So I let my dog out tonight at 9 P.M. and I smell pesticide in the air - I am assuming the area has been sprayed. Can I do anything at this point? Should I try to keep the ladies in their hives tomorrow? It would be tough, I am up to 28 hives. Yes, I am on a state registry. Anyone have experience with this? I will be calling the state DNR tomorrow and the county to try to figure out who sprayed what and see if I can do anything else to prevent future spraying over me. Iowa just got their first case of West Nile, I suspect I am going to get a "health concerns override your bees" answer.
JC
Our local mosquito control has been very proactive on this....They actually attended our LBC meeting to coordinate and express an interest in getting an accurate location of hives in the area. Assuming they sprayed after dark, when most of your gals were inside, I think they should be fine for the most part. My understanding is that it should be dissipated by morning and a non-issue.
In our area the trucks make an effort to be aware of wind direction and try to avoid getting too close to hives all together, needless to say, if they do aerial spraying, all bets are off....But again, I've been told they only do those after dark.
Luckily, I haven't had any problems so for...But you're right, it's a public safety argument that I don't think Beeks have a chance to win if they approach it with an attitude. Your best best is to try and educate and work with the appropriate parties to try and minimize it's impact.
I wasn't going to call breathing fire tomorrow, that's for sure. Thanks Moot, I think I will sleep a little better tonight.
JC
Are your bees in the hive at 9:00 or are they bearding out side the hive. If they are mostly inside, it will not hurt them. I have fly over spraying here in town, regularly, and have not seen any effects. It does help that I have a lot of trees over my hives but I had them heavily trimmed back this past winter to get sun light on the hive and still have not had a problem.
sawdstmkr, "A lot of trees over your hives?" Doesn't that go against conventional wisdom? I'm curious as a new beek, What about problems with beetles, brood diseases, and what ever else comes with them being in a shady spot.
Yes, location due to crazy neighbor. First 2 years every hive killed 1000s of beetles in the oil traps that I use. When at my farm, they are in full sun. Here I have trimmed the trees back a lot.
Jim
Luckily my bees aren't bearding, I am concentrating on build up this year instead of honey production, so everyone has enough room. My hives are semi-shaded (they are down at the bottom of a hill in a cut between two areas of woods) so unless it is really hot they don't beard. Thank goodness I don't have to deal with the small hive beetle like you guys do! So far this morning all the ladies seem fine.
JC
Quote from: greenbtree on July 12, 2013, 01:17:51 PM
Thank goodness I don't have to deal with the small hive beetle like you guys do!
Small hive beetles do infect hives up north. I found 1 a day after I installed my nucs. I'm assuming it came with the nuc. The nuc was wintered in Vt.
It's been 2 1/2 months and I haven't seen any since, but I still keep an eye out for them.
Quote from: Steel Tiger on July 13, 2013, 12:01:15 PM
Small hive beetles do infect hives up north. I found 1 a day after I installed my nucs. I'm assuming it came with the nuc. The nuc was wintered in Vt.
It's been 2 1/2 months and I haven't seen any since, but I still keep an eye out for them.
I think the difference being, up North. when you see a SHB, it's a reportable event. Down South, it's only a reportable event if you don't see a SHB. :-D
I suspect, up north, if you kill every SHB you see in your hives then you won't have a problem with them. Unless someone else is raising them in their hives. More than likely, the only SHBs that survive the winter are the ones that are in hives all winter. They do not survive freezing ground like you have up north.
Jim
Where I am located they rarely do plane spraying and trucks only. If you talk to them they will not spray the area where you keep at. After my first contact with them they avoid spraying a couple block area by my house to avoid poisoning and usually no spraying till after dark which has not seemed to mess with the bees as I have noticed. Just settled with a company for spraying around my bees and killing 3 hives couple months back so they do not want the hassle of being accused of killing bees either.
Blanc
our local sprayer is proctive as well. he's agreed to only spray after sunset & does not spray on my street or the street behind me.