Spotted Knapweed Control Draws Ire from Beekeepers

Spotted knapweed, an invasive plant, has sparked a battle between beekeepers and agricultural and environmental advocates in Michigan. Beekeepers say spotted knapweed is important for honeybees, but it is being weeded out by invasive plant experts.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Invasive Species Information Center, spotted knapweed is native to Europe and was introduced to the United States in the late 1800s, where it pushes out native plants and forage that livestock depend on.

In Michigan, which is a top-10 producer of honey and a honeybee haven, scientists have been releasing insects to kill spotted knapweed this year. But the success of the spotted knapweed control is drawing the ire of honey caretakers and farmers, who say that the weed is an important source of pollen and nectar for bees.

According to the Michigan Beekepers Association (MBA), spotted knapweed (also known as star thistle) is a prolific plant that many beekeepers, particularly in the northern part of Michigan, rely on as a source of honey.

"If it wasn't for this plant, we wouldn't even be here," Kirk Jones, a Michigan farmer who relies on honeybees, told the AP, adding, "It could be detrimental to the future of the beekeeping industry."

The MBA says the estimated value of spotted knapweed for honey production could be as much as $40 million a year.

Environmental and agricultural researchers, however, are standing their ground, saying that the invasive spotted knapweed is detrimental to so many other species, it could easily be substituted as a nectar or pollen source for honeybees.

"It's not an attempt to take away a resource that beekeepers find valuable, but to replace it with one that might have more functionality," Ken Rauscher of the Michigan Department of Agriculture told the AP.

The pilot project is being evaluated over the next year or two, but  Michigan state doesn't expect to release any more insects until the evaluation is complete, according to Jennifer Holton, a Public Information Officer with the Michigan Department of Agriculture. Holton added that even after the re-evaluation, it's likely that 10-15 years will pass before there will be any noticeable impact on beekeepers, and the state is looking for native species that could replace the spotted knapweed.