Turkish academic said that spraying on canola caused bee deaths and that the type of pesticides should be selected carefully to prevent this.

Associate Professor Mustafa Necati Muz, a Turkish academician from Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, said that during the flowering period of canola "licensed and harmless" pesticides should be used in order to prevent bee deaths. Reminding that canola cultivation was first started in Thrace in the 1960s; Assoc. Dr. Mustafa Necati Muz stated that incorrect pesticides used in agriculture caused bee deaths. Emphasizing that the products with active ingredients known not to harm honeybees should be preferred in spraying, Muz said: "Using resistant varieties in the fight against pests and diseases, early warning systems, use of cultural and mechanical methods of struggle are necessary. Moreover, using systemically effective drugs harmful to honey bees should be avoided."

HONEY BEES CAN INCREASE CANOLA YIELD UP TO 30%

Stating that experienced producers leave some space for bee colonies in canola planting areas, the scientist said: “If bee colonies are placed very close to canola fields, they start pollination early in the morning with canola and then continue with canola. Honey bees can increase canola yield up to 30 percent." Assoc. Dr. Mustafa Necati Muz emphasized the importance of being selective in drug use. "At this point, canola and sunflower farmers using agricultural poison that harms bees are indeed shooting themselves in the foot," he said.