# 600 hives found dead after planting GMO corn.



## exmar (Apr 30, 2015)

Something I noticed online. 

http://www.wuc-news.com/2016/04/37-million-bees-found-dead-after.html


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Not this again...


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## Steve in PA (Jan 26, 2015)

I think I've read that exact story every spring since I've been on here. The first time I laughed about it because it was posted in the fall/winter when nobody plants corn.


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## jonsl (Jul 16, 2016)

They're also mixing stories about neonics and GMO corn. GMO corn has BT gene so that it can use less pesticide.


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## JeronimoJC (Jul 21, 2016)

It does look like this is an old story that keeps on getting pushed every year. I found this same story, but dated 2013. Still sad though.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/ontario-bee-farmer-hoping-for-pesticide-ban-to-end-die-off-1.1354729


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## shinbone (Jul 5, 2011)

Absolutely no linkage is shown, or even attempted to be shown, between the corn planting and the hive deaths mentioned in the article. Its all speculation and scare-mongering.


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

Here is a snopes article on the story:

http://www.snopes.com/food/tainted/gmobeedeaths.asp


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## exmar (Apr 30, 2015)

Sorry folks, been following beeeeping forums for quite a while and somehow previously missed this one. :-(


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## Steve in PA (Jan 26, 2015)

exmar said:


> Sorry folks, been following beeeeping forums for quite a while and somehow previously missed this one. :-(


That's OK. I wasn't picking on you.


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## Michaeljp86 (May 19, 2016)

I planted GMO sweet corn last year and seen a honey bee on the tassels.


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## Michaeljp86 (May 19, 2016)

I also had bugs like crazy in my GMO corn


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

IF bees died from corn being planted, the dust from the seed coating would be the likely culprit.


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## SS Auck (May 8, 2015)

mr bush Though I do not agree that seed coat causes any problems, I have heard that the talc they use as a lubricant for the seeds to flow is bad also for bees.


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## BadBeeKeeper (Jan 24, 2015)

I grow corn, and I keep bees. Bees on my corn is a rare thing. Corn is wind pollinated.


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## Bdfarmer555 (Oct 7, 2015)

SS Auck said:


> mr bush Though I do not agree that seed coat causes any problems, I have heard that the talc they use as a lubricant for the seeds to flow is bad also for bees.


Problem with the talc is it gets mixed with dust from the seed. Then floats to unintended places. But the exposure risk of hives bordering a field is greater from the adjacent house spraying wasp killer on the nest being built on the soffit unless the planter vacuum system is cleaned in front of the hive. 
As stated earlier in the thread, this story is old, and is used for shock value to mislead.


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## SS Auck (May 8, 2015)

agreed farmer, i forgot how talc was bad, i have had bees on a row crop farm. they did great. my father in law (farmer) used graphite instead of talc, heard it was better for not spreading seed coating. also just to be clear again. I dont believe Neonics are a problem. mites are a huge problem.


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

BadBeeKeeper said:


> I grow corn, and I keep bees. Bees on my corn is a rare thing. Corn is wind pollinated.


Yup. Agreed.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

SS Auck,

This was a seed coating issue. The seeds are treated with neonics to protect the seedlings. They uptake the small amounts as a systemic when they germinate. This was new practice around that time and the coating wasn't very sticky and would come off and the planters just shoot through the fields so fast and kicked up a lot of dust. The coating was reworked for better adhesion and I believe planting practices were changed to reduce the dust issue as much as possible but the bees did get a lethal dose of neonics via planting dust.


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