Risk of collateral damage from sprayed nest.

[Vergilius]

Hi all,

Very sadly I got a text from a next door neighbour saying that they had lost patience living with a honeybee nest in the roof and had called out a pest controller, who has dealt with it via an aerosol-type insecticide spray.

I don’t really understand how these insecticide aerosols work. What is the level of danger to my own bees (no more than 50 metres away) via contamination through potentially robbing out the nest etc?

Thanks!

 

[Ian123]

There was a case some years ago of this happening and I think the PC was prosecuted. Access to the honey had been left and local hives poisoned. If all access is closed or wax removed there’s no issue. I’d also suggest you may be lucky as there’s a flow on and robbing is at a minimum. If there is an issue in a week or so any poison may be past it’s worst. I believe PC are required to block or remove the wax. I don’t have much faith in the blocking!!!..Make a polite enquiry and find out the details. I’d pay close attention to the hives.

 

[thorn]

There was a case some years ago of this happening and I think the PC was prosecuted. Access to the honey had been left and local hives poisoned. If all access is closed or wax removed there’s no issue. I’d also suggest you may be lucky as there’s a flow on and robbing is at a minimum. If there is an issue in a week or so any poison may be past it’s worst. I believe PC are required to block or remove the wax. I don’t have much faith in the blocking!!!..Make a polite enquiry and find out the details. I’d pay close attention to the hives.

Sheffield Mags, 2008. A pest controller used Ficam D on a feral bees' nest. A local beekeeper lost thousands of bees. The PC was found guilty of four offences of failing to take proper care and fined £200 for each, plus costs of £200.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Sheffield Mags, 2008. A pest controller used Ficam D on a feral bees' nest. A local beekeeper lost thousands of bees. The PC was found guilty of four offences of failing to take proper care and fined £200 for each, plus costs of £200.

Pest controller fined £1000 for offences resulting in the death of honey bees

 

[thorn]

https://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-new...25b2bc0133edcdd68025740c0034433e?OpenDocument

Thanks for that. One day I'll sit down and work out how to put links via my iPad.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Thanks for that. One day I'll sit down and work out how to put links via my iPad.

Just pull up the page, highlight the title, and touch it. It will come up with a copy option. Then paste into a reply.
Thanks for the info tho.

 

[thorn]

Just pull up the page, highlight the title, and touch it. It will come up with a copy option. Then paste into a reply.
Thanks for the info tho.

Not on an iPad, I fear.

 

[thorn]

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/risk-of-collateral-damage-from-sprayed-nest.53426/

 

[Newbeeneil]

Not on an iPad, I fear.

It is on my IPad. It's what I use the whole time.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Not on an iPad, I fear.

In your reply box there is a paper clip at the top. Tap that and you get a drop down menu it says URL and Text. Copy paste the address into the top box and into the bottom what you want it to say in your post ( or you can leave it blank and your post will just display the web address
OR
Just copy paste and you’ll get the address posted in full

 

[ericbeaumont]

a pest controller, who has dealt with it via an aerosol-type insecticide spray.

No law against terminating honey bees but as said above, if other pollinators access the poisoned nest the PC could (should) be prosecuted.

Unless nest access is sealed entirely (difficult to achieve in a roof) then a swarm may well arrive next year and reoccupy the nest. Is your neighbour aware of this?

Pest controllers can be a slapdash bunch; the other day I got a call to assess a removal in a primary school, verified as a nest of honey bees by a pest controller. Yes, they were honey bees, but merely gathering moisture from the base of a leaking toilet stack pipe.