The University of Arkansas Extension Service has a great reference book listing weeds common in Arkansas pastures (and lawns) complete with appropriate chemical treatment. Click here to download.
A WORD OF CAUTION
Pesticides commonly found in lawn and garden products and used in agriculture are known to be hazardous to bees –some killing bees outright and others with subtle effects that reduce a bee’s ability to thrive.
Approximately 90 percent of all flowering plants require pollinators to survive. In agriculture, nearly a third of pollination is accomplished by honeybees. Cucumbers, almonds, carrots, melons, apricots, cherries, pears, apples, prunes, plums, cantaloupe, onions, avocados, kiwi, blueberries, cranberries and more depend on honeybee pollination.
The most serious poisonings occur when honey that collect pesticide-contaminated pollen or nectar and transport these materials to the hive. Pesticide dusts (e.g., Sevin) and encapsulated pesticides are especially dangerous. These pesticides can adhere to foraging honey bees, are transported to the hive, and stored for long periods of time. Such pesticides may cause honey bee mortality in the hive for several months.
Ways to Reduce Honey Bee Poisoning
- Do not apply pesticides that are toxic to honey bees on crops in bloom.
- Choose the least hazardous pesticide formulations when possible. Pesticide dusts and encapsulations are more toxic than sprays of the same material. Granular applications of pesticides are typically the safest method of treatment in areas with honey bee hives.
- Avoid drift of toxic pesticide sprays onto ground-cover plants, weeds, or crops in nearby fields.
- Avoid direct pesticide applications to flowering weeds when possible. Mow before pesticide application, if ground-cover plants are in bloom.
- Apply pesticides in the late evening or early morning when honey bees are not actively foraging. This is important with crops such as corn, since pollen is released in the morning. The evening application of pesticides to such crops are less hazardous and will reduce unintentional honey bee poisonings.
- Do not apply pesticides if temperatures are expected to be unusually low following pesticide treatment. Pesticide residues can remain toxic to honey bees for longer periods of time under low temperature conditions.