Solar Farm

[downland]

Hi All,

I keep my bees on a solar farm as wifey is not keen on having them in the garden.. I popped down yesterday only to find that the groundsmen had sprayed weedkiller around the fence line and unfortunately over the back of two hives. I think it happened a few days ago as the weeds/ grass is starting to go over but its pissed me off to say the least.

The bees seemed Ok and there wasn't masses of dead bees so I think they may have been lucky this time!

I'm considering having a moan as they are always promoting us keeping bees on their farms but suspect its more for planning permission thing than any other reason.

Dave

 

[BMH]

Hi All,



I keep my bees on a solar farm as wifey is not keen on having them in the garden.. I popped down yesterday only to find that the groundsmen had sprayed weedkiller around the fence line and unfortunately over the back of two hives. I think it happened a few days ago as the weeds/ grass is starting to go over but its pissed me off to say the least.



The bees seemed Ok and there wasn't masses of dead bees so I think they may have been lucky this time!



I'm considering having a moan as they are always promoting us keeping bees on their farms but suspect its more for planning permission thing than any other reason.



Dave

I'm my experience. Weed killer has no effect on bees.

People use Glyphosate will no harm to the bees

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

 

[Beefriendly]

Spray around mine with no problems.
Have a moan at the owners and what they do on their property and they may ask you to vacate your apiary....

 

[Murox]

Just ask them to please let you know if/when they are going to do any spraying (and with what) so you are able to any necessary precautions beforehand. Its no big deal to just communicate politely with each other.

 

[eltalia]

Dave, we ourselves use around 20L of product every year on firebreaks and around
infrastructure, plus occasionly in ground prep for cropping. That's smalltime stuff
compared to farmers within (bee) flying distance whose use runs into hundreds of
litres of product in hundreds of thousands of litres in application.
It depends a lot on timing as Glyco on flying bees carn't be beneficial but once the
spray is on the plant/ground nothing so far has proven any illeffect.
Have a yarn to the manager in achieving either notice to allow lockdowns 0r
awareness training for operators - bringing timing to their notice.
Good Luck.

Bill

 

[downland]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Beefriendly "Have a moan at the owners and what they do on their property and they may ask you to vacate your apiary...." - That was my thought, as the bees seemed to be Ok I didn't want to loose my site.

Regards,

Dave

 

[B+.]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Beefriendly "Have a moan at the owners and what they do on their property and they may ask you to vacate your apiary...." - That was my thought, as the bees seemed to be Ok I didn't want to loose my site.

Regards,

Dave

That may be, but, this is a food producing insect. There is a duty of care here.
By all means ask them politely to refrain from spraying your bees with herbicide, but, when push comes to shove....if it happens again, move them.
They have to respect your property and the use to which it is being put.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Glyphosate may disrupt bee gut bacteria, homing ability and larval success rates. Plenty of research out there, some open to interpretation.

Practical solution is to talk to the landowner or manager and aim to get spraying done outside flying hours or when rain is not imminent. When dry, glyphosate is unlikely to cause as much harm as when wet.

 

[bingevader]

That may be, but, this is a food producing insect. There is a duty of care here.
By all means ask them politely to refrain from spraying your bees with herbicide, but, when push comes to shove....if it happens again, move them.
They have to respect your property and the use to which it is being put.

Yep.
I don't think it needs to be a moan as beefriendly has suggested.
They may not have even given the consequences a thought.
I'm sure a gentle friendly chat will do.

 

[MartinL]

When dry, glyphosate is unlikely to cause as much harm as when wet.

And when contaminating honey??
it maintains its potential to harm

What's your agreement with the land owner?

Is the land owner the same as the owner of the panels / operator of the site

 

[Millet]

I use proper roundup/gallup/ Glysophate or whatever you want to call it ..every year inches from my hives with no problems to the bees and certainly no problem to the honey that they produce...scare mongering shite as usual.. stop listening to the radio or watching Tv and life will be loads smoother..

 

[downland]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

stop listening to the radio or watching Tv and life will be loads smoother..

I don't watch much tv or listen to the radio, I tend to spend most of my time on the internet.. looking at porn

Regards,

Dave

 

[ericbeaumont]

scare mongering shite as usual

I feel the same about use of neonicotinoids, PDB crystals, Apistan resistance, synergistic chemical effects, hive thermal efficiency, and anything else they can throw at us: it's all baloney.

 

[Murox]

Thanks everyone for your replies.
I don't watch much tv or listen to the radio, I tend to spend most of my time on the internet.. looking at porn
Regards, Dave

So Millett's comment about "being loads smoother" still applies doesn't it ?

 

[MartinL]

I use proper roundup/gallup/ Glysophate or whatever you want to call it ..every year inches from my hives

No doubt you consume your own honey too...

I prefer to cut the grass with a lawn mower or strimmer, blissfully innocent of what Glyphosate tastes like (or its affect on my cognitive ability).

 

[eltalia]

No doubt you consume your own honey too...

I prefer to cut the grass with a lawn mower or strimmer, blissfully innocent of what Glyphosate tastes like (or its affect on my cognitive ability).

Those crusading zealots claim subparticle contamination of pretty much everything
on retail shelves, so there is any innocence shattered.
Happy to read you havn't noticed any taste nor it appears - at glancing view - reflect
any cognitive disorder... @home at least.

Bill