Dead Area Map Question

[Alastair]

Back in the old forum somebody posted a map of NZ with "dead zones", which were the areas on the Gisborne flats and some other places where there will be very high bee mortality if you winter bees there.

Does anyone have that map or a link to it?

 

[Dansar]

I had look around but can’t find it.
Maybe @JohnF has some knowledge or can ask Barry Foster for you.

 

[Dansar]

Or @Daley

 

[Alastair]

Thanks Dansar, yes I think Daley or one of those Gizzy people were the one who first posted it.

 

[JohnF]

Cheers Daniel. Yes, currently involved with another discovery of ‘Flats Disease’ as it’s called here. 75 hives showing classic poisoning signs. Very strong 3 weeks ago - to piles of dead bees out the front. As always, samples collected while we try to establish whether pesticide screening worthwhile, as nothing has been detected in previous samples.
Maize paddocks within a few km but harvested 6 weeks ago. . . did something stop flowering and the bees turned to the maize stubble 3 weeks ago? 🤔

 

[JohnF]

Sorry @Alastair - I don’t have the map, but it’s the flats around the small township of Te Karaka

 

[yesbut]

Probably something to do with meth ingredients in the groundwater

 

[tristan]

did something stop flowering and the bees turned to the maize stubble 3 weeks ago?

or the bees water source changed.
certain pesticides are water soluble so they can move with the ground water, possibly get pushed up (or move from dirt to water) as water tables get higher (especially in low lying flats).

 

[JohnF]

Yep. and water sources in these maize paddocks is another possibility we're looking at - trying to get as many samples as we can.