I have about 11 acres of alfalfa at the site I have my bees at and have been letting it blossom more than I used to to let the bees use it. Now it needs to be mowed and I am wondering if I am going to wipe out a lot of my workers by running them through the haybine. I like to cut at about 13 MPH so they don't have a lot of time to get out of the way.
Perhaps you could screen them in the night before you cut and release them after you are finished cutting.
We have a couple hundred acres of alfalfa, and it didn't affect the bees when it was cut. I'm sure some got sliced and diced, but I think when they hear the rumble of machinery coming through, they bug out in time.
Is the field blossomed out when you cut? Normally people around here cut before it even starts blooming. The fields are full of bees now.
Wouldn't there be a certain time of day the bees wouldn't be on it?
Today they were working it all day. I'm sure they leave by the time it is dark but I don't want to cut in the dark. I am going to watch and see if they leave it. When I used to use a haybine I could only cut about 4 MPH so it there was a lot more chance for bugs to get out of the way. Now the dear and rabbits just barely make it.