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Emails

For the sake of space, not every email is included on this website. 

It is all public information and available through a Records Request through FDACS.

This information is available via public information request. 

Case number 325 -199-2129

I emailed this to Kathy Mears, FDACS Assistant Director on 5/15/25.

We had to create a list of samples to be taken.  This is not SOP.  SOP is for the pesticide inspector to decide what to sample, based off of the information collected.

Request of samples made on 4/10/25

 

  • Deceased bees from the application site (we’ve been told they were disposed of in the lab)

  • Soil and Foliage samples from the application site in Ms Bruton’s yard

  • Soil/Foliage samples in Ms Brutons backyard greater than 18” from the application site in the direction of my Bee Hives (SE direction) to include flowering weeds if possible

  • Soil/Foliage samples from Ms Bruton’s fence line closest to my bee hives

  • Swab sample from Ms Bruton’s fence

  • Soil Foliage samples from my property near fence

  • Soil Foliage samples near the most affected bee hives

  • Algae in the Koi Pond

 

 

In addition to what was asked for on 4/10/25, we would like separate individual tests of each hive not collective samples

 

  • Wax/Honey on honey super above queen excluder that we were getting ready to harvest on 6 hives

  • Honey, comb, wax samples from bottom brood chamber where bees enter the hives on 8 hives

  • Swab Entrance of each hive (8)

  • Swabbing of top of each hive (8)

Highlighted request of samples.jpeg

I emailed this to Kathy Mears, FDACS Assistant Director on 5/15/25 in response to her agreeing to do more testing.

 

Thank you.  I greatly appreciate your sense of urgency.  

 

Please keep in mind that if we find another poison, like I believe an attractant or bait is on the fence, I will ask for more tests and an investigation into where it came from.  I will ask for more testing every time they find a new bullet (poison) that should not be there and was not reported by anyone.  

 

If there’s an unacceptable amount of poisons in the soil at my Neighbors foundation, I will be asking to investigate above and around the tested soil and to test the soffits.  I would think your legal team might want to test the soffits to prove the tech did what he said he did, and the inspector led the tech to change an affidavit.  

 

Don’t forget a tech sprayed something for the “initial treatment” on 4/17, and we don’t know what they sprayed or where they sprayed.  That’s the day I yelled at the tech about killing my bees in my apiary.  Can you find out what they sprayed that day and be sure the samples are tested for that as well. 

 

Thank you for pushing to have all of the tests done.  Collective sampling lets us know there’s a problem.  Individual testing will provide details of each hive and area.  

I emailed this to Kathy Mears, FDACS Assistant Director on 5/16/25.

 

Hi Kathy,

​

Thank you for sending out the full crew today.  They were great to work with and very thorough.  I really do appreciate it.  Everyone just left.  

​

My neighbor refused to allow entry to her property and is saying she’s being harassed.  With proof of the applicator violating federal law, is there a way to gain entry to investigate the illegal application site?  Do we not have probable cause?

​

After everyone went to lunch, the guy in the blue truck showed up at my neighbor’s house for a short while, but left as soon as everyone was coming back.  He’s the one that pressure washed the fence, only by my hives.  The bees are still on the same fence post, from over a week ago, I believe they are attracted to a pesticide (like the ant killer in the picture of the tech’s truck).  There are dead bees under where they are gathering. 

​

Again, thank you for taking care of this. I greatly appreciate it.  

I emailed this to Kathy Mears, FDACS Assistant Director on 6/5/25.

 

You’re welcome for the questions.  I have a lot of really good ones, don’t I?  I’m anxiously awaiting the day that I can thank you for making sure they are all answered. 

 

I fully understand you planned on conducting all of the tests I asked for and I appreciate that.  Repetition is unnecessary.  After you sent 8 people to my house (4 armed), I figured my neighbor would be greeted with the same sense of urgency.  I had no idea that I would be treated so differently.  It’s my fault for assuming equality, right?  It’s been 3 weeks since you agreed to more testing of things that can be washed away with excessive watering, heavy rains, pressure washing, UV rays, etc.  I’m only asking for a modification to test areas that most likely did not get rain or UV rays, because of the very, very long delay.  I’m actually surprised and disappointed that I’d even have to ask for this common sense and logical approach.  It’s very disappointing to see the lack of care about my apiary being destroyed and how Fdacs has treated us as victims of a violation of Federal law. 

 

I understand your timeline and I’m learning the pace of fdacs.  That’s why I’m checking the pulse.    I also understand I have to be very specific as to what I ask for and have to follow up.  I don’t want to fill out a request if it’s already done.  I want to be sure I can see all of the info as soon as it’s available.  Don’t forget,  I’ve had issues with previous requests.  

 

You keep repeating about the neighbor, but fail to answer how can anyone refuse a State investigation into an illegal application of a pesticide that violated Federal law and wiped out an apiary.  Repetition is not needed, just answers. How is that not interfering in a federal and state investigation?  Also, you fail to answer how it’s not discrimination to come hard at me, the victim, but won’t even send one LEO to ask for entry to where a federal law was violated and poisoned an apiary.  

Can you at least answer if it would be different if she used antifreeze on strays and I had dead strays in my yard?  

I’m really trying to understand this, and I can’t do it using common sense and logical thinking.  

 

I don’t think you do understand what it’s like to have to fight fdacs as a victim, have hives next to your home that are murdering the ecosystem, have 4 unannounced armed men show up, plus much more, when they should be on my side after finding a lethal dose of Fipronil on bees in a hive.  Im inviting you to show up at my apiary to see my property for yourself, suit up and let’s go through the hives, go through the overfilled 3” binder of our research, see my 5yrs of hard work destroyed, profits gone, time wasted, and I bet you’d agree that you do not understand the undue stress this is causing us on a daily basis.  We live it daily and just want to done.  

 

I don’t sugarcoat anything.  I believe in accuracy and honesty, so please don’t take anything personal.  I just point out things as i see them and ask for clarification when something is off.  When there is no clarification, it makes one question why the important questions are ignored.   Ignoring questions is not the way to treat a victim.  Especially when you guys did so much to try to prove I’m not the victim and that I’m just not a good beekeeper or I sprayed them.  I understand you have a bureaucratic bs to deal with.  My job is to ensure the honey and hives I sell are not poisoned.   It’s my job to protect my bees and be sure the hives are healthy and good for the environment.  It’s your job to ensure I can do my job.  

I emailed this to Kathy Mears, FDACS Assistant Director on 7/14/25.
Also Sean Garner, FDACS General Council, plus over 60 others.

 

Response to legal

​

This email is being sent to those who have been involved in this case, because I want everyone to know how FDACS really works and treats victims of a federal crime.  Please watch Costa Honey Farm’s YouTube channel for videos supporting my claims.  

​

This is my Hail Mary, hoping someone will be able to actually help me.  I don’t know what else to do.  I’m tired of people of authority telling me how messed up it is, but they can’t help me.  I’ve been treated like the criminal instead of a victim, and here’s my overwhelming proof.  

​

How is it not a conflict of interest for a state licensing agency to investigate federal crimes on one of their own licensees?   Of course you would not want to do a thorough investigation that would expose the many, many flaws and prove FDACS’s incompetence (or corruption/ waste/abuse) in licensing and overseeing pesticide abuse, because it would put liability on you.  This is why I’m demanding a thorough investigation by the local sheriff department, Sgt Warren leading the investigation, with Erin Jenkins (FDACS) and Thomas Steeger (EPA) helping.   I don’t trust anyone else, because most others have shown extraordinarily unacceptable levels of incompetence and should be investigated for their handling of my case.  

 

Kathy said you would answer my questions, so why have you not answered any questions and ignored my many emails?  What do I need to do to get simple answers that I was told I would get?  

 

Surely you are not saying that the investigation of the misuse of Fipronil is over, when Fipronil was only found in 4 of the 58 tests and 26 of the tests found 10 other poisons?  Are you allowed to ignore that Diuron was found in 28% of the tests? 

Are you really allowed to ignore the 10 other poisons found in or on my hives that nobody mentioned applying?  

Are you allowed to not look into possible vandalism or chemical trespassing when my neighbor said she’d have the bees sprayed anytime they came onto her property and there are 10 unmentioned poisons your lab detected in or on all of my hives.  Are you allowed to blatantly ignore the fact that diuron, found in 28% of the tests, could have caused the swarm that fl pest control illegally sprayed and now is taking full blame for?  That’s preposterous.  What exactly is general council and why am I having to explain this to someone in that position?

 

Why is there no mention the violations wiping out an apiary?

 

Are you really going to say everything that Kathy agreed to have tested was tested?  Are you lying or just not familiar with the case, but pretending to be?  

Where are the test results for the pile of dead bees that was on my neighbor’s property?  This is the smoking gun, the control, and the only way to know that the tech did not use the other 10 poisons your lab found in or on my hives.  We’ve been asking for these for over 2 months.  This is especially important after the lab found an imidacloprid (a neonicotinoid) at the kill site, when it should only be Fipronil.  

 

Does FL Pest Control know their tech wiped out an apiary with an egregious/ illegal misuse of a pesticide?  If so, what are they required to do (per FDACS ‘s SOP) as your licensee to remedy the illegal Bee Kill problem and clean up their mess?

 

Please define the word “investigation” as defined by FDACS.  Cambridge defines it as the act or process of examining a crime, problem, statement, etc. carefully, especially to discover the truth: .  

You have not discovered the truth of the 10 unmentioned poisons.  Do you have a law degree?  If so, what kind of law degree do you have?  How can FDACS’s general council not understand how investigations work?  Are you gaslighting me or do you truly think that this investigation would not be torn to shreds in a court?  Do you or your family benefit in any way from pesticide or herbicide companies?  Do you represent pesticide companies in any manner whatsoever?

 

What’s the point of the 58 tests if you are going to blatantly ignore the findings of a neonicotinoid and many other neurotoxins?  

 

What is the multiplier for diminished values of the pesticide being detected months after the application?  Have you factored this into the test results?  

 

Are you allowed to ignore Fipronil found at 40,000 at the kill site and that imidacloprid was also found?  This testing was TEN weeks one day after the application, torrential rains, excessive watering…. and still had very high amounts.  Imidacloprid was in the picture with the tech’s bee suit and your lab found it in the soil sample at the kill site, so are you really allowed to ignore these facts and not look into where the neonic came from?  

 

If you read Michelle’s report (bottom of pg 3) the tech was not directed to spray Fipronil on the swarm.  So how did you determine Mr Vernon instructed the tech to illegally apply the pesticide?  Is there really no accountability for the tech egregiously misusing/illegally applying pesticides?  Are you allowed to ignore the fact that the tech said this is his normal perimeter treatment,  and not test jobs he has admitted to an egregious/illegal application of a pesticide?    

 

Are you allowed to ignore the soil sample on my property that shows the levels of diuron increased by 3x since the last test?  

 

Is Jose still working on a corrected, accurate, and thorough report of the 2 full days he inspected my apiary?  His report was wrong and not thorough.  I have hours of video footage to prove it.  

 

Are you allowed to ignore the fact that only one blank swab test showed positive for 4 poisons when there should always be zero?

 

Why was your pregnant (10 weeks) inspector the closest one to all of these neurotoxins?  

 

The absurdity of the blatant incompetence displayed by FDACS’s supervisors is extremely concerning and is going completely against your motto.   Please change your motto or do what the motto claims.  Is FDACS going to investigate FDACS for false advertising?

 

Your email does not find me well.  Your email fills me with disappointment, disgust, and betrayal when I was expecting a relief of FDACS doing a thorough investigation and finding out who sprayed which poisons on my hives.  I have been very compliant and did most of the research for what you call an investigation, and this is the way you treat the victim of an egregious/ illegal misuse of a pesticide?  What’s your motto again?  Who holds FDACS accountable?

 

Here are the questions and problems that have been ignored.  

Below here has not been edited for redundancy, because I’ve already spent weeks on this.  These are notes I was taking instead of sending emails, because Kathy Mears asked me to wait, because legal had answers and we were waiting for the test results.  Since Kathy is a liar, here is what I was working on.  

 

Kathy- fdacs questions 

 

So, it’s ok to show up with 4 armed men at the victim’s home (looking like a raid), unannounced, but they didn’t want to intimidate the aggressor/possible vandal, my neighbor, by having an officer accompany the inspectors when asking to gain access to her backyard to do more testing of an admitted, egregious misuse/ illegal application of a pesticide?  I was under the impression there would only be inspectors at my home, not an additional 4 armed men, 3 with oversized bulletproof vests with a taser on display, looking like a raid.

 

Is it because I’m a white male with a Trump sign and she is a black female?  How is this not blatant discrimination against me?  Nobody cared about intimidating my fiancé and I, the victims of an admitted and proven egregious/ illegal application of a pesticide that wiped out our apiary.  

 

How can someone refuse access to an admitted and proven (by fdacs’s lab testing) federal crime that caused mounds of dead bees and destroyed an apiary?  How much more probable cause is needed?

 

Who would not demand (in order to allow access to their property) that fdacs give them all of the test results and provide legal council if there was a crime committed by a company they hired on their property, so they can sue them?  My guess is someone with something criminal to hide and wanting a big company to take all of the blame.  I welcomed fdacs only after they agreed to extensive testing, even though they tried to bully and intimidate me through their legal department and LEOs.  

 

Correct me if I’m wrong, there has never been a more thorough investigation of an apiary in the state of FL.  State employees’ hours on my property are over 140hrs…. and probably a few hundred more off site.  There might be 9 hours (total) of investigation on the neighbor’s property where the admitted egregious misuse/ illegal application of a pesticide was.  Yes, the same property where a federal crime was committed and a tech was reminded to change his application ratio almost 600% and make a new affidavit.  

 

There was mention by an Ag LEO that we were one of the most cooperative calls, even though they were there because of my “aggression”.

Liberals call it aggression, while everyone else calls it persistence.  

 

The kill spot was watered for about 4-5hrs over the weekend.  It’s a strange coincidence that when she waters a lot, I see more swarms.  I think it was 3 swarms over the weekend.  Probably just another coincidence, right?

 

No bees have been on the fence since the Friday of the last inspection.  They said they were not legally allowed to swab my side of the neighbor’s fence.  The lack of a sense of urgency with my neighbor could have caused evidence to wash away.  Why is there a severe lack of a sense of urgency for my neighbor, who hired the criminal that killed my hives, but you send a full crew to my home in less than 24hrs of you screaming at me, and my fiancé had to stop you, because you were very wrong?  

 

Since there has been 8 weeks, rain, watering, and blazing uv rays, I’d like to modify my request for testing to add eves/soffits of my neighbor’s house.  This is only due to the severe lack of a sense of urgency.  I’m asking because they do not get direct uv rays or rain and it’s been over 7 weeks since my request to test, plus the tech admitted to a 3.55% mix, then changed it to .06%, and there was a lethal dose of Fiprinol found inside of a hive.  

 

Blue truck guy, the one who pressure washed the fence, showed up on the Friday when there were 8 state vehicles at my home.  He arrived just after everyone left for lunch.  He quickly left as everyone was returning from lunch.  I even ran into the street yelling and pointing that that was the guy.  Nobody seemed interested in asking him any questions whatsoever, even though he altered a proven crime scene and bees were unnaturally attracted to the fence afterwards.  At what point do coincidences become mathematically impossible?  Why am I the only one with these questions?

 

1st Report

 

How did you miss the maxforce bottle in the back of Webber’s truck?  Its active ingredient is the exact neonic found in the soil on my side of the fence.  

 

Did you guys even read the affidavits and labels?  There are so many blatant and elementary inaccuracies.  

 

With the eastern winds and the tech changing his story from 50oz/ gallon to 0.8oz per gallon, I want every hive tested immediately.   If it doesn’t show levels higher than the .8oz per gallon, I’ll pay for all testing plus $5000 for me being unreasonable.  Why does Mrs Brutton’s invoice only show 2oz/ gallon?

 

Why is the fact that he applied Taurus sc to the eves/soffitt 2 times, 3/27 and 4/9 ignored???  The eves and soffits are just under the roofline, so, with any wind at all, the spray would most definitely directly hit my hives that are about 15’ away.  

Did the pesticide inspectors know this and not demand every hive was tested?  Why would there be no sense of urgency for such an egregious misuse of a pesticide that was admitted by the tech???

Common sense tells you he would have had to use double the product to do a top and bottom perimeter spray, to cover double the area.  

Eddie picked up the remaining dead bees with his bare hands after Webber sprayed that side of the house the day before.  Is FL Pest Control putting state employees at risk?  If not, what do you call it?

 

4/17, When I yelled at the tech for killing my bees (only after he turned his back on me when I told him there is a registered commercial apiary on the other side of the fence and he killed my bees), the tech was there was to apply the initial quarterly perimeter treatment.  What was the other foundation and soffit perimeter treatment on 3/27 and 4/9 called?  They called the sheriff on me for this and a guy called me a cracker.   Is this a racial crime?  In what clown world is this allowed to happen ?  

 

He did not report how much he doused the swarm with the 2 times he admittedly doused them and the pesticide inspectors are ok with that, even though it’s federally mandated.  

 

Did Mrs Brutton mislead fl pest, since she thought they were my honey bees and knocked on my door to have me remove them when I was unavailable?

Who told him it was a hornets nest?  Hornet is not labeled anyways.  

 

According to the Stinging insects pages, why was a beekeeper not called to relocate the swarm?  Why was the area not roped off?  If he thought they were wasps, why did they not use an aerosol insecticide?  Why was the nest not removed?  

 

Why is there no mention of the illegal application destroying my apiary?  

 

Why is there no mention of a lethal level of Fipronil being inside a hive?

 

Are you allowed to blatantly ignore leaving contaminated, dead bees for 2 weeks in the illegal application?  

 

How many times did William Vernon instruct someone to use Taurus sc illegally?   Who investigates that?  If illegal application is protocol, what’s the penalty for ignorantly murdering ecosystems and is he allowed to be employed/ licensed?  

 

Why was the concentration level blatantly ignored even though the tech changed his story from 100oz of Taurus sc into 2 gallons of water to .8 oz into a gallon and a slow kill acted as a knock down?  Why does the affidavit show 100oz for 2 gal and the pesticide use shows 50oz for 1 gallon?  Did he use one gallon or 2?  How did his memory get better a week later? 

Did you have the (smoking gun) sprayed bees destroyed by the lab instead of having them tested?  

This tech was trusted instead of testing the bees.  The tech that couldn’t determine the exact kind of insect?  He really couldn’t tell the difference between hornets, wasps and honeybees??  He also doesn’t know the difference between a swing and a hammock.  And you take his statement as truth and fact? 

 

Why was the wind report ignored?  It shows winds E-NE and E-SE at a speed of 4.49-5.24, which would mean he’s most definitely overspraying into my commercial apiary and directly onto my hives.  This is highly illegal.  

 

The reason diuron and imidaclorprid was not able to be determined where it came from is because you didn’t even want to look.  I had to force you to test the soil.  I want you to be accurate, so please rewrite it to add that there was zero testing to find out if there’s more on the other side of the fence and the inspectors refused to call the previous pest control company to confirm.  

 

I refused to sign Dan’s notice of inspection because it was inaccurate and he was extremely argumentative to the point I asked if he was on the payroll of rentokil.  Why is there no mention of me having to call the sheriff to make Dan do his job?  

 

Mrs Brutton knew about an apiary next door just days after she moved in, because I told her. 

 

Why are there no consequences for Mr Weber when he admitted he was not directed to use it to kill a swarm, but only to perform treatment.  How was it found that Vernon instructed an employee to kill a honeybee swarm?  How can someone applying pesticides not be able to identify pests?  

 

Why does the screenshot of fl pest show bumblebees with an actual count of 500 if he can’t identify bees?  How many times did his story change????

 

Why would you assume he paid attention to the 7am-8am live webinar (CEU), when he obviously and admittedly can’t identify pests?  

 

DuraFlex zc is in a picture in the truck, but 2 active ingredients are not tested.  It has sucralose and is an attractant.  I have bees acting strange on the fence, like they are attracted to something.  They have been there for more than 24hrs. I requested to have the fence swabbed (per the investigation), but that was refused, even though I offered to pay for all testing that the government refused to pay for.  This product should only be used in bait stations and never found on a fence.  Its target pest is ants.  Could them trying to wash away evidence, pushed it to my side of the fence?  What does it take to do a thorough and accurate investigation?  

 

What are the results of the several complaints of Dan Sumner?  

 

No one responded to my very pi$$ed off email last week, except beekill@epa,  so I’m not cc’ing anyone and you can all see who ignored my last email.  Plus I’m adding a few that are not supervisors, so they see how this really works.  

Why did nobody but beekill respond?  Who looks into that?  What are my rights as a registered commercial apiary (FL)  when a pest control company sprays Taurus SC (Fiprinol) on a swarm of honeybees (no comb) on a hammock about 20’ from my hives and leaves the pile of appx 2000 bees (according to the supervisor of all apiary inspectors in FL) for weeks?   How many unlawful applications does that fall under?  I’m betting on 5-7, but is probably more when a real investigation is done.  Why was I told the problem was I knew more than the ones performing the investigations, via a Sgt Sheriff?

What protection are beekeepers, who follow state guidelines, afforded and who is in charge of it and why am I blatantly being denied it?  

 

What if the dead and dying bees INSIDE of the only hive tested, showed positive for Fipronil?  The tests were done by FDACS.  

Can FDACS force me to keep the poisoned hives a few feet from my home that are murdering my entire ecosystem? 

 

Who is accountable for making my registered, apiary a murderer to my ecosystem?

 

Tests

 

Why, on 4/21/25, did Michelle call Webber because his mixing ratio was exponentially outrageous, but not request for samples from every hive to be confirm Webber’s accuracy after he admitted to spraying the eves around 1pm with about 5mph E winds?  Is it protocol for inspectors to have the techs change their testimony?  Why was the changing of 50oz/gal to 0.8oz/ gal ignored and extensive tests of the Brutton property not requested to be sure there was not an egregious misuse of a pesticide that killed my hives?  

 

I want to prove the tech is not lying by changing his testimony,  by testing the soil at the foundation of Ms Brutton’s home immediately.    

 

By looking at the photos of the inspection of the tech’s truck, I have reason to believe my neighbors fence was baited, because a guy in a blue truck pressure washed the fence just on the other side of my hives for a very long time…. and for the last few days, bees, with no queen are gathering on the plastic fence for over 48 hrs.  

 

I was very adamant about something being sprayed on my hives just an hour or 2 before Michelle and Eddie added to their report that my neighbor had the soffits sprayed. 

Why did the inspectors not immediately come back to my home to alert me of an egregious misuse of a pesticide that would undoubtedly kill my hives?  

 

I was treated like I was crazy and Eddie condescendingly took my request for samples before they interviewed the horrible human who said she would spray for bees any time they are in her her yard.  

 

Why, after the inspectors gained information that the pesticide applicator sprayed Fiprinol illegally on to soffits and eves, did they not request every hive be tested extensively, due to the intentional and  egregious misuse of pesticide?

 

I want the entire history of her having her yard sprayed.  How many times and since when?

 

If the hive appears as if there has been no queen for a month, why is there no evidence of hive beetles, varroa mites, or wax moths?

 

Why did they swarm and not take any honey?  Why is there no evidence of swarming when inspecting the hives?  

 

Can lawn spray, like diuron, cause swarming?

 

How does a non knockdown agent have a pile of dead bees?  

 

Please ask The Commissioner of The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services about Costa Honey Farm.  

I need someone like you to help me figure out how FL Pest Control and my neighbor killed approximately over 500,000 of my bees and contaminated my honey harvest.  Fl Pest Control admitted to several illegal applications of pesticides.  My neighbor had someone pressure wash her fence while 3 state investigations are ongoing, but only in the areas I have strong concerns that someone sprayed the fence.  Was he trying to remove evidence or was he just harassing me by spraying my hives?  My neighbor said she would spray the bees any time they were on her yard, and she did.  I’m a certified apiary of over 5yrs.  The house she’s renting was built (on the land I tried to buy for my bees) for maybe 6 months and she knew I had a lot of bees and an apiary.  

I know you’re not in my state, but I need a thinker like you to help me, because I was told by a Sheriff Department Sergeant that the problem is that I am more knowledgeable than anyone investigating this case, because nobody had any answers for my very simple questions.  

 

6/16 I recorded a swarm and my landscaper said he saw a red truck with a pesticide marking.  

 

Please study the effects of keeping a fipronil coated hammock and how open, human pores absorb the neurotoxin.  I don’t want the smell of a stupid, dead human next door, when trying to enjoy my backyard.  Also, I’m betting her new dog will have a lot of medical issues linked to neurotoxins, because her yard is nuked.  Does holding and petting dogs that walked in nuked yards affect the humans that hold and pet them?  Flea collars are frequently treated with fipronil, so what does that do to the people who pet and hug the necks of pets with these collars?  

 

Why do pest control companies not breed birds and other creatures that consume pests?  Why is it only chemical treatments?

Why are they allowed to only use unnatural ways to kill pests?  Who benefits most from this?  Does Rentokil run FDACS?  What is FDACS’s motto?

 

Who is properly investigating Kathy’s abuse of power and waste of taxpayer funds directed at a victim of an admitted, egregious/illegal application of a pesticide that wiped out an apiary?  I pray it’s Ed Martin.  

 

I requested that if the tests showed I was accurate and not crazy, that I would have earned the position of the Chief of Special Investigations of Pesticides and Apiaries…. and I pick my own team.  The tests prove exactly what I said, so I earned the position and I want to start immediately.  If anyone reading this email rejects this, please reply all and be as accurate as you can.  Please be very detailed and do not hold back in fear of offending me, so I can learn to communicate more effectively.   If you agree with this, please let the proper authorities know.  I will demand extremely thorough investigations and follow through on the resolutions, the polar opposite of how fdacs treated my case.

I emailed this to Kathy Mears, FDACS Assistant Director on 7/14/25.
Also Sean Garner, FDACS General Council, plus over 60 others.

 

Response to legal

​

This email is being sent to those who have been involved in this case, because I want everyone to know how FDACS really works and treats victims of a federal crime.  Please watch Costa Honey Farm’s YouTube channel for videos supporting my claims.  

​

This is my Hail Mary, hoping someone will be able to actually help me.  I don’t know what else to do.  I’m tired of people of authority telling me how messed up it is, but they can’t help me.  I’ve been treated like the criminal instead of a victim, and here’s my overwhelming proof.  

​

How is it not a conflict of interest for a state licensing agency to investigate federal crimes on one of their own licensees?   Of course you would not want to do a thorough investigation that would expose the many, many flaws and prove FDACS’s incompetence (or corruption/ waste/abuse) in licensing and overseeing pesticide abuse, because it would put liability on you.  This is why I’m demanding a thorough investigation by the local sheriff department, Sgt Warren leading the investigation, with Erin Jenkins (FDACS) and Thomas Steeger (EPA) helping.   I don’t trust anyone else, because most others have shown extraordinarily unacceptable levels of incompetence and should be investigated for their handling of my case.  

 

Kathy said you would answer my questions, so why have you not answered any questions and ignored my many emails?  What do I need to do to get simple answers that I was told I would get?  

 

Surely you are not saying that the investigation of the misuse of Fipronil is over, when Fipronil was only found in 4 of the 58 tests and 26 of the tests found 10 other poisons?  Are you allowed to ignore that Diuron was found in 28% of the tests? 

Are you really allowed to ignore the 10 other poisons found in or on my hives that nobody mentioned applying?  

Are you allowed to not look into possible vandalism or chemical trespassing when my neighbor said she’d have the bees sprayed anytime they came onto her property and there are 10 unmentioned poisons your lab detected in or on all of my hives.  Are you allowed to blatantly ignore the fact that diuron, found in 28% of the tests, could have caused the swarm that fl pest control illegally sprayed and now is taking full blame for?  That’s preposterous.  What exactly is general council and why am I having to explain this to someone in that position?

 

Why is there no mention the violations wiping out an apiary?

 

Are you really going to say everything that Kathy agreed to have tested was tested?  Are you lying or just not familiar with the case, but pretending to be?  

Where are the test results for the pile of dead bees that was on my neighbor’s property?  This is the smoking gun, the control, and the only way to know that the tech did not use the other 10 poisons your lab found in or on my hives.  We’ve been asking for these for over 2 months.  This is especially important after the lab found an imidacloprid (a neonicotinoid) at the kill site, when it should only be Fipronil.  

 

Does FL Pest Control know their tech wiped out an apiary with an egregious/ illegal misuse of a pesticide?  If so, what are they required to do (per FDACS ‘s SOP) as your licensee to remedy the illegal Bee Kill problem and clean up their mess?

 

Please define the word “investigation” as defined by FDACS.  Cambridge defines it as the act or process of examining a crime, problem, statement, etc. carefully, especially to discover the truth: .  

You have not discovered the truth of the 10 unmentioned poisons.  Do you have a law degree?  If so, what kind of law degree do you have?  How can FDACS’s general council not understand how investigations work?  Are you gaslighting me or do you truly think that this investigation would not be torn to shreds in a court?  Do you or your family benefit in any way from pesticide or herbicide companies?  Do you represent pesticide companies in any manner whatsoever?

 

What’s the point of the 58 tests if you are going to blatantly ignore the findings of a neonicotinoid and many other neurotoxins?  

 

What is the multiplier for diminished values of the pesticide being detected months after the application?  Have you factored this into the test results?  

 

Are you allowed to ignore Fipronil found at 40,000 at the kill site and that imidacloprid was also found?  This testing was TEN weeks one day after the application, torrential rains, excessive watering…. and still had very high amounts.  Imidacloprid was in the picture with the tech’s bee suit and your lab found it in the soil sample at the kill site, so are you really allowed to ignore these facts and not look into where the neonic came from?  

 

If you read Michelle’s report (bottom of pg 3) the tech was not directed to spray Fipronil on the swarm.  So how did you determine Mr Vernon instructed the tech to illegally apply the pesticide?  Is there really no accountability for the tech egregiously misusing/illegally applying pesticides?  Are you allowed to ignore the fact that the tech said this is his normal perimeter treatment,  and not test jobs he has admitted to an egregious/illegal application of a pesticide?    

 

Are you allowed to ignore the soil sample on my property that shows the levels of diuron increased by 3x since the last test?  

 

Is Jose still working on a corrected, accurate, and thorough report of the 2 full days he inspected my apiary?  His report was wrong and not thorough.  I have hours of video footage to prove it.  

 

Are you allowed to ignore the fact that only one blank swab test showed positive for 4 poisons when there should always be zero?

 

Why was your pregnant (10 weeks) inspector the closest one to all of these neurotoxins?  

 

The absurdity of the blatant incompetence displayed by FDACS’s supervisors is extremely concerning and is going completely against your motto.   Please change your motto or do what the motto claims.  Is FDACS going to investigate FDACS for false advertising?

 

Your email does not find me well.  Your email fills me with disappointment, disgust, and betrayal when I was expecting a relief of FDACS doing a thorough investigation and finding out who sprayed which poisons on my hives.  I have been very compliant and did most of the research for what you call an investigation, and this is the way you treat the victim of an egregious/ illegal misuse of a pesticide?  What’s your motto again?  Who holds FDACS accountable?

 

Here are the questions and problems that have been ignored.  

Below here has not been edited for redundancy, because I’ve already spent weeks on this.  These are notes I was taking instead of sending emails, because Kathy Mears asked me to wait, because legal had answers and we were waiting for the test results.  Since Kathy is a liar, here is what I was working on.  

 

Kathy- fdacs questions 

 

So, it’s ok to show up with 4 armed men at the victim’s home (looking like a raid), unannounced, but they didn’t want to intimidate the aggressor/possible vandal, my neighbor, by having an officer accompany the inspectors when asking to gain access to her backyard to do more testing of an admitted, egregious misuse/ illegal application of a pesticide?  I was under the impression there would only be inspectors at my home, not an additional 4 armed men, 3 with oversized bulletproof vests with a taser on display, looking like a raid.

 

Is it because I’m a white male with a Trump sign and she is a black female?  How is this not blatant discrimination against me?  Nobody cared about intimidating my fiancé and I, the victims of an admitted and proven egregious/ illegal application of a pesticide that wiped out our apiary.  

 

How can someone refuse access to an admitted and proven (by fdacs’s lab testing) federal crime that caused mounds of dead bees and destroyed an apiary?  How much more probable cause is needed?

 

Who would not demand (in order to allow access to their property) that fdacs give them all of the test results and provide legal council if there was a crime committed by a company they hired on their property, so they can sue them?  My guess is someone with something criminal to hide and wanting a big company to take all of the blame.  I welcomed fdacs only after they agreed to extensive testing, even though they tried to bully and intimidate me through their legal department and LEOs.  

 

Correct me if I’m wrong, there has never been a more thorough investigation of an apiary in the state of FL.  State employees’ hours on my property are over 140hrs…. and probably a few hundred more off site.  There might be 9 hours (total) of investigation on the neighbor’s property where the admitted egregious misuse/ illegal application of a pesticide was.  Yes, the same property where a federal crime was committed and a tech was reminded to change his application ratio almost 600% and make a new affidavit.  

 

There was mention by an Ag LEO that we were one of the most cooperative calls, even though they were there because of my “aggression”.

Liberals call it aggression, while everyone else calls it persistence.  

 

The kill spot was watered for about 4-5hrs over the weekend.  It’s a strange coincidence that when she waters a lot, I see more swarms.  I think it was 3 swarms over the weekend.  Probably just another coincidence, right?

 

No bees have been on the fence since the Friday of the last inspection.  They said they were not legally allowed to swab my side of the neighbor’s fence.  The lack of a sense of urgency with my neighbor could have caused evidence to wash away.  Why is there a severe lack of a sense of urgency for my neighbor, who hired the criminal that killed my hives, but you send a full crew to my home in less than 24hrs of you screaming at me, and my fiancé had to stop you, because you were very wrong?  

 

Since there has been 8 weeks, rain, watering, and blazing uv rays, I’d like to modify my request for testing to add eves/soffits of my neighbor’s house.  This is only due to the severe lack of a sense of urgency.  I’m asking because they do not get direct uv rays or rain and it’s been over 7 weeks since my request to test, plus the tech admitted to a 3.55% mix, then changed it to .06%, and there was a lethal dose of Fiprinol found inside of a hive.  

 

Blue truck guy, the one who pressure washed the fence, showed up on the Friday when there were 8 state vehicles at my home.  He arrived just after everyone left for lunch.  He quickly left as everyone was returning from lunch.  I even ran into the street yelling and pointing that that was the guy.  Nobody seemed interested in asking him any questions whatsoever, even though he altered a proven crime scene and bees were unnaturally attracted to the fence afterwards.  At what point do coincidences become mathematically impossible?  Why am I the only one with these questions?

 

1st Report

 

How did you miss the maxforce bottle in the back of Webber’s truck?  Its active ingredient is the exact neonic found in the soil on my side of the fence.  

 

Did you guys even read the affidavits and labels?  There are so many blatant and elementary inaccuracies.  

 

With the eastern winds and the tech changing his story from 50oz/ gallon to 0.8oz per gallon, I want every hive tested immediately.   If it doesn’t show levels higher than the .8oz per gallon, I’ll pay for all testing plus $5000 for me being unreasonable.  Why does Mrs Brutton’s invoice only show 2oz/ gallon?

 

Why is the fact that he applied Taurus sc to the eves/soffitt 2 times, 3/27 and 4/9 ignored???  The eves and soffits are just under the roofline, so, with any wind at all, the spray would most definitely directly hit my hives that are about 15’ away.  

Did the pesticide inspectors know this and not demand every hive was tested?  Why would there be no sense of urgency for such an egregious misuse of a pesticide that was admitted by the tech???

Common sense tells you he would have had to use double the product to do a top and bottom perimeter spray, to cover double the area.  

Eddie picked up the remaining dead bees with his bare hands after Webber sprayed that side of the house the day before.  Is FL Pest Control putting state employees at risk?  If not, what do you call it?

 

4/17, When I yelled at the tech for killing my bees (only after he turned his back on me when I told him there is a registered commercial apiary on the other side of the fence and he killed my bees), the tech was there was to apply the initial quarterly perimeter treatment.  What was the other foundation and soffit perimeter treatment on 3/27 and 4/9 called?  They called the sheriff on me for this and a guy called me a cracker.   Is this a racial crime?  In what clown world is this allowed to happen ?  

 

He did not report how much he doused the swarm with the 2 times he admittedly doused them and the pesticide inspectors are ok with that, even though it’s federally mandated.  

 

Did Mrs Brutton mislead fl pest, since she thought they were my honey bees and knocked on my door to have me remove them when I was unavailable?

Who told him it was a hornets nest?  Hornet is not labeled anyways.  

 

According to the Stinging insects pages, why was a beekeeper not called to relocate the swarm?  Why was the area not roped off?  If he thought they were wasps, why did they not use an aerosol insecticide?  Why was the nest not removed?  

 

Why is there no mention of the illegal application destroying my apiary?  

 

Why is there no mention of a lethal level of Fipronil being inside a hive?

 

Are you allowed to blatantly ignore leaving contaminated, dead bees for 2 weeks in the illegal application?  

 

How many times did William Vernon instruct someone to use Taurus sc illegally?   Who investigates that?  If illegal application is protocol, what’s the penalty for ignorantly murdering ecosystems and is he allowed to be employed/ licensed?  

 

Why was the concentration level blatantly ignored even though the tech changed his story from 100oz of Taurus sc into 2 gallons of water to .8 oz into a gallon and a slow kill acted as a knock down?  Why does the affidavit show 100oz for 2 gal and the pesticide use shows 50oz for 1 gallon?  Did he use one gallon or 2?  How did his memory get better a week later? 

Did you have the (smoking gun) sprayed bees destroyed by the lab instead of having them tested?  

This tech was trusted instead of testing the bees.  The tech that couldn’t determine the exact kind of insect?  He really couldn’t tell the difference between hornets, wasps and honeybees??  He also doesn’t know the difference between a swing and a hammock.  And you take his statement as truth and fact? 

 

Why was the wind report ignored?  It shows winds E-NE and E-SE at a speed of 4.49-5.24, which would mean he’s most definitely overspraying into my commercial apiary and directly onto my hives.  This is highly illegal.  

 

The reason diuron and imidaclorprid was not able to be determined where it came from is because you didn’t even want to look.  I had to force you to test the soil.  I want you to be accurate, so please rewrite it to add that there was zero testing to find out if there’s more on the other side of the fence and the inspectors refused to call the previous pest control company to confirm.  

 

I refused to sign Dan’s notice of inspection because it was inaccurate and he was extremely argumentative to the point I asked if he was on the payroll of rentokil.  Why is there no mention of me having to call the sheriff to make Dan do his job?  

 

Mrs Brutton knew about an apiary next door just days after she moved in, because I told her. 

 

Why are there no consequences for Mr Weber when he admitted he was not directed to use it to kill a swarm, but only to perform treatment.  How was it found that Vernon instructed an employee to kill a honeybee swarm?  How can someone applying pesticides not be able to identify pests?  

 

Why does the screenshot of fl pest show bumblebees with an actual count of 500 if he can’t identify bees?  How many times did his story change????

 

Why would you assume he paid attention to the 7am-8am live webinar (CEU), when he obviously and admittedly can’t identify pests?  

 

DuraFlex zc is in a picture in the truck, but 2 active ingredients are not tested.  It has sucralose and is an attractant.  I have bees acting strange on the fence, like they are attracted to something.  They have been there for more than 24hrs. I requested to have the fence swabbed (per the investigation), but that was refused, even though I offered to pay for all testing that the government refused to pay for.  This product should only be used in bait stations and never found on a fence.  Its target pest is ants.  Could them trying to wash away evidence, pushed it to my side of the fence?  What does it take to do a thorough and accurate investigation?  

 

What are the results of the several complaints of Dan Sumner?  

 

No one responded to my very pi$$ed off email last week, except beekill@epa,  so I’m not cc’ing anyone and you can all see who ignored my last email.  Plus I’m adding a few that are not supervisors, so they see how this really works.  

Why did nobody but beekill respond?  Who looks into that?  What are my rights as a registered commercial apiary (FL)  when a pest control company sprays Taurus SC (Fiprinol) on a swarm of honeybees (no comb) on a hammock about 20’ from my hives and leaves the pile of appx 2000 bees (according to the supervisor of all apiary inspectors in FL) for weeks?   How many unlawful applications does that fall under?  I’m betting on 5-7, but is probably more when a real investigation is done.  Why was I told the problem was I knew more than the ones performing the investigations, via a Sgt Sheriff?

What protection are beekeepers, who follow state guidelines, afforded and who is in charge of it and why am I blatantly being denied it?  

 

What if the dead and dying bees INSIDE of the only hive tested, showed positive for Fipronil?  The tests were done by FDACS.  

Can FDACS force me to keep the poisoned hives a few feet from my home that are murdering my entire ecosystem? 

 

Who is accountable for making my registered, apiary a murderer to my ecosystem?

 

Tests

 

Why, on 4/21/25, did Michelle call Webber because his mixing ratio was exponentially outrageous, but not request for samples from every hive to be confirm Webber’s accuracy after he admitted to spraying the eves around 1pm with about 5mph E winds?  Is it protocol for inspectors to have the techs change their testimony?  Why was the changing of 50oz/gal to 0.8oz/ gal ignored and extensive tests of the Brutton property not requested to be sure there was not an egregious misuse of a pesticide that killed my hives?  

 

I want to prove the tech is not lying by changing his testimony,  by testing the soil at the foundation of Ms Brutton’s home immediately.    

 

By looking at the photos of the inspection of the tech’s truck, I have reason to believe my neighbors fence was baited, because a guy in a blue truck pressure washed the fence just on the other side of my hives for a very long time…. and for the last few days, bees, with no queen are gathering on the plastic fence for over 48 hrs.  

 

I was very adamant about something being sprayed on my hives just an hour or 2 before Michelle and Eddie added to their report that my neighbor had the soffits sprayed. 

Why did the inspectors not immediately come back to my home to alert me of an egregious misuse of a pesticide that would undoubtedly kill my hives?  

 

I was treated like I was crazy and Eddie condescendingly took my request for samples before they interviewed the horrible human who said she would spray for bees any time they are in her her yard.  

 

Why, after the inspectors gained information that the pesticide applicator sprayed Fiprinol illegally on to soffits and eves, did they not request every hive be tested extensively, due to the intentional and  egregious misuse of pesticide?

 

I want the entire history of her having her yard sprayed.  How many times and since when?

 

If the hive appears as if there has been no queen for a month, why is there no evidence of hive beetles, varroa mites, or wax moths?

 

Why did they swarm and not take any honey?  Why is there no evidence of swarming when inspecting the hives?  

 

Can lawn spray, like diuron, cause swarming?

 

How does a non knockdown agent have a pile of dead bees?  

 

Please ask The Commissioner of The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services about Costa Honey Farm.  

I need someone like you to help me figure out how FL Pest Control and my neighbor killed approximately over 500,000 of my bees and contaminated my honey harvest.  Fl Pest Control admitted to several illegal applications of pesticides.  My neighbor had someone pressure wash her fence while 3 state investigations are ongoing, but only in the areas I have strong concerns that someone sprayed the fence.  Was he trying to remove evidence or was he just harassing me by spraying my hives?  My neighbor said she would spray the bees any time they were on her yard, and she did.  I’m a certified apiary of over 5yrs.  The house she’s renting was built (on the land I tried to buy for my bees) for maybe 6 months and she knew I had a lot of bees and an apiary.  

I know you’re not in my state, but I need a thinker like you to help me, because I was told by a Sheriff Department Sergeant that the problem is that I am more knowledgeable than anyone investigating this case, because nobody had any answers for my very simple questions.  

 

6/16 I recorded a swarm and my landscaper said he saw a red truck with a pesticide marking.  

 

Please study the effects of keeping a fipronil coated hammock and how open, human pores absorb the neurotoxin.  I don’t want the smell of a stupid, dead human next door, when trying to enjoy my backyard.  Also, I’m betting her new dog will have a lot of medical issues linked to neurotoxins, because her yard is nuked.  Does holding and petting dogs that walked in nuked yards affect the humans that hold and pet them?  Flea collars are frequently treated with fipronil, so what does that do to the people who pet and hug the necks of pets with these collars?  

 

Why do pest control companies not breed birds and other creatures that consume pests?  Why is it only chemical treatments?

Why are they allowed to only use unnatural ways to kill pests?  Who benefits most from this?  Does Rentokil run FDACS?  What is FDACS’s motto?

 

Who is properly investigating Kathy’s abuse of power and waste of taxpayer funds directed at a victim of an admitted, egregious/illegal application of a pesticide that wiped out an apiary?  I pray it’s Ed Martin.  

 

I requested that if the tests showed I was accurate and not crazy, that I would have earned the position of the Chief of Special Investigations of Pesticides and Apiaries…. and I pick my own team.  The tests prove exactly what I said, so I earned the position and I want to start immediately.  If anyone reading this email rejects this, please reply all and be as accurate as you can.  Please be very detailed and do not hold back in fear of offending me, so I can learn to communicate more effectively.   If you agree with this, please let the proper authorities know.  I will demand extremely thorough investigations and follow through on the resolutions, the polar opposite of how fdacs treated my case.

I emailed this to Kathy Mears, FDACS Assistant Director on 7/14/25.
Also Sean Garner, FDACS General Council, plus over 60 others.

 

To everyone reading this,

​

I want everything regarding this case to be public information.  If you do not want me to use any of your communications, please let me know in writing.  I plan on sharing everything I legally can with as many people as possible.  I'm just trying to find out what wiped out my apiary and know when my poisoned property will be ready to rebuild.  I know people on this list can do something to actually help.  My question is why do I have over 60 of the ones who should be able to help, but won't?  What's worse is when you think of the networks of the over 60 people ignoring my pleas for help.  

​

What's FDACS's motto?    

 

 

 

Kathy,

 

I am the victim of an admitted/ egregious misuse of a pesticide that wiped out my apiary.  I have been extremely compliant and have done most of your thinking for the investigation.  Why do you treat me like I am the criminal?  Where is the victim advocate?

 

Why do I get insincere apologies, when I'm just asking for very simple answers?  A sincere apology is followed up with actions to fix the problem, like performing a proper investigation.  You have blatantly ignored all of my questions.  Especially the main question.... where are the bees from the kill site that Erin collected?  You said they would be tested, but they were not.  I want answers.

 

 

Are you referring to when you called me and yelled at me as the time you received my request?  That was 3 weeks after we received the test results and I was demanding new testing at least once per day.  I was told this case made it to the Commissioner's desk before this.  Are you saying it made it to the Commissioner's desk without your knowledge and you had no knowledge of my requests prior to you yelling at me?

 

If, after finding a neonicotinoid and 40,000 of fipronil at the kill site (plus 10 other poisons throughout), you decide to not look into where the neonicotinoid and 10 poisons (that nobody reported spraying) came from, and ignore the extremely high fipronil count, what was the point of sending 4 armed men and many inspectors to do 2 full days of testing?  How much taxpayer money did you waste?  Who investigates that?  

What concentration of Taurus Sc would the tech have to use to have a count of 40,000?  Especially when it was sprayed 3 months prior, excessive watering of the grass in that area, and a lot of rain.    

 

I had to fight for hours for FDACS to take a soil sample at my fence, because I was concerned about neonicotinoids and fipronil.  That sample showed a neonicotinoid present as well as an herbicide.  Michelle's inspection report shows a picture of the tech's bee suit on his tailgate, and sitting right next it was a bottle of a pesticide that is a neonicotinoid, active ingredient is imidacloprid.  This herbicide was found on the exterior of almost every hive and showed positive in 28% of all of the tests.  I fought for 3 weeks to have the kill site tested, because of the neonicotinoid found in the soil and fipronil found on bees inside my hive.  FDACS finally got around to testing the kill spot 10 weeks after the initial testing, and still found extremely high levels.  Plus the presence of Diuron in the soil tripled.  

 

Wrong- FDACS did not test for everything I requested.  The two active ingredients in the ant killer (in the picture of the tech's truck in Michelle's report) were not on the lists of pesticides tested in the fence swab (neighbor's side).  Why does the lab not test for these common, active ingredients?  When was the last time the list of poisons being tested was updated?  Which other common poisons are you missing?

They also did not swab my side of the fence that the bees were attracted to.....the same place I sent daily pictures of.... for 10 days.

 

Why should I even have to tell you what to test?  I am dumbfounded that you did not test the areas I suggested you test, since you allowed the tech to change his affidavit from 100oz/gal to 0.8 oz/gal.  You only tested what I demanded and ignored your chance to verify the tech's changing testimony in his affidavits.  

 

 

Wrong again-  Mr Garner did not send information about the results.  He sent the test results with no explanation whatsoever.  We had to do our own research.  Many test results had the Method Detection Limit (MDL) missing, so it's incomplete.  It's a strange coincidence that many of the positive tests have no MDL.  Another strange coincidence is Imidicloprid's MDL changing from 33 to 20 to 1.4 to 0.76 to 0.72 to 0.67 on the different tests.  Diuron's MDL changes also between the same testing.    

He did not answer any of the questions you said he would.  He ignored them, just like most people in this email have.  

He sent me the notice of hearing, but did not send the results of the hearing or if the hearing even happened.  

 

How can you say this investigation is complete and closed when you have all of this information?  This is the tip of the information iceberg.  We have three full, 3" three ring binders punched and sorted, ready to share.

You can consider it closed, but I'm considering it just getting started.  Stay tuned to Costa Honey Farm's YouTube page.  

 

Why are you fighting so hard to not perform a proper investigation?  Of the many people who have heard about the test results, not one said it should be closed.  Every one of them have been dumbfounded as to why there is no investigation into the positive results of the new poisons.  

 

You have admitted FDACS and your incompetence in this investigation, by claiming it's complete, ignoring your blank test swab (sample # 051625-2129-0117) that tested positive for 4 poisons, ignoring an unreported neonicotinoid at the kill site, and not even testing for many common pesticides.

FDACS doesn't do investigations, they report findings..... kind of.

This is why FDACS needs me to be The Chief of the Special Investigators for Pesticides and Apiaries.    

 

 

Besides you, who would say FDACS's actions were enough?  Are you gaslighting me or really do not understand how investigations work?  

 

Who holds FDACS accountable?

  

If you are welcome to have another agency review the case, can you please request that Sergeant Warren with MCSO review FDACS's investigation, including all emails from me to everyone involved in this case.  I will pay the county for her time if I am wrong and she agrees that no further investigation is necessary.  She did a great job when she worked the case and had to force Dan to do his job.  Watch the video of Sergeant Warren's call to James, Dan's Supervisor on Costa Honey Farm's YouTube channel.  The 10:30 mark starts my favorite part.

 

 

I have 18 outstanding public information requests, some that are over 2 months old.  Are you blocking them or should I keep waiting? 

 

 

To everyone reading this,

I want everything regarding this case to be public information.  If you do not want me to use any of your communications, please let me know in writing.  I plan on sharing everything I legally can with as many people as possible.  I'm just trying to find out what wiped out my apiary and know when my poisoned property will be ready to rebuild.  I know people on this list can do something to actually help.  My question is why do I have over 60 of the ones who should be able to help, but won't?  What's worse is when you think of the networks of the over 60 people ignoring my pleas for help.  

What's FDACS's motto? 

I emailed this to FDACS's Pest Control Advisory Council on 7/17/25

 

PLEASE HELP!!  Who holds FDACS accountable?

 

FL Pest control sprayed fipronil on a honeybee swarm on my neighbor's free standing hammock in a grass yard (about 20' from my hives) and left the pile of appx 2000 dead bees for 2 weeks.  The tech also sprayed the eves and soffits.  

 

FDACS is refusing to do a proper bee kill investigation.  They will not tell us where the sprayed bees are and why they were not tested.  They are ignoring a test result of fipronil at 40,000 and imidacloprid at the kill site as well as 28% of the tests were positive for diuron (on the outside of all hives but one).  They do not test for common pesticides that are in the ant killer in the tech's truck.  

 

Please see the email thread for the details. 

 

I'm writing to you because you are on the Pest Control Advisory Council and I cannot find any government employee or lawyer to help me.  I don't know what else to do.  If you can't help, please think of someone who can.

I emailed this to one FDACS's Pest Control Advisory Council Chairperson on 7/22/25

 

Thank you.  I appreciate your time.  

 

How do I get a thorough investigation?   Rentokil’s attorney brought up the fact that other poisons were found.  So, this means that there may be many other people in violation of the law.  My neighbor said she would have the bees sprayed every time they were on her property, but vandalism is ignored.  This investigation would not hold up in any court.  I need a thorough investigation if I’m going to take on Rentokil.  

 

The tech changed his affidavit from 100oz per gallon to 0.8 oz per gallon.  The lab found 40,000 of Fipronil at the kill site 10 weeks after the spray.  How is that not grounds for further investigation?  

 

Are you saying that no matter how many egregious misuses of a pesticide were performed, and no matter how much damage they cause, $5,000 is the maximum fine?

 

Their Fine page is inaccurate in B,C, and D

 

Why did they not have to take any corrective action or monitor to protect human health?  The fine sheet says they did.  

 

What punishment is there to the 11yr tech (who cannot identify stinging pests) and wiped out my apiary?  

 

I filed many complaints with the OIG, Kathy Mears (Chief of staff) and Sean (the general council) are who I have to deal with.  Who are they accountable to?  

I emailed this to one FDACS's Pest Control Advisory Council Chairperson on 7/24/25

 

Thank you for explaining this to me.  I really appreciate your time.  You can see from the emails, how many dozens of people in leadership roles ignore me.  It's very disheartening to be a victim of an egregious misuse of a pesticide and be ignored by those who are supposed to protect me.

 

During the 1st investigation, our research found that pesticide misuse was a 3rd degree felony.  What would have to happen for it to be a felony?  

 

 

What would the penalties be if all of the following occurred?

 

-When my fiance told my neighbor that we had piles of dead bees and needed to know who she hired to kill a swarm, she said she would have the bees sprayed every time they are in her yard.  Why is the possibility of vandalism ignored?

 

-someone sprayed diuron on my hives, which caused the honeybees to swarm to the hammock 

(FDACS could not determine how the diuron and imidacloprid were in the soil sample, because they did no investigation whatsoever into it) 

 

-FL Pest Control's tech admitted spraying a honeybee swarm on a hammock (with a mix of over 3% (100oz/gal)), in a grass yard, and left the pile of appx 2000 dead bees for 2 weeks.  The tech used the same mix to spray my neighbor's eves and soffits.  Then he came back 2 weeks later to finish the rear eves and soffits, because he lit up the swarm the 1st time and could not finish.  The pesticide inspector had the tech change his affidavit to a mix of 0.8oz/gal to match the label.  FDACS tested the soil at the kill site (over 10 weeks after the kill) and found 40,000 of fipronil and an imidacloprid.  The inspector's picture of the tech's bee suit shows an imidacloprid touching the bee suit. 

 

-Someone sprayed the fence with an attractant.  

After my neighbor had her side of the fence pressure washed for a long time, bees gathered at the end fence post for 10 days.  

An ant killer was in the picture (taken by the inspector) behind the bottle of fipronil.  FDACS does not test for the active ingredients in this pesticide.

 

 

 

It's very disturbing how an egregious misuse of a pesticide poisoned my hives and wiped out my apiary, and the max penalty is $5000.  No education or having to remedy the situation?  Nobody looks into the fact that spraying eves with fipronil is what he normally does?  How many ecosystems is he murdering?  Why no consequences to the applicator? 

Who is in charge of changing this?

I've called and emailed DeSantis' office as well as state representatives, senators, and POTUS many, many times.    All ignored

 

 

Again, I really appreciate your time in explaining this to me.  This has been exhausting.  Please feel free to share all of my communications with anyone who you think may be able to help me.  All I find are people who are in a position to help, but don't.  

I emailed this to Kathy Mears, Sean Garner, and 110 others, on 7/26/25.

 

112 people are receiving this email.  Over 60 ignored my last email.  Who investigates that?  I pray you understand my frustration with so many people with authority, failing to help me.

Here is my research from tonight after running my business.  Yes, I reviewed the entire Manual and more, tonight.  See below.

 

Kathy, 

Public records requests of your SOP shows the bee kill investigation was not per SOP… in many ways.  I found 50 SOP violations, as described in detail.  I’m sure someone experienced will find many more.

You are the only one out of over 60 email recipients to reject my request to be transparent.  

You want to hide how unprofessional and nasty you were to Bridget and I.  People should know that I’m so direct with you because of the disrespectful and horrible way you’ve treated me.  You constantly lie to me.  I won’t be bullied.  I won’t be intimidated by your flex of sending 4 armed men (looking like they are raiding my house) to an unarmed victim’s house.   I’ve been completely transparent and compliant…. and I’ve done most of your investigation, besides testing. 

No apology from you being dead wrong and I was right about everything, especially you and FDACS pesticide department being incompetent when it comes to investigations?  You screamed at me when I was providing detailed and accurate evidence of the incompetence.

A written apology from you and the employees I filed complaints for, would be nice.  

 

 

Section 487.071, Florida Pesticide Law, authorizes the Department to enter any private premises where pesticides were applied, during regular business hours to perform its duties.  

Why was Brutton allowed to refuse access?  Why did it take 3 full weeks for you to gain access?  Why did the you, the officers, and inspectors here not know this?  I assumed you had the power from the very beginning, because it made sense for you to have that power.   

When I asked Jason (the large armed LEO, looking like he’s ready for a raid) why he did not accompany the 2 inspectors to Brutton’s property for inspection, he said they didn’t want to intimidate her.  He had no answer when I asked him why nobody cared about intimidating my fiancé (a white woman) and myself with 4 armed men.  

 

You blatantly lied when you said the investigation was done properly.  

See below for evidence.  

 

 

I cannot do anything civil until FDACS does a thorough investigation.  Per FIFRA, FDACS is the only entity that can do these tests for litigation purposes.  Rentokil’s attorney is asking for a reduced fine, because of the other poisons found.  As I’ve said many times, this investigation would not hold up in any court.  

 

 

I emailed both Fl pest control and their insurance company last week.  I have not heard anything.  Are they allowed to ignore me?  Do they not have to remedy this?

 

 

My neighbor was serious when she said she would have bees sprayed every time they are in her yard.  Wednesday morning, my apiary camera picked up a guy with a backpack sprayer, only spraying from the front of the house to the ac unit…. the area immediately next to my apiary.  He could have sprayed other areas, but I don’t record my neighbor’s property.  She has cameras, if anyone cares to see what was sprayed and where.  At what point is she over treating and chemically trespassing on my property?  Is this not a form of harassment?  Please handle this, because I should not have to.  This is ridiculous and it feels as if you are trying to make me do something stupid.  Not happening.  Do your job and protect the environment!!!  Do a thorough investigation into all poisons.  

Don’t make excuses as to why you can’t.  Use section 487.071(2), because it authorizes the department to sample and inspect pesticides used within Florida to determine whether the pesticides or persons exercising control over the pesticides are in compliance with the provisions of chapter 487, the rules adopted under chapter 487, and the provisions of the pesticide label.  

 

 

HB 491, section 812.014(2)(c), F.S., makes it grand theft of a third degree felony if the property stolen is …. a bee colony of a registered apiary.  

 

 

Fine sheet-  FDACS’s fine sheet is very inaccurate.  Who filled it out?  

 

A- there was absolutely no corrective action or monitoring to protect human health or the environment.  I asked for and demanded these many, many times.  Why was it not done when it’s SOP to do it?

 

B- 40,000 of Fipronil 10 weeks after the kill is highly toxic, meaning the signal word should be danger.  Whoever filled out the fine sheet put the signal word as caution, meaning slightly toxic.  Signal words can be found at NPIC’s website.  

She lets her dog and other people’s children run around back there.  

 

C- the estimated cost of rectifying the damage to the consumer is well over $10,000, so why did the person filling it out choose “unknown or under $1000”?

 

D- the violation was no accident, meaning it was deliberate.  He intentionally purposefully sprayed what he sprayed, so why did the person filling it out choose “no evidence violation was committed deliberately”?

 

 

11.01 Procedure for conducting a Pesticide use investigation/inspection

 

III.  Inspection Protocol

 

B.  I, the beekeeper, had to guide the inspection when it was the pesticide inspectors’ job to figure out what things they needed to look at and inspect.  They had no input into which samples were taken.  They actually refused to swab my side of the fence where a small amount of bees were attracted to.  They ignored the pile of dead bees directly under this spot.  They ignored the dead koi fish.  

 

C- the inspectors knew that the tech sprayed the eves and soffits with an extremely hot mix, but they did not test the eves and soffits.  

I even suggested to you that you test these areas because the inspector called the tech 2 weeks later and had him change his affidavit to match the label… a 600% difference…. 100oz/gal to 0.8oz/gal.  

The lab found 40,000 of Fipronil at the kill site….. 10 weeks later, which supports the 100oz mix.  Per SOP, you should be inspecting the eves and soffits.  Why are you ignoring SOP?  I said it was a 600% difference and a search found it would take 2-3x the allowed concentration to be that high.  Factor in the 1/2 life and it matches the lab results.  

 

F.  The 2nd treatment record (4/9/25), when I yelled at the tech, is missing.  The last reported application on 4/17/25 is missing also.  We brought it to the inspector’s attention, but we were ignored, as usual.  Is the licensee really allowed to say “I don’t know” during an investigation?  Is it really ok for an inspector to accept “I don’t know” as an answer. 

 

H.  Application details from the 2nd treatment is missing.  

 

J.  The noted issues were incorrect, so they could not be discussed properly.  

 

K.  2.  Weather conditions are incomplete

     4.  Treatment records of previous pesticide companies was ignored.  The 2nd treatment records are missing.  

     5.  The only training records of the applicator was an online class from 7am to 8am.  Where are the rest of the trainings of his 11yr career?  

 

L.  Many violations were not documented.  They were blatantly ignored, even though I gave them to you in great detail.  

 

 

Are you familiar with the following manual?  Either you’re not familiar with SOP or you’re compromised.  Please prove me wrong.  The same goes for most of the ones that have been receiving my emails.  

 

“Pesticide Field Sampling Manual

 

Foreward

The purpose of this manual is to set standard operating procedures for quality assurance and quality control in the collection and handling of samples used in the regulation of pesticides in Florida.  Quality assurance and quality control are necessary in any enforcement program to assure data are accurate and defensible.  This means not only providing certainty that samples are reliable, but also that criteria for chain of custody recordkeeping reporting and sample transport are considered as integral parts of the overall quality assurance effort.”

 

This is all I have been asking for.  I should not have had to have asked, because it’s your SOP.  

 

Chapter 1

1.01  SOP

“… samples are only as good as the procedures used for collection. Since the samples are collected as part of regulatory program, Specialists may have to testify in court or may be required to identify the sample submitted and justify the sampling procedures. Any mistakes, deficiencies, or departure from established procedures may damage to the Department’s case.  It is essential that Specialists be objective, accurate, and thorough in their adherence to the procedures in this manual.”

 

This is what I have been demanding for months…. and it’s your SOP?!?!?  Why are you refusing to follow SOP?  

 

 

1.02-  this manual was not available in the field.  

 

 

2.01  

A1. Product samples were not taken. 

 

A3.  Environmental control samples were not taken.  Why were negative (“field blanks”) and positive control samples not taken and SOP not followed?  

 

 

2.02-  “The Specialists should maintain an adequate supply of sampling equipment and supplies at all times in their assigned vehicle.”

The inspectors were ill prepared for the first two inspections.  Who is responsible for being sure the inspectors keep their trucks fully stocked?  How long was Dan’s truck not stocked, since he used the hurricane as an excuse?  

 

2.05

A- “If there is any doubt whether the sample should be collected … then you may contact your supervisor.  If that is not possible, collect the sample”.  

Why was the dead koi on the 2nd day ignored?

Why was the fence (where the bees were unnaturally attracted to) not swabbed and pile of fresh dead and dying bees under that area ignored?

 

B-  “Collect as many samples, and different types of samples from the above list to best represent any potential violations”

Why did I have to fight for (hours) to have most of the samples taken?   Why did I have to call the commissioner’s office and have you scream at me in order to do more testing after your lab found imidacloprid and diuron in the soil? Why did the inspectors fight so hard to not follow SOP?

Why have you not tested the eves and soffits that were sprayed with Fipronil?  Why have you not tested for drift?  

 

F.  “Whenever conducting a pesticide use investigation, take environmental control samples, whenever feasible.”

No control samples were taken in the three inspections.  

 

 

2.06

C- “If possible, negative control samples should be collected by different field teams. 

No negative control samples were taken. 

 

O-  I did not see any yellow high concentration labels on samples.  

 

U-  Any deviations from any procedure must be explained in detail.  

The many deviations were not explained, even though I asked why.  

There was no narrative report after the pesticide results.  We were just given the lab results with no explanation.  

 

 

2.08 Disposal of samples

  1. Where is the email to the case manager regarding the dead bees (that were sprayed with fipronil) that were collected and destroyed? 

  2. Where is the narrative notating why the sample appeared to be unnecessary?

It’s truly unbelievable that the sprayed bees would be deemed unnecessary.  They are the most necessary sample, and the only reason I called the Sheriff.  Why are there so many things pointing at a sabotaged investigation?  

 

 

Chapter 8.  Soil and Sediment samples

When I requested a water sample, I should have been told that sediment samples would be more accurate in a pesticide investigation.  

 

8.02 

A 3. “If there is evidence of stressed vegetation or water contamination, sediment samples may be useful in determining contaminants.”

A crazy algae bloom is evidence of stressed vegetation.  A dead fish is evidence of water contamination.  

I have not had any more algae bloom issues.  It actually looks like I need to add algae to the pond.  Can someone explain that?  I can, the two active ingredients in the ant killer in the tech’s truck cause algae blooms, but FDACS does not test for those poisons.  

 

 

Chapter 9.  Swab Samples

 

9.01 “To determine the extent of application coverage or contamination of surfaces…”

The swab samples were only done to satisfy my requests, not to determine application and contamination.  Nothing was done with 50% of the test results being positive for one or more poisons. 

 

C.  The equipment blank sample tested positive for four poisons.  The contaminated sample was ignored.  The sample collection form (for this swab) that I received from my public information request had things written on it that my copy did not have.  I did not receive a revised version.  

What is SOP for a contaminated equipment blank?

 

D.  No control samples of any form were taken.  

 

 

10.01  Vegetation

4- No aluminum bags were used in any vegetation samples.  

Aluminum will keep vegetation much colder than the plastic bottles.  Samples should be stored at a maximum of 40 degrees F.  Can plastic bottles keep things that cold?  

 

 

Chapter 11  Animal Samples

“With reasonable suspicion that pesticides were the cause of death, the inspector may need to collect such samples.”

The dead fish in the pond with the ridiculous algae bloom that is being tested for pesticides was not even considered to be tested.  I have it on video.  

Why was the Bureau of Inspection and Incident Response office not contacted as per SOP?  

 

11.01 

B- “Make sure the bees collected are not completely dehydrated”  

The dehydrated bees were not separated from the samples of the dead bees on the ground.  

 

 

12.01 

C-  “… but you should make the sampling decisions.”

Why was I made to make the sampling decisions when I have no prior experience with investigating pesticide misuse?  Why did the inspectors not make the decisions?

 

12.02 

2- No pollen samples were taken. There was plenty of pollen.  

 

 

14.02

“Some other instances where a complete documentary sample is required include:

  1. Target site/crop not on label”

A hammock in a grass backyard is not a target site, so why was SOP not followed?  

 

E.  “When conducting use investigations, it is mandatory that you ask if any additional labeling was used when applying the pesticide in question.  This must be documented in a statement in the affidavit…”

Michelle’s Pesticide Use Investigation Report shows that a Documentary sample was taken.  Where is it?

 

 

Chapter 18  Field Sampling Audits

Are field audits really done by the same department who did the investigation?  How is that not the definition of conflict of interest?  

Why has no field audit been done on this investigation when SOP provides a 6 page checklist?

I’m now demanding a FDACS Field Sampling Audit of the bee kill investigation of Costa Honey Farm.  

 

 

Appendix A 

Ingredient Analysis Status FDACS Pesticide Laboratory

 

This list is from 11/2002, almost 23yrs ago.  Why would you send such an outdated version?  I want the most up to date version.   

 

See more video evidence on Costa Honey Farm’s YouTube channel.  Videos will be uploaded as they are edited.  I have over 30 hours of video to edit..

FDACS's General Council, Sean Garner's response to the above email, 7/29/25

 

Thank you for your email. Your concerns that the Department’s actions were not in accordance with our SOPs have been referred to the division director for review and action as appropriate. To the extent your email constitutes a public records request for the most recent Ingredient Analysis Status FDACS Pesticide Laboratory contained in Appendix A of the SOP manual, the most recent copy of the BAEL Pesticides Screening Methods document was provided to you though our public records portal this morning.

 

I want to reiterate the Department has fully investigated your complaint and is taking appropriate regulatory action against a licensee for improper use of a registered pesticide. At your request the Department has conducted additional testing and after reviewing the test have determined that no additional administrative action is warranted. We have concluded the investigation and will not be taking further action beyond the May 8th administrative action taken in response to Florida Pest Control’s off label use of Taurus SC Termiticide/Insecticide. 

 

Should you believe that the Department’s actions are still not enough, we welcome any other government or law enforcement agency to review our actions to ensure that we have done all we can to provide you with the services that are under our jurisdiction

My reply to FDACS's General Council, Sean Garner's response, 8/9/25

 

Sean, 

From me to Kathy on 5/15-  

"Please keep in mind that if we find another poison, like I believe an attractant or bait is on the fence, I will ask for more tests and an investigation into where it came from.  I will ask for more testing every time they find a new bullet (poison) that should not be there and was not reported by anyone.  

 

 If there’s an unacceptable amount of poisons in the soil at my Neighbors foundation, I will be asking to investigate above and around the tested soil and to test the soffits.  I would think your legal team might want to test the soffits to prove the tech did what he said he did, and the inspector led the tech to change an affidavit.  

 

 Don’t forget a tech sprayed something for the “initial treatment” on 4/17, and we don’t know what they sprayed or where they sprayed.  That’s the day I yelled at the tech about killing my bees in my apiary.  Can you find out what they sprayed that day and be sure the samples are tested for that as well." 

 

 

 

DO NOT treat me like I signed your paper trying to bully me out of my rights.  

I made it excruciating clear that if the new tests found new poisons, I’d want more investigating.  50% of the tests showed positive for at least one poison, so I’m doing exactly what I said I would, and I will not stop until I get a thorough investigation. 

 

 

The division director has received all of my emails, but has blatantly ignored all of them.  This would be very obvious to everyone who can see the email recipients.  If FDACS was trustworthy, honest, and competent, they would not fight to do an investigation per SOP.  FDACS is so compartmentalized and non-transparent that nobody knows what the final results are….. from departments working together.  They all think someone else handle it, but everyone is wrong… this email thread proves it.  

 

Why do OIG  complaints go to Kelly Friend, when she is part of the problem, part of the group that has been ignoring me for months?  

Is it SOP for her to reach out to me?  

Is it ok that she has ignored many emails?

  

Why is the fox in charge of the hen house?

 

Why are you ok with me (the victim of an admitted/ egregious misuse of a pesticide) being ignored by so many FDACS employees who are not acting per SOP? 

 

I’m tired of being treated like I admitted to the egregious misuse of a pesticide that wiped out an apiary.  

Is this SOP for FDACS to treat victims?  

Is this fair?  

Where is the victim advocacy program?

 

 

Per SOP, which constitutional rights and protections do registered and compliant beekeepers have against admitted/ egregious misuses of pesticides that wiped out their apiary(s)?  

 

Why does the Sheriff, Billy Woods, and the Sheriff’s AG department Sergeant, Ogletree, not do anything about constitutional rights of a victim of an egregious misuse of pesticides?  

Is this ok?

Being that you welcome another agency to review the investigation, can you request they review the investigation?  My requests are useless.  

 

Did you even read the response from Rentokil’s attorney asking about diuron and imidicloprid?  

The investigation is not complete until we find out who sprayed the other poisons.  

I cannot use this heavily flawed, exponentially incompetent, and extremely inaccurate investigation in a civil court, to get this issue resolved, so I can rebuild my apiary.  

This investigation would be laughed out of any court.  

 

 

FDACS does not test for many current, popular pesticides, including the active ingredients in the ant killer in the Techs truck. 

 

 

Is FDACS really allowed to be run like a banana republic? 

 

 

Have you actually taken the time to watch and investigate the videos on Costa Honey Farm’s YouTube channel?

 

 

How many SOP violations during a bee kill pesticide inspection are acceptable by FDACS and the OIG?  

If FDACS and the OIG don’t care about 50 blatant SOP violations, what number of blatant SOP violations catches their attention?  

Is it ok for FDACS’ employees and supervisors to fight hard to not investigate a for cause bee kill investigation as per SOP?  

 

Why is a Sergeant’s body-cam footage, proving my claims, being ignored??   

I asked the Sergeant, in a private email, if I could hire her, off duty, to review my case…. No response, but I don’t think it’s her choice, because she was the ONLY voice of reason, besides Erin.   

Can you request they review the investigation?  

 

 

Is it ok for FDACS to destroy the smoking gun, the pile of 2000 bees, the head apiary inspector collected…. on bodycam?  

Why were they not tested?  

I called the sheriff because I wanted to be sure they tested the dead bees (smoking gun) and soil under them. 

 

Anyone I ask “on a scale of 1-100, 100 being the highest, how important are the sprayed bees?”  The answer is always at least 100.

Why do you think they are unimportant and it’s ok for everyone to ignore what happened to them?

 

I’m waiting on the public information request on who approved these actions and deemed the smoking gun unnecessary to test, but must be properly disposed of.  

 

What is the SOP on destroying federal, criminal evidence of an admitted and/ egregious misuse of a pesticide that wiped out an apiary?  

 

I should not have to make a public information request and file complaints to find out what happened to the smoking gun, and who approved it.  

I should not have to make any public information requests or file any complaints to get answers to my basic questions.  This is beyond ridiculous.  

 

 

The investigation began with my request to investigate if Fipronil or a neonicotinoid could have caused piles of dead bees on top of a carpet of dead bees in my apiary.  

 

The 2nd investigation found Fipronil ON bees IN the only hive they tested.  

 

After demanding more investigations, because FDACS’s findings of an imidacloprid and diuron in a soil sample next to my hive that acted like it was electrocuted, they finally agreed to test more.  

 

The 4th investigation, 10 weeks and 1 day after the kill, found Fipronil at 40,000 and an imidacloprid (neonicotinoid) at the kill site.  

These samples should have been taken by Dan at the 1st inspection.  Has anyone factored in diminishing values after 10 weeks?  Why not???   What would the number have been if tested as per SOP during the 1st inspection?  

What dilution rate would the mix need to be to achieve a 40,000 count after 10 weeks?   The answer is- most definitely not an 0.8% mix as the pesticide inspector let the tech change his affidavit to.  

If you tested the eves and soffits today, I’d bet you’d have a very high concentration, because they are protected from UV and rain.  Why are these ignored when SOP says this testing is necessary?

A proper investigation following SOP would never ignore the eves and soffits sprayed with a dangerously toxic pesticide at a rate not following the label.  

 

They also found diuron on the entrances and covers of 88% of my hives.  The level of diuron found in the soil sample increased by 300% in 3 weeks, but is ignored.  

 

FDACS is blatantly ignoring the imidacloprid  at the kill site, as well as the diuron on the exterior of 88% of the hives.  Plus the blank swab sample had 4 poisons on it when there should be zero.  

 

There was zero investigation into these new findings.  

 

Nobody reported applying these poisons. 

 

There was no final narrative report for the test results. 

 

 

There is no record of poisons used on 4/9 (completing the perimeter treatment) and 4/17 (1st quarterly perimeter treatment) by fl pest.  The inspector noted that there was no information recorded.  It’s the law to keep accurate application records, but FDACS is ok with no records.  

 

 

Given my evidence of 50 SOP violations (listed in detail), plus over 100 unanswered questions, and dozens of ignored emails, please provide evidence of FDACS fully investigating my complaint.   

Are you really a lawyer?  Because a real lawyer should be drowning me in evidence proving they are not incompetent.  Instead I’m drowning you in evidence of FDACS’s and the OIG’s incompetence.  

 

I believe we have extremely strong differences in beliefs when it comes to investigations, because you obviously do not understand investigations and probably never understood Scooby Doo or Blue’s Clues, basic child shows to teach analytical skills.  

 

Do you or anyone close to you benefit in any way by protecting Rentokil?   

Why are you fighting so hard to protect them???

 

 

I fully understand that FDACS gave fl pest control  the maximum penalty.  I’m obviously not stupid.  

Why are you honed into this one thing, like there aren’t 10 other chemicals unaccounted for?

 

I understand that no matter how bad a pesticide company destroys my property’s ecosystem, $5,000 is the max penalty and FDACS doesn’t care about finding out really happened.  

 

Why do you constantly ignore my other requests to investigate all poisons (not reported) found during the investigations, as I promised Kathy I would.  

 

I want you to follow SOP to find at least one more applicator, of the diuron and imidacloprid.   I think there are at least 2 violators (plus a vandal) but evidence shows there is definitely one more…. if the fl pest control tech is not lying.   

 

From day 1, I said I thought someone purposely or accidentally sprayed something on my hives, causing the swarm that fl pest killed.  

I’ve always said I did not think it was just fl pest, because the evidence shows that diuron may have caused the honeybee swarm on my neighbor’s hammock, blue truck guy pressure washed the fence only near my apiary, bees collected unnaturally on a fence post, swarm’s not taking honey, and more, plus FDACS does not test current, commonly used pesticides.  

 

 

Are you playing ignorant or do you really not understand investigations?  Surely you know FDACS is a cabinet department and Simpson is an elected official, so no state departments have jurisdiction over FDACS.  Then FDACS pretends to have limited jurisdiction and nobody holds them accountable.  Is FDACS a banana republic run by rentokil?  

 

FDACS and the OIG report to Simpson, a cabinet member with DeSantis and the attorney general.  

 

Correct me, if I’m wrong.  

 

Prove me wrong and provide me with a government or law enforcement agency that will look into the 50+ SOP violations.   

 

Have you even looked at who we are emailing? Why do you act like I haven’t pleaded to well over 100 people who are supposed to help me?

Look through the list of well over 100 people ignoring the last email.  

Please look up these emails and prove me wrong.  

 

You’ll find-

 

The Governor’s Office 

 

Senator

 

The FDACS commissioner

 

Chief of staff for FDACS commissioner

 

Several FDACS’ AES supervisors 

 

Several FDACS’s investigators

 

4 FDACS LEO’s who don’t have bodycam footage, but record with their phones to avoid public information requests, who looked like they were raiding my home. 

 

All members of FDACS’s Pesticide advisory council

 

Marion county Sheriff 

 

Sergeant for Marion county Sheriff AG department

 

Marion County Sheriff Department’s  sergeant who filed a complaint against FDACS’s pesticide inspector.  See Costa Honey Farm’s YouTube channel.  

 

Bee kill / EPA

 

Earth Justice- gave an attorney’s name that did not help us.  They removed us from their email list

 

Alan Annicella- the EPA Manager of the Pesticide Enforcement Division knows the case and accused me 2x of spraying my own bees.  Anyone who wants to accuse me of spraying my bees better show up at my door ready to do a proper investigation into me spraying the bees.  

He did not know what a neonicotinoid is.  How can a manager of the pesticide enforcement division not know what a neonicotinoid is?

What level of ignorance must one be at to accuse the most compliant and tested beekeeper in Florida history of spraying his bees with a poison after you have a tech admitting to an egregious and illegal application of a pesticide and a neighbor who said she would have the bees sprayed anytime they are on her property?  

Why did he ask 2x and was going to ask a 3rd time?  Is that ok?  

If it’s not ignorance and gaslighting, what is it?  Is it legal?  Is it ok?

How can someone like this hold the title he does?

 

Plus many other fake agencies that pretend to help victims like me, while sucking the taxpayers dry.   

 

Can just one person receiving this email prove to me all of these government funded agencies are not corrupt and/or useless when it comes to pesticide misuse investigations?  

 

How can almost 120 people ignore this?  How big of a network is that?   

 

This email is being sent to 188 email recipients.  

 

As we were on our lanai Tuesday night watching the intense lightening and heavy rain, we smelled a strong chemical smell.  We did not smell it in the front yard.  Our lanai is only a few feet from our hives and red backpack sprayer guy sprayed something a week ago.  This is the 1st heavy rain since then.  

 

Those annoyed by these emails,  please put yourself in my situation.  You would not be getting these emails if I didn’t think you can and should make a difference.  

 

Ps.  There is almost no algae in the koi pond now.  Something definitely increased growth to kill the algae…. but FDACS does not test for many currently used poisons.  I have not had to add algae to my pond in a few years, because I had a nice thin layer, like carpet, on the edges of the pond.  Nothing to investigate here, correct?

 

 

Weird coincidences

 

There has been no activity at my Neighbors house in almost 3 weeks.  

 

There are now snails on her fence and her house.  

My neighbor on the other side has had a ridiculous amount of snails on her house for a months, so we have been wondering why there were no snails at Brutton’s house.  

 

My Koi fish are eating right again and acting energetic. 

 

My bougainvillea has never grown right or bloomed until the illegal spray.  It grew and bloomed nicely.  Now it’s infested with caterpillars like it’s been for 5years. 

 

 

Popular belief points to mites being the cause of colony collapse, but I believe incompetent government agencies (like FDACS, OIG, and EPA) performing and allowing purposefully botched investigations of pesticides is the cause.  Just my opinion based on my experience.  

 

Plus they ignore that sublethal doses of pesticides starts the colony collapse, making it easy for mites to take over. 

 

 

 

 

Unanswered public information requests

 

 

7/26- All records of the SOP for how to handle an equipment blank testing positive for 4 poisons.

 

 

7/26-    All records regarding the communications of the narrative notating why the sample of directly sprayed bees appeared to be unnecessary to test, regarding the bee kill investigation at Costa Honey Farm.

 

 

7/26-  All records regarding the communications between the case manager and inspectors regarding the bee kill investigation at Costa Honey Farm.

 

 

7/26-  All records regarding the closing conference of the bee kill investigation at Costa Honey Farm

 

 

7/22-  All records regarding FDACS's SOP for monitoring, testing, and verification of inactive ingredients in pesticides and herbicides, including the names of who makes these decisions.

 

 

7/21-  All records regarding the Fine Guide and why the highlighted answers were chosen for case number 325-199-2129 and SOP for determining which choices get highlighted. For "A= Degree and Extent of Harm", what was the "corrective action or monitoring to protect human health or the environment"? For "B= Toxicity.... which would result in human or animal hazards", what is SOP for finding 40,000 fipronil and a neonicotinoid after 10m weeks be considered as? Regarding "C=the estimated cost of rectifying the damage to the consumer minus any mitigation provided by the violator", everyone knows it wiped out my apiary, so, why did they highlight "unknown or less than $1000"? It's well over $10,000. For "D", The tech admitted to spraying a honeybee swarm on a hammock, and left the dead bees for 2 weeks, plus he admitted to spraying the eves and soffits. Those are all deliberate, so why did they decide it's not deliberate?

 

7/21-  All records regarding the updating of the Analytes tested in the Analytical Results part of the Pesticide Analysis Report. How often has the list been updated in the last 5 years? Who chooses the Analytes to be tested? What is the SOP choosing the Analytes? What is an acceptable number of current pesticides and herbicides not being tested? How is the MDL number chosen and why does that number vary so much between identical tests? What is SOP for determining MDL?

 

 

6/27-  I'm requesting the list of Chapter 487 violations

7/3-  To clarify, I'm asking for the complete list of all licensees who FDACS has found in violation of chapter 487.

7/21-  please send all Administrative Complaints, Stipulations and Settlements for cases where licensees were in violation of chapter 482 and 487 for the last 2yrs.

 

6/27-  All records of FDACS's Pollinator Protection Education- Specifically, FDACS' SOP to "Provide outreach education on Florida's vital pollinators including feasible approaches for stakeholders to promote pollinator health." Also, specifically, FDACS's SOP to "Provide resources for all pesticide users regarding pollinator protection."

7/17-  I quoted your website. How do you not have information on it?

7/21-  Sorry, I'm not an attorney and FDACS is offering zero help.  Maybe I'm not using the correct terminology.  Are there certain terms I should be using?I'd like all information available regarding the following quote from FDACS's website- "provid[ing] outreach education on Florida's vital pollinators" or "provid[ing] resources for all pesticide users regarding pollinator protection." 

More specifically, but not limited to;

Where did the research come from? (References) When?

A detailed list of the different ways FDACS provides outreach education on Florida's vital pollinators.

A detailed list of the resources FDACS provides for all pesticide users regarding pollinator protection .

 

 

6/27-  Please send all records of FDACS's accomplishments. Records specifically proving that FDACS is "Supporting and promoting Florida agriculture, the environment, consumers, and ensuring the safety and quality of food." Also, records showing how FDACS's "programs impact the well-being of every Floridian" in a positive manner.

 

 

6/25-  All records of Kathy Mears' (Assistant Commissioner) abuse of power, weaponization of government, and misuse of government funds by sending 4 ARMED, unannounced men to the unarmed victims' (of a pesticide misuse that wiped out their apiary) property. 9695 SE 157th Ln, Summerfield, FL 34491.

 

 

6/25-  All records regarding complaints and statements about Dan Sumner for file number 325-195-2074, Mr. David Costa - Complainant.

 

7/21- These are .msg and my computer won't open them. Can you send these in pdf?

8/22/25- 203 people received this email, because nobody replied to my last email.

I have heard nothing at all since this last email.

 

Happy Friday everyone,

 

According to ASPCRO.org, Kelly Friend, (FDACS’s AES (Pesticide inspectors) Director) was an At Large Board member (2019) and VP (2021).  

 

Aspcro.com also shows Courtney Frazier, (FDACS’s AES Assistant Director) is the Secretary.   

 

Next meeting is 8/25-8/29/25 (next week) in Portland Maine, where the website shows Courtney Frazier will be speaking Friday.  

 

This year is sponsored by Moxie Pest Control, Rentokil-Terminix, Rollins, Massey Services, and Arrow Pest Control as shown on their website.  

 

Rentokil has been a platinum sponsor and more.  

 

Rentokil was a platinum sponsor when Kelly Friend was on the board, At Large.  

 

Rentokil owns FL Pest Control.  

 

How is being part of an organization, whose annual meeting is heavily sponsored by pesticide companies, not a conflict of interest?

 

Why is there nobody like me speaking about the dangerous effects of illegal/ egregious misuse of pesticides?   

 

According to the website, it also appears as if Neil Richmond (FDACS AES Investigation Supervisor), Jerry Everton (FDACS AES Enforcement), and Patty Lucas (FDACS Lab supervisor) are part of the organization too.  

 

The pesticide inspectors who worked my apiary said they could not take 1# of honey  ($14 value ea), because it’s a gift.  They were ok with both of them splitting a 2oz honey bear ($5 value)

 

So, how is a week at the Holiday Inn- By the Bay, being wined and dined and taken to activities by the companies that they must penalize and fine, not an enormous conflict of interest?

 

Who investigates this?

 

Of course they do not want to really find out how bad FL Pest Control really broke the laws, along with the chance of one (or two) of their other sponsors being the one(s) that sprayed Diuron and an Imidacloprid.  

 

 

Did you know that the complaints about the AES Department, sent to the OIG (Roddenberry), go to Kelly Friend? 

 

Yes, the same Kelly Friend who has never responded to me.  

 

The OIG has done nothing with my many complaints, except give them to the fox guarding the hen house, even though she is part of the emails and knows what’s going on.  

 

 

FDACS has not answered any questions in months, so I have to make public information requests (and wait months) to find the answers that should have been provided to me (months ago), through an investigation done as per SOP.  

 

FDACS information requests are given out in files that are easily corruptible and can harm computers.  

 

I had to buy a new laptop with extra security and extra processing to help avoid crashes, which are very common with these files.  

I’m just getting started.  

 

These files are very hard to use in litigation, so why is FDACS allowed to use these flawed files in cases that will go to court?  

 

Why is FDACS not set up to do proper investigations that will hold up in court, as per the SOP Inspection Manual?

 

FDACS has still not fulfilled many information requests since my last email.  

 

Some are now over 3 months old.  

 

What is a reasonable time for FDACS to fulfill the requests?  

 

 

Why does FDACS not test for most of the commonly used pesticides and herbicides?  

 

I still can’t grow algae in my Koi pond, even though I’ve been adding algae daily instead of 1-2x/week, and adding in more than suggested.  

 

Why was diquat, a very, very popular herbicide, not tested for?

 

Diquat is very popular and can cause algae blooms and dead fish….. like I had

 

It’s half life is 1000 days, so you can still test for it.  

 

 

DuraFlex ZC was seen in a picture of the tech’s truck…. the bee suit was touching it. 

 

FDACS does not test for DuraFlex ZC’s active ingredients, novaluron and pyriproxyfen.  

 

Speaking of the pictures taken by the inspector, the pictures of Taurus SC have a block wall in the background.  

 

The pictures of Taurus SC should have been of the bottle in the tech’s truck at the time of inspection.   

 

 

From a trip to The Home Depot, we found 21 pesticides and herbicides that are toxic to bees (adult and or larvae) and FDACS DOES NOT test for.  

Isoxaben

Mecoprop- p potassium salt

B- cyfluthrin

3-phenoxybenzyl

cyclopropanecarboxylate

n- octylbicycloheptene dicarboximide

lambda- cyhalothrin

pyriproxyfen

zeta- cypermethrin

gamma- cyhalothrin

prallethrin

imiprothrin

lambda- cyhalthrin

Pyrethrins

metrofluthren

d- phenothrin

b- cycluthrin

sulfentrazone

penoxsulan

dimethylamine salt of mecoprop p

3ohcarbofuran

 

 

Bridget, my fiancé, pulled up to her customer’s house, and when she got out of her van, she felt nauseous from the 2 yards across from each other that had just been sprayed with Celcius.  

 

I was not in agreement with her not reporting this to FDACS pesticide department.  

 

Celcuis’ active ingredients are iodosulfron- methylsodium and dicambia (57%).  

 

FDACS does not test these active ingredients either. 

 

If FDACS doesn’t test for almost all of the current and popular pesticides, what is the point of testing?  

 

Is this a result of incompetent DEI hires using ai or is this corruption?  

 

Who investigates this?

 

 

I’m including the emails for FL Pest Control’s insurance company, Rentokil’s attorney, plus William Vernon (Fl Pest Control), who was wrongly accused, as per the inspector’s incomplete and inaccurate report.  

 

I’m defending their rights, even though they have ignored me completely, wiped out my apiary, and are ing all over my constitutional rights.  

 

I have always said I believed there are multiple felons.  

 

If Rentokil is not on my side for defending their rights, what questions would you have?

 

Why is Rentokil not demanding the department find where the Imidacloprid and diuron came from?   

 

Why is Rentokil not demanding FDACS investigate who applied the Imidacloprid at the kill site…. especially after being detected 10 weeks later?  

 

 

Is save the bees/pollinators just a money laundering scheme?

Can anyone prove it’s not?

 

Nobody responded to my last email…. almost 200 people.  

What does that mean?

Is it acceptable for that many recipients of taxpayer dollars to ignore a victim of an egregious/illegal misuse of a pesticide asking for help?

 

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