Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Spray damage is a huge problem born mainly of ignorance on the part of farmers and
orchard contractors. The simple fact of the matter is that insecticides kill bees, and
anyone spraying insecticides near an apiary without warning the beekeeper can be
prosecuted. Herbicides can also kill bees - even those with labels on them saying 'safe
for bees'. Many herbicides contain agents called surfactants that make the liquid stick to
the plants' foliage. This also sticks to adult bees, which then return to the hive and pass
it on to the young larvae in the brood chamber. The larvae may then die. So, although a
herbicide may be safe for adult bees, it will eventually reduce or even kill the colony.
Most farmers are aware of the problem and will warn beekeepers they know of that
they are going to spray. Beekeepers, however, also have a responsibility either to be in
their local association's spray scheme (which will send them spray notices) or to make
themselves known to local farmers so that they are aware of the existence of bees near
to their land.
Protecting your bees
So, if you receive a warning of spraying nearby, what should you do? There are two main
strategies. First, if you have other apiaries, you can move the bees to another area. Before
you do, however, make sure there are no spray warnings for that area about which you
may not have been notified. Secondly, you can close the hives so that the bees can't fly.
The first expedient is obvious. You load up and move (see the section on moving hives
later in this chapter) prior to the spraying and move back afterwards. The second is a
little more complicated. Bees shut in a hive unable to fly may panic, overheat, suffer
stress or undergo meltdown. In other words, you may kill your bees by trying to protect
them just as easily as the insecticide may. The answer is to ensure that, at all times, your
bees have food stores, room to move, ventilation and water. If you can ensure this, you
can shut your bees up.
Follow the advice below so that your bees survive the chemical warfare so prevalent in
modern-day agriculture and horticulture:
