Pesticide Kills.........grrrr!

[rrog13]

Really makes you want to strangle someone for being so ignorant.      I knew something was up when I walked past the bee fountain by my hydroponic garden.  It's usually buzzing with bees.  Day before yesterday I went out to check my hives and found large amounts of dead bees in front of each of my seven hives.  Sad sight to see.  The bees were carrying off the dead one after another.  When I went out to check them today, I was surprised to see that a good portion of the dead bees out side the hives had been picked up and carried off.  Not much I can do except wait and hope they can get through it. 

[Jen]

So Sad rrog! 

Curious ~ are you positive it was pesticides?

[rrog13]

Yeah.......these were very health hives.  If it had been just one or two, I'd wonder a little.  All seven and I think it's a sure bet.

[Jen]

Do you know the origin of these pesticides. It's such a great concern this time of year when pest control agencies are hired to spray big parking lots nsuch. Devatating!

[rrog13]

No idea so far.  My surrounding area has quite a bit of farm land so it's quite possible some one has decided to do some spraying.  If I can find out where, I can at least go talk to them.  Not sure it would do any good but, you never know.

[Jen]

Here in California we have the almond industry. Commercial farmers tell the beekeepers when they are going to spray, so the beek can hold off bringing hundreds of hives for pollination, and then again to let the beeks take the hives back home before any more spraying.

Last year, about an hour up the road, Oregon had two tragic sprayings from pest control employees that didn't read the directions on the label of neonicanoids, saying wait until the trees are not in bloom. Big parking lots were just full of dead bees, hundreds of thousands. So tragic!

 

[tbonekel]

I have a friend that had several hives located not far from a sunflower field. They sprayed and boom, his bees were done and so was he. He didn't go back to beekeeping. Can't say I blame him much.

[Jen]

I wish I had the right words and solution for those who are combating pesticides. I don't live near commercial farming, but I do live in neighborhoods where spraying is done on a regular basis. It doesn't just effect honeybees, it's all bees, butterfly's, bats, birds, our pets.

I'm so sorry this happened to your bees :(

[blueblood]

Boooooo! Sorry to hear that.

[riverbee]

so sorry rrog!

[kebee]

 Sure hope that this is only a one time thing, for I hate to hear bees getting killed, sorry that has happen to you and the bees.

Ken

[G3farms]

Sad day for sure, sure hope your bees pull through.

[Intheswamp]

Nothing much that I can say but that I'm sorry you and your bees got hit. 

People don't realize that when a colony or portion of a colony of bees dies or is killed off that those "pollinators" are gone but also the genetics that the hive contributes are diminished or completely lost.  There is a portion of the drones in the local DCA that suddenly disappear.  Swarms (though we try to prevent them) are species survival for the honey bees....no more missed swarms from the dead colony to help populate and mingle the feral and domestic community.  People need to know the much larger impact that "just a bunch of dead bees" makes.

Best wishes going forward, rrog13

Ed

[camero7]

My experience is that those hives will not do well unless you can replace the brood frames. I had several hives on one orchard and the next orchard sprayed. None of those hives died on the spot but several dwindled and the rest died over the winter. I had another pesticide problem. I pulled the frames and replaced them with drawn comb. Those hives built back up and recovered. Just my 2 cents.

[rrog13]

My experience is that those hives will not do well unless you can replace the brood frames. I had several hives on one orchard and the next orchard sprayed. None of those hives died on the spot but several dwindled and the rest died over the winter. I had another pesticide problem. I pulled the frames and replaced them with drawn comb. Those hives built back up and recovered. Just my 2 cents.

Camero.......yeah, I don't have enough drawn out frames laying around to fill one deep, much less 7 hives worth.  They'll just have to deal with it.  I hate it but, that's the reality.  Despite the losses, all the hives seem to be doing ok so far.  Still seeing orientation flights and good foraging activity.  It is interesting to note how much my two larger hives cleaned up the dead bees that were outside the hives on the ground. Almost all of them have been picked up flown away.  Three smaller hives did this as well but not to the same extent.  One swarm I hived earlier this year didn't seem to make any effort to cleanup.  In the past I've seen granddaddy long legs work as undertakers but not so much in this instance.  I'd sure like to keep those genetics going.  I've held off diving into the hives so far to give them  some time to get some order back into the colonies but I think I'll check things out tomorrow afternoon.

[apisbees]

Pesticide damage can not only effect the forager bees but can kill the young bees that are caring for the brood, It can be fed to the brood and this loss most times goes unnoticed by the beekeeper.