Bees & sprayed crops

[chrismcd]

Taking up the points made by Hivemaker and Rooftops.

Spray Mixtures

There is some evidence that mixes with fungicides are problematic.

I am not too sure exactly what the problem is. I get the impression that the fungicide, or some of it's formulation ingredients, are either; masking the repellent properties of the pyrethroid; slowing it's drying/locking into leaf waxes time or simply making the insecticide more active on bees.

Does anyone have more info?

Type of insecticide

For over 20 years the pyrethroids have been the standard pre-flowering spray on OSR - experience has shown that, in practice they do not do much damage to bees.

However, the Pollen Beetle has now developed resistance to the pyrethroids and Bayer are recommending a neonicotinoid - thiacloprid - to be sprayed just before flowering

http://www.bayercropscience.co.uk/product/insecticides/biscaya/

And yes it can be mixed with a fungicide.

I cannot say I am cheered by the news, but have not picked up any reports of problems so far - and I think this recommendation is three years old.

AFAIK Biscaya is expensive and resistant pollen beetles are only found in Norfolk at the moment.

Once again, does anyone know any more about this?

 

[Hivemaker.]

even the farmer doesn't know when they're going to spray -

The farmer where i move bees to for OSR does,and gives at least four days warning,but does not need to spray at all some years,so no problem then of course.
But of course if in the case of James,and the farmer does not have a clue when the spraying is going to be done,and the contractor does not have a clue either,then you have to just take a chance that everything will be okay,and 99.9% of the time it will be,if on the odd occasion its not,then just restock the hives,if they all happen to get killed. Only happened once to me so far as i mentioned earlier.

 

[user 6228]

I've looked at Googleearth and found flowering crops witihn 2.5Km (a bit further than the plutonium farm in the other direction
how much of a draw is OSR over that sort of distance?

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

I've looked at Googleearth and found flowering crops witihn 2.5Km (a bit further than the plutonium farm in the other direction
how much of a draw is OSR over that sort of distance?

1 1/2 miles - no worries, and they prefer it to plutonium.

 

[YorkshireBees]

I've looked at Googleearth and found flowering crops witihn 2.5Km (a bit further than the plutonium farm in the other direction
how much of a draw is OSR over that sort of distance?

In my limited experience OSR is a major attraction to bees even over a distance.

Last year the farmer, with the fields nearest my home apiary, rotated the crop to a further away field in a slightly different direction to previous years.
Both my neighbor and I can vouch for the attraction as I watched the bees leave the hive do a 180deg turn and fly like torpedo's just over the wall in the direction of the OSR. Unfortunately for the neighbor this put their flight path at head height above his vegetable garden!

Will not have the same problem again as most of the hives have now been moved to out apiaries in fields!

 

[iand]

Taking up the points made by Hivemaker and Rooftops.

Spray Mixtures

There is some evidence that mixes with fungicides are problematic.

I am not too sure exactly what the problem is. I get the impression that the fungicide, or some of it's formulation ingredients, are either; masking the repellent properties of the pyrethroid; slowing it's drying/locking into leaf waxes time or simply making the insecticide more active on bees.

Does anyone have more info?

Chris my experience goes back to 30 years ago, I of course speak to a few farmers & a rep friend but as I understand it was the case that once the spray was dry on the leaf then OK. The repellant would would discourage the bees until then. The fly in the ointment is of course tank mixes, at that time some were recommended other multiple mixes not as they ended up masking the repellant making it ineffective.
My farmer does his spraying at dusk or later so no bees about. Touch wood I've not had a problem yet.
Ian