3.25 - 3.27 - Poisoning

Question 1

What crops likely to be affected by poisoning 9

Answer 1

1. Oil seed rape
2. Field beans
3. Fruit
4. Weed poisoning
5. Pesticides (fly though)
6. Wheat – fly through
7. Oats – fly through
8. Linseed
9. Sugar beet

Question 2

Poisoning - natural substances including signs

Answer 2

Pollen, nectar, water and other manmade sugars that are inadvertently toxic

Often bees are found under the offending plant or tree providing the toxic nectar (lime)

Question 3

Describe the ways farms apply poison and how bees can be poisoned 3 plus supplementaries

Answer 3

1. Three methods of spraying
   
   1. Fixed wing plane
   2. Helicopter
   3. Tractor
   4. OR seed impregnated
2. Bee can be poisoned:
   
   1. By direct contact (flying through the spray)
   2. By eating nectar or pollen that has been sprayed
   3. By inhaling vapours
3. Bees can be caught
   
   1. Working ON a crop that is sprayed
   2. Working on flowering weeds IN a crop that is sprayed
   3. Flying OVER a crop that is being sprayed (vapours)
   4. Wind DRIFTING spray to a hive or patch of forage

Question 4

What advance action should you take when notice of poisoning crops is given 7 plus supplementaries

Answer 4

1. Participate in a spray liaison scheme
2. Collaborate with farmers in 3 mile radius – encourage spraying before 8am, after 8pm.
3. Gather info - What is being sprayed, where, when, with what
4. If the apiary is in the crop - mark them clearly
5. Move colonies - impractical with a large apiary
6. Partially close up the hive - some bees may get poisoned
   
   1. Drape loosely with a wet sheet
   2. Partially cover the entrance with loose grass or straw which may be enough to keep bees in the hive while allowing them to draw air into the hive (remove when danger passed)
7. Fully close up the hives - danger of over heating
   
   1. Provide additional supers with combs to allow bees to disperse
   2. Provide water in a rapid feeder for cooling by evaporation
   3. If possible, use a travel screen and off set the lid to provide a through draft.
   4. Shade from the sun if possible

Question 5

What are the signs of poisoning

Answer 5

1. Heaps of dead bees outside hive
2. Dead bees have their proboscis extended
3. Bees crawling, trembling, falling over and spinning on their backs
4. NONE. Make bees never make it home
5. Number of foragers at the entrance less than normal
6. Colony becomes agressive and throwing out infected bees (looks like fighting)

Question 6

What action to take to save bees when spray damage suspected 3

Answer 6

1. Feed the bees well which 1:1 syrup which will dilute the effect of toxins in the honey sac
2. Ventilate the hive to disperse the toxins in the hive
3. Reduce entrance in badly affected colonies to prevent robbing

Question 7

What action to take to report when spray damage suspected 5

Answer 7

1. Collect and label 3 samples of 200 bees (jam jar) per hive; freeze.
2. Take dated photos of the dead bees, the hives, the crop and its state of flower
3. Create a report with the details of the numbers of colonies and bees affected, the time and date of the spraying, the details of what the farmer was spraying and the name and contact details of any witnesses.
4. Inform the Regional Bee Inspector/the local association spray liaison officer
5. Only send samples to the NBU if instructed, and follow the instructions for packaging and sending the samples

Question 8

Explain how BeeConnected works

Answer 8

1. BeeConnected – a voluntary initiation supported by the Crop Protection Association
2. A website bringing farmers and beekeepers together, and keeping beekeepers notified when a neighbouring farmer is applying insecticides to their crops.
3. You can sign up, give your location and request email alerts of spraying up to 5km from hives.

Question 9

Explain how the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme works 1

Answer 9

1. The Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme enquires into the death / illness from pesticide poisoning using veterinary examination and chemical analysis to try to determine the cause of death.
2. (Also provides information to the regulator and enforces the correct use of pesticides.)