# Is Roundup toxic to bees?



## space bee

My landlord wants to spray the invasive Knockweed we have here with Roundup. There is lots of that stuff around the property; not immediately next to the hive, but within 25 feet. Property is 2 acres. Is it toxic to my bees?


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## riverrat

Any herbicide or pesticide is toxic to any living things given enough of a dose. Unless they spray the hive down real good Roundup shouldnt be a major problem to the bees if it is applied by the labeling. I got bees on roundup ready alfalfa. I have never noticed any problems to the bees from the spraying. Usually when the spray roundup ready crops the bloom is not on. Thus the bees are not working them. There is a few guys on this board that use roundup around there hives to keep the weeds down. What is a good thing is you have a landlord that notified you there are few out there that will spray any chemical and not bother to tell you


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## odfrank

I have spayed right up to entrances a few inches above the weeds with no problems.


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## naturebee

This half of the season is perhaps the worst time to spray for knotweed. They will be in bloom shortly, and bees are highly attracted to knotweed flowers. Also, knotweed usually grows along water edge and low areas where bees forage water at this time due to the dryness. Ask if they can chop down the knotweed this season, and spray the young shoots next spring when the bees will be up in the locust bloom. The spray will be highly effective on young shoots, and they will use less of it.

Best Wishes,
Joe 
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HistoricalHoneybeeArticles/


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## Jeffzhear

I've sprayed it in one of my yards last year and the honeybees went into overdrive! They hated it and let me know it, chasing me out of the yard in short order. NEVER AGAIN. If you use it, let us know how you make out.


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## space bee

Thanks everyone! I'll let you know how it went. Who knows when/if she'll get around to actually spraying the Roundup...


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## mike haney

i used it for years and years without a problem. nowadays i use scrap drywall and carpet to keep the grass down. good luck,mike


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## Scott J.

*Cutting Knotweed*



naturebee said:


> This half of the season is perhaps the worst time to spray for knotweed. They will be in bloom shortly, and bees are highly attracted to knotweed flowers. Also, knotweed usually grows along water edge and low areas where bees forage water at this time due to the dryness. Ask if they can chop down the knotweed this season, and spray the young shoots next spring when the bees will be up in the locust bloom. The spray will be highly effective on young shoots, and they will use less of it.
> 
> Best Wishes,
> Joe
> http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HistoricalHoneybeeArticles/


Cutting knotweed is the best way to creat more of it. The shards will self plant. If you do it around a water source it will float away and get rooted somewhere else. If a person can, ask that they spray after the bloom. It will actually be a better kill of the plant since at that time the roundup will be drawn into the roots as the plant gets itself ready for winter. This approach works well for blackberrys also. And after saying all that, I love knotweed honey!


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## Robert Brenchley

Knotweed is a pain in the posterior, apart from its honey-producing properties. In the UK, it's actually illegal to plant it, but it's well-established on my allotment site. The Council, who we lease the plots from, are taking its extermination extremely seriously, and are doing an excellent job. They spray at the end of the season, as it's much more effective to do so then. My advice would be to get some solid info on this - there must be stuff out there on the Net, or maybe the manufacturer would help. Then go to your landlord with the facts.


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## Sundance

Biological beekeeping and Roundup??? Me thinks this
is the wrong forum for this topic.

I like the drywall scrap idea.......... seems pretty 
environmentally neutral.


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## mike haney

*drywall*

i consider it a positive cause it would go to the landfill. plus its free and works well. good luck,mike


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## naturebee

Scott J. said:


> Cutting knotweed is the best way to creat more of it. The shards will self plant. If you do it around a water source it will float away and get rooted somewhere else. If a person can, ask that they spray after the bloom. It will actually be a better kill of the plant since at that time the roundup will be drawn into the roots as the plant gets itself ready for winter. This approach works well for blackberrys also. And after saying all that, I love knotweed honey!




I stand by my recommendation.

What I have recommended be done for knotweed control, is near to what the USDA recommends. 

Guidelines for Control of Knotweed
http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/spf/fhp/leaflets/japanese_knotweed.htm.

"Cut or break stems in early summer, then apply herbicide spray to the regrowing shoots in late summer. Cutting should be timed so that plants do not exceed three feet in height when sprayed."

Best Wishes,
Joe


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## Scott J.

naturebee said:


> I stand by my recommendation.
> 
> What I have recommended be done for knotweed control, is near to what the USDA recommends.
> 
> Guidelines for Control of Knotweed
> http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/spf/fhp/leaflets/japanese_knotweed.htm.
> 
> "Cut or break stems in early summer, then apply herbicide spray to the regrowing shoots in late summer. Cutting should be timed so that plants do not exceed three feet in height when sprayed."
> 
> Best Wishes,
> Joe


I guess we both can stand by our statments, this is what I was refering to.

Life History

In North America, knotweed is primarily spread by root expansion and vegetative regeneration of rhizomes and stems. Very small fragments of root and stem can produce new plants. Therefore, the spread of this plant is exacerbated by flood events and the movement of soil from knotweed infested areas. Pieces of root or stem moved with soil from excavation, landscaping, or roadside ditching might quickly establish new colonies where the soil is deposited (see Figure 3). Fragments have also been spread by disposal of contaminated yard clippings. Reproduction by seed is less typical, but has been documented on many occasions.


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## danwyns

Perhaps not in keeping with "biological beekeeping" . . . 

We use roundup right up to hive entrances in yards were stock can't graze down grass/weed adjacent to hives. Never observed any immediate or delayed adverse reaction of any kind by the bees.


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## BigDaddyDS

The only thing harmful to bees contained in RoundUp is the carrier for the agent; a chemical that reduces surface tension, much like soapy water.

It's been shown that bees need to be DIRECTLY SPRAYED with RoundUp for it to be toxic and cause death. Otherwise, it's a non-issue for them.


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## Kingland

I was wondering the same thing when I found this site. A friend offered to let me put a hive on his property. Part way through the summer I noticed the weeds and grass around the hive was dying. I asked him about it and he said he sprayed roundup around it because he thought it might help. 

I noticed no adverse affects to the bees and the weeds stayed down all season. I don't know if it's related, but this is the only hive with no small hive beetles in it. 

I agree with others on here that a quick spray before the blossoms come on immediately around and under the hive stand would be ok.


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## Surviving Our Bees

I do not wish to find out whether round up is toxic to bees (e.g., if a wind gust brings roundup onto the bees directly).

From my observations, herbicides tend to exhibit no negative effects on honey bees.

One could get away with round up applications in the vicinity of colonies. Obviously, all chemicals are best to be avoided - but in some circumstances, roundup applications can be a cost benefit analysis.


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