Spraying without thought for others

[Fiftiesfury]

Hi, could I ask all horse owners that spray fields to kill buttercups, to ask residents if there are any beekeepers in the vicinity as today I have had someone separating when my bees are out foraging. I realise spraying must be done, but if told the day before, the bees would not be flying today. Now I am expecting colonies to fail with 1000’s of bees being affected and dying.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Really sorry to read this. It is something that needs putting out there.
We never sprayed buttercups just because it rarely works but I’d never thought of bees.
pretty shameful really

 

[Fiftiesfury]

#Separating should read spraying

 

[Clodagh]

Farmers are not allowed (or strongly recommended) not to spray in daylight because of the bees.
Domestic users cause so many deaths yet complain madly if laws try to stop them.
I’m so sorry about your bees.

 

[TPO]

Could you perhaps email Horse and Hound as they might write an article about it?

I dont think it's a message that is "out there" amongst horse owners.

Bees are a hot topic right now and I'm sure its ignorance rather than willful cruelty that the spraying is happening.

It would be good if horse publications could run some informative articles about it

 

[Fiftiesfury]

I understand that it certainly wasn’t intentional, but I did shout out to him but was ignored. He was probably doing it as a favour to the people who rent the fields for their horses. He had no PPE to protect himself and neighbours had to go inside due to the toxic smell from the chemical.

 

[Clodagh]

Was he using a back pack?

 

[Fiftiesfury]

Was he using a back pack?

No he was pulling a tank of chemicals with a wide agricultural sprayer

 

[poiuytrewq]

OH says it’s probably a herbicide not insecticide.
Also every registered sprayer contractor would have to notify bee keepers IF spraying insecticides

 

[windand rain]

Farmer was spraying in the field next door to the ponies never get notified and when he is spreading fertiliser it comes a good couple of meters into their grazing again no notification. We had the fields sprayed for ragwort but as far as I know there are no bee keepers locally and we sprayed at dusk.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Farmer was spraying in the field next door to the ponies never get notified and when he is spreading fertiliser it comes a good couple of meters into their grazing again no notification. We had the fields sprayed for ragwort but as far as I know there are no bee keepers locally and we sprayed at dusk.

I’m not sure about fert spreading. I think that’s different also the farm I’m on is very into wildlife and being correct so I may not be the average farmers wife!

 

[ester]

Is it herbicide dependent?

 

[Clodagh]

Speaking to OH. To get your Red Tractor accreditation, which basically every farmer in the UK has you should be able to prove you have contacted local bee keepers and you should spray insecticides at dusk.
He thought herbicides you should still inform her keepers but hoped they weren’t so deadly.
So if you know who the farmer was you could cause him some serious grief. Does he (the sprayer operator) know you have bees? OH suggested you going and knocking on the door of all local farmers.

 

[ester]

That's where I'm a bit confused because if it was for the buttercups it would be herbicide, and it wouldn't be glyphosate so it would be interesting to know the affect of what you would use on bees.

 

[Clodagh]

We don't do our own spraying now, from about 10 years back, so OH is not up to date on the curent leigslation as much as he might be if he held a current sprayer operators ticket. (I thought I had better explain why he wasn't sure about current rules with herbicides).

 

[hock]

This is horrendous and something I had no clue about! I’m so sad for the dying bees and you having to witness it.
I’m sure a campaign drawing attention to it would work as who’d want to responsible for killing them?

 

[Clodagh]

On the subject of bees we just had a swarm turn up and squeeze into the roof space. The noise was amazing. Good luck to them. At least they are safe from badgers.
I think they are wild, but there were thousands.

 

[windand rain]

If they are honey bees your local beekeeper will likely collect them for you unless of course you want bees in your roof space

 

[Fiftiesfury]

On the subject of bees we just had a swarm turn up and squeeze into the roof space. The noise was amazing. Good luck to them. At least they are safe from badgers.
I think they are wild, but there were thousands.

A main swarm could hold up to 10,000 bees, but are usually very docile. A beekeeper within your area would remove them for you without killing them.

 

[splashgirl45]

i dont think the general public are aware of the harm being done to bees. it would be a good idea to contact the papers and try and get something to make people realise. i dont use any sort of pesticide in my garden but now know to spray at dusk if ever i feel the need....i didnt realise before but when i think about it, it is obvious...

 

[Clodagh]

There’s no way to get them out from where they have got to. They don’t bother us. We had the same last year, but they went in a different gap.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I love bees they are my favourite insect So sorry about your bees xx