Neighbours spraying land next to my hives

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245
156
Christchurch
Experience
Beginner
The commercial area next to me, approx 1/2 acre, just told be they were going to glyphosphate the area as it has been let loose for 8 years. Problem is my bee hives are the other side of the chain link fence.

They ve agreed to tell me the day before so I'll close the hives up that day. They've also agreed to only do it when theres air flow from me to them.

I'm going to put up a wind break on the fence to further protect hives but am not looking forward to this.

Grrr!!!
 
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245
156
Christchurch
Experience
Beginner
closing hives up can kill them due to over-heating. Reconsider your plan.
Not closing could also be a disaster.!?

They are hive doctor ventilated bases and I'll throw an extra empty box on top, crack a lid etc and get some shade in place. If I dont its likely to get into them and that's a bad thing from what I hear. Likely to be fatal too. ??
 
245
156
Christchurch
Experience
Beginner
The bees will overheat in Hive Doctor floors also. It would be best to move the bees.
Or you can make a wind break cloth cover to go over the top Nicely sealed of course.
Remember, Heat rises it does not sink.

Best wishes.
So if I'm understanding you .. a cover made of windbreaker cloth which will let bees out but only inside the cover so they can beard etc but not fly further?

I might have to get herself to get out the sewing machine.

Do beeks use covers like this regularly?

I would love to move them but logistically not sure where they would go to. Thankfully they are hive doctor hives so closing for transport would be more simple than a wooden base.
 
349
449
Bay of Plenty
Experience
Commercial
Not closing could also be a disaster.!?

They are hive doctor ventilated bases and I'll throw an extra empty box on top, crack a lid etc and get some shade in place. If I dont its likely to get into them and that's a bad thing from what I hear. Likely to be fatal too. ??
You are over thinking and over stressing about this, your hives will not die. Ask them to spray late in the evening. Its only 1/2 acre your bees are flying further,
 

Alastair

Founder Member
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Auckland
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Getting tired of all the hype over glyphosate. It is actually one of the safest herbicides out there, and safe for bees also.

In fact for many years I have kept my apiaries tidy by spraying around the hives with glyphosate, which has included getting it on the entrance boards and all over any bees that happen to be flying at the time, does not hurt the bees one bit.

Now that honey will be tested for it I will have to stop using it just incase any might show in the honey, not because it hurts the bees.

All you need concern yourself about Wknz is what they might be adding to the glyphosate. It is common to add a spreader, or wetting agent. What this does is acts like detergent and breaks the surface tension, so that the spray instead of sitting on the leaves in tiny droplets, spreads evenly across the entire leave, giving better penetration and reducing the amount of glyphosate needed in the mix to get a kill. Problem is if bees get the wetting agent on them, it can break the surface tension and spread into their breathing ventricals, and if bad enough, kill the bee by suffocation.

However you are not likely to lose the entire hive, just some feild bees, if any bees at all. More likely no bees at all. And at this time of year the hives likely have a surplus of bees.

Far more dangerous would be any attempt to block the hives, don't do it. Not even with an external screen, an inexperienced beekeeper likely to cause a lot more harm doing that, right up to killing the hives completely.

Just pretend the spraying is not happening, go back and check the bees a week later, and it's strong odds on you will not notice a scrap of difference.
 
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maungaturoto
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You are over thinking and over stressing about this, your hives will not die. Ask them to spray late in the evening. Its only 1/2 acre your bees are flying further,
+1
they will be most likely hand spraying. they can spray at dusk/night with nasty stuff and it won't effect bees.

the problems we have with spraying is usually from heli spraying and from sprayers that fire right up to the tops of trees.
roundup itself doesn't harm bees, its the surfactants they put with it (or manufacture puts with it) that kills the bees while in flight.
 
245
156
Christchurch
Experience
Beginner
You are over thinking and over stressing about this, your hives will not die. Ask them to spray late in the evening. Its only 1/2 acre your bees are flying further,
Thanks for the thoughts. My worry is overspray. My bees are literally 1.5m from the chain link dividing fence and one has its entrance facing that way.
I also wonder if roundup etc will be added to the mix ad they want to get this sorted in one hit.

I'll keep in touch with them and put up a dividing windbreak. The windbreak is good for them too as originally I was at the back of a large junk area so no visitors...now theres possibly people 1.5 from the hive. I think they also uncovered wasps nest. Suddenly tons of them there.
 

Alastair

Founder Member
Platinum
8,753
9,966
Auckland
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This, from the label

PERSONAL PROTECTION When applying the spray wear eye protection, cotton overalls buttoned to the neck and wrists, chemical resistant gloves (e.g. PVC, nitrile or neoprene), washable hat and chemical resistant boots.
 
245
156
Christchurch
Experience
Beginner
It's a tricky one managing certain weeds. When we were younger my aunt had us go through paddocks pulling certain weeds by hand..poisonous to livestock. You can get workers in to clear by hand or the easy way with chemicals. Problem is they tend to come back with hand pulling.

At home we are trying vinegar and hot water with some success but we arent commercial size. I've seen park rangers working with blow torches at botanic gardens but that's a fire hazard.

So what does work and is bee safe? Farmers etc wont give up glyphosphate until theres an alternative.
 
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Grant

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So what does work and is bee safe?

Round up. We all use it and some of us spray around our hives with it. As stated here
In fact for many years I have kept my apiaries tidy by spraying around the hives with glyphosate, which has included getting it on the entrance boards and all over any bees that happen to be flying at the time, does not hurt the bees one bit.

Now that honey will be tested for it I will have to stop using it just incase any might show in the honey, not because it hurts the bees.
 
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Mummzie

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Tasman
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just in case there is confusion...heres what google says

Is glyphosate and Roundup the same thing?
No, glyphosate and Roundup are not the same thing. Glyphosate is a chemical compound, while Roundup is a product that contains glyphosate.
 

Grant

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And to add to that, water is a chemical compound, so is air, as are both nectar and honey, soil, humans, bees and carrots.

a substance formed from two or more elements chemically united in fixed proportions.
noun: chemical compound
"a compound of hydrogen and oxygen"
 
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8,865
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maungaturoto
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Talking of spraying . I have gorse to kill and I have some tordon and grazon left to me when neighbours moved.
Is tordon safe to use without a hazmat suit .
follow manufactures instructions.
both use the same stuff that is available for home use. common sense applies.

i think there is a few different version of tordon.
just be aware it contains aminopyralid which is a very long lasting weed killer that doesn't break down even if eaten by animals.
it may kill plants you plant. also animal dung from animals grazing will also kill plants. animal movement controls required.
its the one where people put manure on their gardens and everything died for 2-4 years.
 
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5
10
Rocky Gully Western Australia
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International
Thanks for the thoughts. My worry is overspray. My bees are literally 1.5m from the chain link dividing fence and one has its entrance facing that way.
I also wonder if roundup etc will be added to the mix ad they want to get this sorted in one hit.

I'll keep in touch with them and put up a dividing windbreak. The windbreak is good for them too as originally I was at the back of a large junk area so no visitors...now theres possibly people 1.5 from the hive. I think they also uncovered wasps nest. Suddenly tons of them there.
Up until a few years ago I used to use round up arround my hives, there would have been overspray and it never seemed to cause any harm. The key is to know exactly what is being used as some glyphosate products have built in sufficant which is not kind to bees and sometimes people add other herbicides to improve control of weeds hard to kill with glyphosate. I can tell you from first hand experience those mixes are not good as I lost 2 hives and many others set back courtesy of an adjoining tree farm spraying fire breaks close to my hives.
 

Alastair

Founder Member
Platinum
8,753
9,966
Auckland
Experience
Semi Commercial
They are hive doctor ventilated bases and I'll throw an extra empty box on top, crack a lid etc and get some shade in place. If I dont its likely to get into them and that's a bad thing from what I hear. Likely to be fatal too. ??

How did this end up?
 
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