PROTECTING OUR BEES

Everything is growing nicely in my garden. Every other day, I am in the garden scouting the growing plants for pests and beneficial insects.

While scouting, I usually handpick any bad bugs and destroy them. However, sometimes I find a large population of pests on a specific crop, to which I apply a weak toxic pesticide.

I find valuable beneficial insects on squash and honeybees on other plants in my garden. It is very important to protect these wonderful pollinators.

The following tips may help you protect bees and other benefactors in your garden this growing season:

· Keep in mind all insecticides are toxic to bees and other beneficial insects.

· Make sure a pesticide is really necessary; consider how many bad bugs are on your plants.

· Never apply pesticides when flowers on vegetables are in full bloom. This is when bees are most likely visiting the flowers.

· Apply insecticide in late afternoon or evening when bees are not active.

· Never apply insecticide directly on the blossoms or on sweet corn tassel.

· Try to use a bacterial or alternative insect control whenever possible.

· Do not apply pesticides when it is windy—the chemical could drift.

· Be sure to keep sprays from water that may collect in mud puddles, bird baths, depressions in black plastic mulch or any place dew collects. Bees are industrious in finding any drinking water on their own.

· Try watering your garden about 15 minutes or so before applying pesticides; hopefully, this will discourage bee activity while chemicals are being applied.

To conclude, remembering these helpful tips or hints may help protect bees and other beneficial insects from toxic pesticides while they are busy working in our flower and vegetable plants this summer.

By Maggie L. Moor-Orth

Delaware Cooperative Extension

Delaware State University