Farmer Spraying

[Frenchie]

After having bees for 4 years at a friends apiary, I now have them in my garden in Normandie. Our house is encircled by farmers fields and they seem to spend a lot of time in the summer spraying.The law here is that if they spray anything dangerous to bees they must spray very early morning or very late evening, although French farmers are not known for obeying the rules.I'am on very good terms with the farmer so I intend to ask him to give me 24hrs notice of pesticide spraying so that I can shut the hives up for the day.Any other precautions I can take?
Many thanks.

 

[MikeT]

It greatly depends on what crops are grown near you. Can you lets us know the crops around your house so I can make an assessment of what chemicals thet are likely to be used.

Mike

 

[Nige.Coll]

Be careful of fungicides also.
Fungicides and pesticides mixed in the same tank are lethal. It doesn't result in dead bees instantly but it kills them over a month or so if they access the crops while the solution is wet. Less lethal when dry but still can lead to nosema.
Hive distance from the crop makes a big difference tonthe toxic effect.
If spraying is a regular thing you might need to change comb more often as the new chemical sprays build up in comb.

 

[Frenchie]

Hi,maize and potatoes directly next to us,but rape less than 2kms away.

 

[Fatbee]

Bees don't work maize so no worry there - not sure about potatoes. Rape is your worry - quite often it's sprayed for pollen beetle when in flower and bees are working it like crazy. Suggest you try and speak to farmer and request he does spraying in morning. You can only ask

 

[Hivemaker.]

Bees don't work maize so no worry there

Bees collecting pollen from maize.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=b...LMcHR7QaxioDgCQ&ved=0CCYQsAQ&biw=1003&bih=485

 

[bpmurray]

AI intend to ask him to give me 24hrs notice of pesticide spraying so that I can shut the hives up for the day.
Many thanks.

I did that with my neighbour and he has told me when he's planning to spray. I think that's the best way. Since there's OSR nearby, tell him that your bees will increase his harvest so it's in his own interest to make sure that they're healthy. One thing to be careful about though, is that many farmers use contractors for spraying and they could potentially turn up at any time of the day.

 

[MikeT]

The only sprays that are likely to be sprayed on maize which could harm your bees is an aphidcide if they use carbamate such as Aphox no problem as this chemical is aphid specific.

Potatoes are usually only sprayed for potato blight and the chemicals used are unlikely to cause problems to your bees. Bee are known to take pollen from potatoes I am uncertain if colorado beetle is a problem in Franceif so they may spray as they would for caterpillers probably a pyrethroid such as cypermethrin or deltamethrin, these chemicals have a wide spectrum of activity and will couse damage to your bees.

As for OSR they may spray at flowering with a pyrethroid to control pollen beetle. Ask the farm to spray early morning or late in the afternoon or tell Mikeyou when he is spraying.

 

[Fatbee]

Bees collecting pollen from maize.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=b...LMcHR7QaxioDgCQ&ved=0CCYQsAQ&biw=1003&bih=485

Well I stand corrected - never seen any on the maize near me - will have a more thorough look this year. Do you know if they get much nectar?

 

[jonnybeegood]

Well I stand corrected - never seen any on the maize near me - will have a more thorough look this year. Do you know if they get much nectar?

This suprised me too, we get a lot of corn here & ive never seen bees on it. I thought it would be great so i asked at one of our Bka meetings & the experienced Beeks said no, they dont work it?

 

[jonnybeegood]

You may find this interesting too, i dont know if its the same over here?http://www.panna.org/blog/ge-corn-sick-honey-bees-whats-link.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Well I stand corrected - never seen any on the maize near me - will have a more thorough look this year. Do you know if they get much nectar?

I suppose the degree of interest is heavily dependent upon the available competing sources. I've never seen bees work Maize or "ordinary" buddleia although I have seen orange buddleia globosa being worked. Similarly my Pyracantha hedge and Cotoneaster seem to be of no interest whatsoever to my honeybees although some beeks swear their bees work them.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Well I stand corrected - never seen any on the maize near me

I have seen the bees collecting pollen from maize, and garden grown sweet corn.

& the experienced Beeks said no, they dont work it?

They are wrong.

 

[jonnybeegood]

I have seen the bees collecting pollen from maize, and garden grown sweet corn.



They are wrong.

Looking at the links it would seem they were, unless they were meaning as a nectar source & just didnt explain themselves fully.

 

[oliver90owner]

unless they were meaning as a nectar source & just didnt explain themselves fully.

More likely they answered the question precisely or did not think. The other very likely alternative was that the questioner didn't think to ask the right question, or interpreted the answer in a biased manner (thought he heard what he wanted to hear). Happens on the forum so often. When it gets pointed out the person then tries to move the goal posts or claim they meant something else. When one has been on the forum a while, one can spot them a mile off, unless one does not think - in which case it is better not to post.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Do you know if they get much nectar?

Grasses are wind pollinated, so wouldn't need to produce nectar.