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Should I Move my hive?

963 views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  Duck1968 
#1 ·
In a few days the corn near my hive will be sprayed by plane with the fungicide "Headline". On the MSDS sheet under Environmental Toxicity it says "Honey bee /LD50: > 100 ug/bee". I just don't know what this means.

Also the field of corn a 1/2 mile away will be sprayed with the Headline and the insecticide Conture(Bifenthrin). I know the Conture is highly toxic to bees but I do not think they are working the corn field much as there is lots of clover blooming in the road ditches and pastures.I am just not sure what to do.

Brian
 
#2 ·
doesn't much matter if the bees are working the corn, the spray will go other then the cornfield, wind direction will dictate where it finally dissapates to, and if thet winds up over a patch of clover then there is where the final residue will be. does it mean the death of the colony, depends on the contaimination levels and bees individual resistances. LD50 means at a specific dosage--out of 100 bees ( in this instance ), 50 will die from that dosage level. That won't count for the larval deathes. Were they my bees I would move them to a safe area assuming such a place exists.
Barry
 
#4 ·
For one hive that's a hobby that you really care about, yes move them. You'll sleep better at night.
That being said, I'd probably leave mine there. Bees don't work corn except in an extreme pollen dearth and whatever drift you get onto any crop they're working will be diluted as it's only the corn that is being sprayed full strength. LD50 is the level on the cornfeild so nearby clover would be more like LD10.
The real damage from fungicides is to the brood when they feed it to the larvae so if you leave them there you might consider adding a pollen trap for a few days.
I would be more worried about the fungicide than the pesticide.
 
#5 ·
I decided to not move the hive. I just could not find a place for them that is any farther from a field that is going to be sprayed than where they are. This morning I could see 4 different planes spraying within 2 miles of our farm. With the wet spring the fungus and leaf miners are pretty bad in the corn. But there are not many aphids in the soy beans so hopefully we will not have to spray them.


cow pollinater said:
you might consider adding a pollen trap for a few days.
i did not think I would need or want one. I wish I had one on hand now.

Brian
 
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