# Bees and fruit trees.



## frank4570 (Aug 17, 2003)

Bears got my first hives last winter so I have none right now but I am getting 4 packs of bees soon.
I have a dozen apple trees that I have to spray for cedar rust and insect pests.Can somebody give me a crash course on how I maintain my fruit trees without killing my bees by accident.
Thanks.


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## Stan (Mar 31, 2006)

spray at night , or early morning when its cool , watch for the wind , make sure the overspray isnt directed towards the bees , , or a canvas tarp over the bees , spray tarp with water to keep it cool


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## woodspirit (Aug 3, 2005)

Don't use sevin dust at all. It's one of the most effective ways of killing off an entire hive. Don't spray anything on your fruit trees when they are in bloom at all. One of the most effective sprays to use on fruit trees is dormant oil in the spring before the leaves or flower buds emerge. The oil spray isn't a pesticide but will control all the overwintering eggs and insects hiding on the bark and branches of trees. Unfortunately there isn't a magic bullet that will kill everything but not bees. Practicing clean culture with your trees by raking up dead leaves and branches, and pruning out dead growth will help your trees to thrive. The methods above will go a long way to promoting healthy fruit. Bottom line is that you may have to be willing to accept some blemished fruit for the sake of your bees. Most commercial fruit tree sprays have a combination of sevin, malathion, methoxychlor, and a fungicide like captan. They also recommend that you mix and spray once every ten to fourteen days during the entire growing season with the exception of the flowering period. Commercial orchardists use honeybees, but that doesn't mean that the chemicals are in any way safe for honeybees or the end product user in the form of fruit and honey. The application of pesticides in orchards is tightly regulated in most states. Note that doesn't say, rightly. Other options are to plant resistant varieties of fruit trees but that isn't the perfect solution either. I hope this info helps some.


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