Neem Oil and bees

by Joyce
(Stafford, England)

Please can you tell me if neem oil used in an insecticide adversely affect bees. From what I understand neem oil only affects insects that suck sap from the plant or bite the leaves. Please advise me, thankyou.

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Aug 10, 2013
neem oil/ insecticide NEW
by: bill t

Formulations made of neem oil also find wide usage as a biopesticide for organic farming, as it repels a wide variety of pests including the mealy bug, beet armyworm, aphids, the cabbage worm, thrips, whiteflies, mites, fungus gnats, beetles, moth larvae, mushroom flies, leafminers, caterpillars, locust, nematodes and the Japanese beetle. Neem oil is not known to be harmful to mammals, birds, earthworms or some beneficial insects such as butterflies, honeybees and ladybugs if it is not concentrated directly into their area of habitat or on their food source. It can be used as a household pesticide for ant, bedbug, cockroach, housefly, sand fly, snail, termite and mosquitoes both as repellent and larvicide (Puri 1999)[not specific enough to verify]. Neem oil also controls black spot, powdery mildew, anthracnose and rust (fungus).

Apr 26, 2014
use at night on non-flowering NEW
by: Anonymous

From what I've read on different sites.. If Neem is the best option, use it at night on non-flowering plants. this report indicates that yes, it is a danger to bees however if the mix only holds it's strength for 6 hours or so, use at night should be safe for bees by morning..

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/PNAI/pnaishow.php?id=53

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