CENTRAL TEXAS (KXXV) — A Central Texas beekeeper earns a win in her crusade to protect bees and her beehives — as experts say, bees are important pollinators for our environment.
Melinda Richardson Sheffield told us late last month that her bees are dying off, and she believes it’s possibly due to Navasota Valley Electric Cooperative spraying herbicides as part of its land management efforts and to limit unwanted vegetation in its coverage areas.
While co-op officials have denied wrongdoing to 25 News, and some AG experts are skeptical or say little to no evidence shows herbicides can harm bees, Melinda questions otherwise due to a correlation between the timing and location of where Navasota Valley Electric Cooperative is spraying and the dying off of her bees all around the same time.
Now — following a recent conversation with a source of hers within the co-op through a phone call she made, she's learned something new.
She said, “I’m appreciative that Navasota Valley Electric, they have the spraying on pause and there’s no date set as of right now for them to start again.”
Melinda said the exact reason for the pause is not clear.
You may remember that 25News previously reported on Texas AG Commissioner Sid Miller and the Texas Department of Agriculture looking into Melinda’s case and Melinda has sent off some comb for testing.
While she awaits results, Melinda feels like this is a win and told 25 News' Bobby Poitevint she will continue her fight to save the bees and replace the ones she lost.
“Any other electric companies or highway department, if I see them spraying that stuff, I will tell them about it," she said.
We tried to independently confirm that the co-op had paused spraying but were not immediately able to do so over the phone. A representative did refer us to the statement originally given to the media on March 20, which can be read below.
Media Statement: Responsible Herbicide Use and Pollinator Protection Navasota Valley Electric Cooperative, Inc. is dedicated to responsible land management within our designated easement areas. As part of our ongoing maintenance, we conduct vegetation control within our 20-foot right-of-way easement, which is necessary to ensure safe access to our lines and prevent overgrowth.
In carrying out this work, a licensed contractor uses herbicides specifically selected to target unwanted vegetation while minimizing harm to pollinators such as bees.
The licensed contractor carefully applies these products within the 20-foot easement area and takes additional precautions such as avoiding peak pollinator activity times and preserving beneficial plant species to support a healthy ecosystem. In addition, all members are notified by mail prior to any spraying activity in their area to provide them an opportunity to take further precautions.
We are committed to balancing safety, regulatory requirements, and environmental stewardship in all our operations.
