Anney: mostly just curiosity but also, one year I went to spray Bt and realized I was out. Living an hour's drive from the nearest source, it was just a bit of a pain in the a** to quickly go get some. An alternative close at hand would have been nice. Also, my sprayer is a bit unwieldy and a small bottle with a dropper might be even handier. I wonder if Stylet Oil would work as well, it isn't labeled for sweetcorn, just field corn for Fall armyworm. Too bad. Thanks Anney, I think I'll do a half and half (oil on one half/Bt on the other) and see what happens. Michael

If no one checked the link I provided here is the list of treatments for Citrus Leafminer. Step 2: Choosing a Treatment There are a few treatments that are effective in controlling citrus leafminer. All are organic and natural, and non-toxic to the environment. Neem Oil Neem Oil is produced from the fruits and seeds neem tree. It controls many insects, and can be used for household pests as well, due to it's non-toxic nature. Neem oil is also effective in controlling fungus, such as the black sooty mold that plagues citrus during warm weather. Neem oil should not be used by pregnant women, women trying to conceive, or children as tests show that it produced infertility in rats. Neem oil is used in Ayurvedic medicine, but is not recommended for long term use.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neem_oil3 Spinosad Spinosad (spinosyn A and spinosyn D) is a natural insecticide derived from a naturally occurring soil dwelling bacterium. It must be ingested to be effective, which is what makes it effective in controlling citrus leafminer. It is relatively fast acting, and there is seemingly a 100% kill after 1-2 days. It is highly toxic to bees should not be sprayed where bees are foraging. Beneficial Trchogramma and Braconid wasps are harmed by Spinosad, but it seems to have no effect on other beneficial insects, such as lacewings. It is much less toxic after drying.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinosad4 Dormant or Agricultural Oil Sometimes called "Summer Oil" or "All Season Oil", these are simply oils that are formulated to disperse into water for spraying purposes. These oils kill by smothering the insect. Not all agricultural oils can be used on all types of plants, so make certain you have the proper oil for your use. Homemade Oil/Soap Mixture A homemade mixture of 1/3 cup Murphy's Oil Soap to one gallon of water is an inexpensive and effective insecticide for many insects.

Bees have very little interaction with corn. Corn is a grass and is pollinated by wind and not insects. Corn pollen is actually very nutritionally poor for bees, and they only collect it when there is nothing else better available. There is no nectar collected from corn although it has been reported that they will collect honeydew (where a plant has been injured and seeps sap) but it's a very small amount. That being said, BT corn probably has little to no effect on bees and their problems. Neonics, with out going into too much detail, accomplish much the same role as BT modified corn. It's taken up into the plant and stays in the plant's system killing insects when they feed on the plant. Same effect, different method of introducing it into the plant. The main problem with Neonics and bees seems to be at planting time. Corn seed it treated with the insecticide by the manufacturer. When the seed is transported and handled some of that coating comes off. When the seed is planted some of that lost coating can become airborne and land on forage plants in bloom. Bees go to the forage plant, picks up a dose of insecticide and returns to the hive. Then you get a bee kill. The exact same thing happens with all other insecticides. Back in the good old days, Pyrethroids were heavily applied to crops several times during the season. With each application there was a chance to have an accidental kill. From where I sit I would much rather have one application at planting than three or four during the year. From what I have read (and I have been following CCD quite closely) there is no simple answer. We have all kinds of problems with our bees but no one can seem to point out one and say it's a smoking gun. We have mites (and the products that beekeepers use to control them), Nosema, several fairly new viruses, weather problems, insecticides, cultural changes (something like 1/2 of all managed hives are sent every year to California to pollinate almonds), Small Hive Beatles, a shrinking genetic base in the bee population and a dozen other problems that stress your bees. Bees are pretty good at adapting but throw enough problems at them there is going to be problems. Treat cattle like this and we would all be vegetarians. I do not want to lessen the concerns that people have about GMO products. There is a lot of science out there (some good and some bad) that is all over the map. I understand the hesitancy of some people to use GMO product but I do not hold their view. All these products have been tested and approved by the government (although I sometimes am a little leery of believing what the government says). If I can plant corn that has good flavor, holds well, looks good and I do not have to spray every couple of weeks to get a crop I am all in favor of it. Now, I'll get down from my soapbox, put on my asbestos underwear and brace. Tom

The earthway is actually a bit more sophisticated than the Planet. The planet merely agitates the seed whereas the earthway actually meters it (with little scoops). When I was doing growing on a commercial scale we were worried that the Planet would not work well with non-round seeds so we we bought the optional brush agitator that actually sweeps past the holes. We had very good luck though I will say that for lettuce we bought pelletized seed. We never used it with corn since we already had a corn planter, but we did fine with green and wax beens (never tried limas). Best of luck.