden pests we have as well. We do have some, but have NEVER needed to treat during the growing season, always very early in the year. We've never had enough pests to cause damage, either. Fight them BEFORE they cause problems, but responsibly.

Later, John


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## chevydmax04

here is an all natural method, get worm castings mix with water and spray the plants. I have been doing this for years, it is not as effective as Sevin, but then it is completely non-toxic, it just repels the bugs. I have been organic gardening for years with great results, and why would you spray that on your garden anyway? You get vegetables at the store coated in pesticides, without all the work of the garden.


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## CharlieN

Rob73 said:


> They sell praying mantis & lady bugs in the gardening magazines to control unwanted bugs. Anyone ever put those in your garden? I have been wanting to try it for a few years. I have never talked to anyone that has tried it, though. I am not sure about keeping the bugs under control, but 50 or so praying mantis running around loose in the garden would for sure keep the ole lady out of there!
> 
> Rob


My wife is an avid gardener - both flowers and lots of veggies. Years ago - like over 30 - we turned out a variety of "beneficial" bugs including mantis, green lacewing, ladybugs and nematodes, never regretted it. Kinda cute to see a quarter inch mantis . They've done a fair job of keeping down most "pests" although from time to time you can see a mantis munching a bee..... 

A place you can read more about these things is http://www.gardeninsects.com/index.asp - there's a link on their site where you can purchase things but it's always best IMO to shop around.

It works for us but YMMV (your mileage may vary)...


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## hilreal

Try BT (dipel and other trade names). Will kill lepidoteran larvae (squash borers, etc.) and is harmless to other critters. Task is timing. Needs to be applied at the time moths are flying and laying eggs. Once the larvae have hatched inside the stems you can inject some directly into the stem Sure wish they would develop GMO BT squash, broc, etc. for the home market like we have in corn! Would signigicantly reduce the amount of insecticides used.


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