Aerial pesticide spraying - AH!!!

[Beacon Woods]

What can a small bee keeper do? Our area has acres of soybeans and corn and apparently this year there is an infestation of aphids. So there are a lot of crop dusters. But today they were across the road! At 12:30! They could have at least notified me. I would have happily tucked the bees in for the day. Inconvenient yes, but not as inconvenient as losing one's bees. Will the girl's survive? They were doing so well. (At least one of them - I have 2) We just put our fourth medium on one of them. Amazing for first year packages.

Will they make it? Is there anything I can do? I'm not one for litigation but arne't they supposed to notify bee keepers in the area? The poor guy right next the the soybeans has (had?) 20 hives by the apples. I bet he's not too happy either.

Thanks for letting me vent.
Chris

[Buzz V]

We've had an overabundance of aerial applicators in our skies this summer. Nearly all of the guys here are applying Headline which is a fungicide. It's label doesn't contain any precautionary statements concerning use around honeybees, so the research submitted to EPA must indicate there is no big concern with the use of Healine in the vicinity of bees. If there were a concern, it would be posted on the label.
The Headline label says it is not only for the control of plant diseases, but also for "plant health". It's been shown to increase crop yields and is being applied to a lot of corn acres here in the hopes growers will have lots of extra corn to sell for ethanol production.
I'm guessing the bees will not be suffering if the crop dusters in your area were applying this product.

[Sarge]

Again it comes down to whether they know you are there. Is there a registration system in your area? Have you called the local Farm Co-op and let them know where you are? The local Health Department?
They cannot avoid you or adjust the product for bees if they don't know you, and they, are out there.

[Oldbee]

I have acres/acres of corn/soybeans near my hives also. Fortunately the [spraying] company sent out a postcard that I could respond to early this year. I hope your hives will be OK!

[BULLSEYE BILL]

A couple of months ago I found a heavy brownish yellow substance on the top of my hives in one of my yards. It turned out that the new neighbor had sprayed the pasture with roundup and the plane dropped it right on my hives.

I had the KDA check it out and now I have a new neighbor with a chip on his shoulder. He jumped my 90 year old father who was not involved about it. Told dad that they narrowly missed being fined, which is a lie as they could not be fined for the illegal activities of a contractor, and told him to keep his kids and bees off their property.

Well, I had no noticeable losses, but now there is bad blood with the neighbor. I wouldn't be surprised if the sprayer drops some insecticide on me for spite, that's the way it works in the country.

BTW, all my out yards are registered with the KDA sensitive crop location program.

[Beacon Woods]

That's my concern as well Bullseye Bill. There is a complaint form in the state of Illinois and an investigator is assigned...and you know... the neighbor will be upset. And we always want to get along with our neighbors. And yes we too are registered for notification. Alas, no note or postcard came our way. I have not been out to the yard yet...been raining since last evening (maybe that will keep the girls home longer and less exposed). And I am hoping it was just the fungicide that Buzz V spoke about. We shall see. Thanks for your thoughts.

[MichaelW]

When I'm in the right, I don't care how much I upset my neighbors. If they can't understand that I really don't care about em. Plus if they think your crazier than they are, they'll leave you alone.

Most (but not all) of my neighbors have been good folks though.

Rules and regs. are useless if they are not enforced when it counts. I'd do something to try and keep it from happening again. At least get to the bottom of what it is and exactly what happened, if the regulations where broken etc.