Norfolk Beekeepers' Association - Spray Liason information for Beekeepers
Spray Liaison Information for Beekeepers
Practical measures to take on receipt of notification of intent to spray
1. Partially closing up colonies
Large quantities of grass or straw are placed in front of the hives covering
up and obstructing the entrances. Bees usually tear their way through it fairly
quickly but stay fussing around it rather than foraging. This is an artificially
created natural catastrophe to the bees and they tend to deal with it without
building up heat and frustration.
It is also possible to “tent in” a small number of colonies with
black polythene , turning day into night but not restricting air flow or the
ability of bees to walk out of the hive.
2. Completely closing the colonies.
This is fraught with danger to the bees, particularly if the colony is large,
because of the risk of overheating. If you are really concerned about the possibility
of your bees flying across the path of the spray you should ideally move your
colonies however, if this is not practical or possible, and you feel that completely
closing the colonies until spraying is complete is the only option, you should
follow the following instructions:-
·
Provide additional comb by placing spare supers and comb above the existing
supers. Extra space must be provided to contain temperature rises.
·
Place a container of water above the comb to assist with cooling. Place sponges
or rags in the container to prevent the bees from drowning when they take water.
·
Entrance to be completely blocked out so as not to allow light to enter.
·
Place large quantities of insulation (e.g. straw) over hives to prevent sunlight
from increasing the internal temperature of the colony.
·
Open the hives as soon as spraying is complete. Max 24 hour closure in the
summer
These precautions are aimed at keeping the temperature rise to a minimum. Unless
temperature can be controlled there is a real risk of melted combs and honey
and the colony drowning in a sticky mess
3. Move the colonies