# Bees and Pesticides



## JSaar660 (Jan 17, 2013)

Let me start off by saying please don't let this turn into and anti gmo/chemical thread. I'm new to beekeeping this year and recently moved to a home surrounded on four sides by soybean fields. About two weeks ago the farmer sprayed his roundup and my bees came out just fine, but this morning he sprayed some kind of pesticide, I assume I didn't get a chance to talk to him tho. I have two hives and within a few hours of him spraying there are bees piling up out of the bottom board dying and very few flying in and out of the hives. A little bit more info, the beans are flowering and the hives are about two months old. 
My questions are: 
Am I going to lose all my bees?
I assume it to late now, but is there any thing I can do to protect the remaining?
What can I do different next year then?
And let me also say I'm not blaming the farmer, farming is his sole income and I understand he needs a bountiful harvest.


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## farmerDale (Jan 8, 2011)

I can not help with what was sprayed, but it sounds like you have a pretty decent relationship with the farmer. In the future, would it be possible for him to give you a heads up on when he will be spraying? Then at least you could maybe move or cover the bees for that day or two.

Very sorry to hear what seems to be going on there with your bees. I do hope more survive than you think at this point.

Also, I am sorry I am of little help in what will happen. But as a farmer who uses some herbicides, I would appreciate a heads up for future operations if someone told me I was harming their gardens, bees, or yard in some way. So I can give you the farmers perspective. If he is reasonable, he would want to know what has happened, and would be likely to give you some heads up in the future. I also have strong interest in the bee business. I have none now, but would like to get some in the future, hopefully relatively soon...

I wish you and your bees luck!

Dale


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Yes you probably will loose your bees. If any made it back to the hive they probably brought the pestiside in to the bees in the hive.

Check your states laws. Michigan has clear laws on the use of pestisides by farmers. 
They need the income from the crops but to just go about spraying pestisides willie nillie isn't what I call a good neighbour either. I depend on our honey crop to suplument my income so every time I loose a hive it cuts in on my wel being.

 Al


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## Andrei (Jul 9, 2013)

To save the reminder of the bees you need to feed NOW so the bees do not have to go get nectar tat is toxic.
He used some pesticide that has a sweetener in it to attract the insects.
In the future you need to have screen bottom hives and when he sprays and gives you notice you close the entrance the night before and could feed with an upside down jar for 2 - 3 days.


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## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

Probably spraying for either aphids or spider mites this time of year. Does he know you have hives?


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## JSaar660 (Jan 17, 2013)

Thanks for all your ideas and thoughts. I thought about maybe closing them up and feeding them via the jar again, but I don't have screened bottoms and I thought with the temperatures in the 90's and the humidity so high this week it might be a bad idea shutting the door for a couple days. I don't know, maybe I'll look into getting some screened bottom boards anyway? 
I just got home from work and went back to check them out, they were flying hot and heavy again so do you think that pesticide is residual and they're going to keep gathering it? And I don't think I lost as many bees as I thought unless a critter came by and ate a bunch of the dead ones last night. I'd say just in front of the hives there might be a thousand, I have know idea what died enroute back tho. Maybe after things calm down in a few day I can peek in there?


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## T-Bone 369 (Jan 18, 2007)

Realize that this will not do you any good with these bees but are you registered with the state (I see you are another Illinois beekeeper)? The state has been updating their hive location database and if your not in it you need to be. Our regional inspector was out at the house this spring with a handheld GPS and verified my hive locations (quite by surprise I might add). It was the first time in ten years I had seen him. If a commercial applicator (like FS) was contracted to spray for him they should have consulted the database and taken precautions. If your in the database and they were negligent then there is liability on their part. I am not sure what the liability for a private applicator is (and I took the test this spring) but assume there is some there also. At a minimum you should file a poisoning report with Driftwatch and talk with the farmer about future applications. Get some pics and samples of the killed bees documenting everything. We had an issue a few years ago with a Roundup application and some fruit trees which the applicator compensated us for. As the lawyers on TV say "You may be eligible for financial compensation". 

https://il.driftwatch.org/


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## Andrei (Jul 9, 2013)

30 - 40 % of the bees fly out and forage and the rest take care of the brood and hive chores.
In a spray poisoning situation the foragers and the first nectar handlers are at risk.
A strong colony will survive if some precautions are taken.
Designed for good ventilation even with closed entrance.
Designed with the ability to feed inside for a short period of time.
It works.


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