# Lots of dead bees this morning



## sevenmmm (Mar 1, 2011)

The ground is littered with them, and there were dead bees on the bottom board as far in as I could see. Both hives. Didn't see a single live bee in the brief time I looked. That can't be normal.

Didn't have my camera, but will bring my video recorder when I get back over there later.


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## scrapiron (Jul 23, 2011)

sevenmmm said:


> Didn't see a single live bee in the brief time I looked. That can't be normal.


Yea, that prolly isnt normal.


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## sevenmmm (Mar 1, 2011)

Yep, I went in one hive and it is very light on bees. There are dead and dying bees on the ground, and they are easily seen where I am suppressing the weeds with old plywood. Who knows how many are in the tall weeds surrounding. 

One of my crew came in late last night and noticed the farmer working in the field next door, and since the tractor was still out there I went over and asked. He told me they sprayed an herbicide named parrellel. That was his pronunciation anyway.

I got my activity on video, I am going to put it on youtube, and link it after I am done arranging it on this video editor software on my computer.


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## jbowyer01 (Aug 4, 2008)

OH my! Thats very sad. I dont have a hive but I love bees.


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## Elsbet (Apr 2, 2009)

I am so sorry.


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

My DH raises hay and has a license to spray. He said most states have strict laws against spray drift. If he killed your bees it could cost him a lot. Document everything, call your county ag agent and he can tell you what you can do.
Most herbicides will kill bees, this one says not to graze animals on it for 30 days.


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## sevenmmm (Mar 1, 2011)

Molly Mckee said:


> My DH raises hay and has a license to spray. He said most states have strict laws against spray drift. If he killed your bees it could cost him a lot. Document everything, call your county ag agent and he can tell you what you can do.
> Most herbicides will kill bees, this one says not to graze animals on it for 30 days.


Ok. I did go to visit our ag agent already. He wasn't there, but I left a message. Thanks.

The video is made, but it is long and will take a long time to render it, then download it to youtube.


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## Neroli (Apr 19, 2012)

So sorry to hear. Definitely investigate that pesticide. Molly is absolutely right. Good luck.


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## sevenmmm (Mar 1, 2011)

Well, here it is. I was a bit irate and stammered a bit at the end of it. 

I have a very long video of checking the hive the inspection before that proves this hive was nearly full. I did include a short clip, during the inspection done 9 days ago, checking most of the frames in the top deep to show how many bees were up there - as compared to the top deep checked today, which was empty of bees.

Also notice there are no bees on the ground that clip.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKwRbT_Dqyo]Who killed my honey bees? - YouTube[/ame]


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## Tobster (Feb 24, 2009)

sevenmmm, sorry to hear about your loss. Will check out the video later tonight. Do you believe the herbicide from the farmer is the culprit and wind caused it to drift over to your property? If so, it may help to collect and save any weather data during the period of the spraying.


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## sevenmmm (Mar 1, 2011)

I don't know for sure. 

It looks like - since there are bees in the hive, but none going out foraging - there are nurse bees still alive but the field bees are gone. I have two other locations, both about 5 miles away, and they were out working, up until it just became cloudy a few hours ago.

I haven't opened the other hive, it does look like there is more activity there.

I think it was a north wind yesterday, which would have sent it my way. One other thing, another beekeep has a hive on the north side of the field, I checked on it, and there were dead bees at the entrance and very few out flying. 

I have a video of that as well. Thanks for the advice.


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## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

Are your hives registered with your state? If so, they should be on a map that all farmers and sprayers are supposed to check before spraying of any chemical. At least that's true in Illinois. If you have them registered and they were sprayed and died, the farmer/sprayer is liable for the hives to the tune of $2,000 each.

Another thing you need to do is pick up about 100 of these bees out front (I think 10 is the number but I'm just figuring on the safe side). You can then send them to the USDA free of charge (I think, if they're registered hives) and get a 'cause of death'. That will help back up your claim that the farmer is at fault and liable. 

Not sure just how you're going to clean up those hives so they're usable again. Any bee clubs your way or other experts that can help you with this??

Good luck!! And sorry to hear that this happened. At the very least, he should have called you the day before so that you could have locked the girls up or something....

p.s. They weren't plowing, they were planting. Plowing is where they turn the soil totally over. Most places don't do this for errosion issues. Instead, they do what is called "no till". They harvest one crop, say soybeans the first year, then the next year they spray to kill any weeds (herbaside, like Roundup), and then go back and plant "Roundup Ready Corn, a GMO corn).


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Some where on this section I posted the link to the Beltsville Maryland USDA bee lab. You can get the address there where to send the bees, they also tell you how to package them. I called them and gave them the heads up I was sending a sample of dead bees and some of the comb from the hive. I got an answer to the questions I asked in 5 days.

 Al


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## sevenmmm (Mar 1, 2011)

Alright. I'll get some collected. That was my next question, whether these frames/hives have been contaminated too. 

I tried to register one of my locations and they didn't put it up. So I didn't do this next location. Oh well.


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## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

We'll be watching for your test results then. Sure hope the hives rebound without any problems. If it was me, I'd reduce the hive down to bare minimum and then put on a 'clean' hive body with clean/fresh/uncontaminated frames and let them use these or draw out clean comb. Then I'd scrape down the wax foundation and let them draw it out again. Wonder what others would do....


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## sevenmmm (Mar 1, 2011)

AverageJo said:


> We'll be watching for your test results then. Sure hope the hives rebound without any problems. If it was me, I'd reduce the hive down to bare minimum and then put on a 'clean' hive body with clean/fresh/uncontaminated frames and let them use these or draw out clean comb. Then I'd scrape down the wax foundation and let them draw it out again. Wonder what others would do....


Ok. I will do that. Think I will move them too as they have planted corn there..


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## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

Yea, if they were that careless of spraying herbicide, you can bet they'll not take that much care when it comes to the insecticide!


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## sevenmmm (Mar 1, 2011)

I found the queen today and moved her with 5 frames of brood and bees to a new location this afternoon. I guess since the queen was there is wasn't a swarm..

Am going to get the field bees tonight after dark and reunite them with the others. Oh well, guess I have to learn about this the hard way.


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## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

Why didn't you leave the hive there, queen and all, until after the foragers got back? Then close it up and move them all. One trip.


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## BjornBee (Jan 17, 2011)

Here is some information I put on the website last year. I have lost hives to spray and no-till farming. beehives, Bjorn Apiaries Impacts on Bees

There is also a page on the website detailing GMO and neonicotinoid systemics.

I consider most of anything beekeepers can do concerning bee kills, as lip service with little action, remedy, or answers. If there were any other farmers in the area, it is hard to say where the bees came in contact with the chemicals. And it would probably take an all out war between farmers and beekeepers to see real action or change. Throw in that many beekeepers in your average bee club, or individually, could care less about supporting and doing anything themselves to get things done, (unless it happens to them) and this problem will be something we will deal with for decades. I bet for every beekeeper getting on a forum with problems with sprays, that 99% did nothing or did even think about it, up to the point they actually had problems themselves, even though this problem has been around for years. Just something to think about.

Good luck.


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## sevenmmm (Mar 1, 2011)

AverageJo said:


> Why didn't you leave the hive there, queen and all, until after the foragers got back? Then close it up and move them all. One trip.


It would have been heavier. 

Otherwise, I didn't give it much thought.


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