[marshmasterpat]

Ok, was working really long hours this week and didn't realize until yesterday that the heavy rains had brought out the county mosquito control plane. Morning and evening apparently. Glad I harvested some honey earlier last week but have not really been into the hives in two weeks. No dead bees at the entrances, but there are less bees bearding, but again, have not looked at them seriously in two weeks.

Anyone have experience with aerial spraying of malathion on their hives? Looking for folks that have dealt with impacts, not ideas. Not trying to be rude, just wanting to know what to watch for.

Will be contacting County mosquito control this week. Should have done it sooner, but they have not sprayed in a long time due to the drier conditions we have been in.

 

[Michael Bush]

>Anyone have experience with aerial spraying of malathion on their hives?

Yes.

>Looking for folks that have dealt with impacts, not ideas. Not trying to be rude, just wanting to know what to watch for.

Watch for piles of dead bees in front of the hives... If you contact them push for them to spray at night (as the label directs for mosquitoes). If they don't, report them to the EPA. It may or may not help, but it can't hurt.

 

[marshmasterpat]

>Watch for piles of dead bees in front of the hives... If you contact them push for them to spray at night (as the label directs for mosquitoes). If they don't, report them to the EPA. It may or may not help, but it can't hurt.

So far no piles of bees at entrance that I noticed. Will look again this morning. Just a lot less bees bearding on the hive, but we are in the dreath.

They are spraying at just after sunset and prior to sunrise. So it will not likely hit the entire hive, but may impact the bearding bees.

Hate to walk outside and smell Malathion, but that is one of the curses of living on the coast with folks that will not adapt to accepting mosquitos.

 

[CajunBee]

Mostly Dibrom over here. It's no better.

 

[SueGee]

I would like to start beekeeping, but I'm afraid that it will be pointless because the town sprays malathion every week sometimes twice a week. I've lived here for almost a month and have not seen ONE bee!! I moved out to the boonies to get away from the toxins of the city. I have to drive an hour to and from work. I've also discovered that the spraying does NOT kill the mosquitos!! It has just created super bugs that think I'm super yummy!! I'm trying to research the impact of this poison and the laws to protect bees. Can anyone give me some advice? I've asked them to stop spraying my yard, but my neighbors haven't asked them to stop. So, it's kind of silly. Please help. Can I still raise bees?

 

[the kid]

in mn you call the DNR and tell them you have hives and tell the address that they are at and they will not spray within a mile or more

 

[Barry]

I've also discovered that the spraying does NOT kill the mosquitos!! It has just created super bugs that think I'm super yummy!!

So true. They've sprayed a couple of times around here and the mosquitoes are worse now. I did notice the day after spraying finding some bees crawling on my driveway by the Russian Sage. Don't know if it's related. They spray from trucks here.

 

[EarlyBird]

Ok, was working really long hours this week and didn't realize until yesterday that the heavy rains had brought out the county mosquito control plane.

They just fly over in a plane and spray that stuff everywhere? All over houses and yards, even if you don't want it? I hate the smell of that stuff. Do they at least warn people to stay inside and close the windows/doors.

 

[marshmasterpat]

They just fly over in a plane and spray that stuff everywhere? All over houses and yards, even if you don't want it? I hate the smell of that stuff. Do they at least warn people to stay inside and close the windows/doors.

Nope, the county aerially sprays right at dusk and dawn. Grid pattern, you hear them flying and go inside if you are smart. Lots of folks don't go inside. Not sure if they are not that smart or just ignorant. Lots of folks will be in the yards when the truck swings by to spray and don't go in either.

They will probably be spraying within a week. Luckily, it seems to effect just the bees bearding so far, but will knock the population back. Frustrating when you are trying get the population to explode.

We have had lots of rain again and the salt marsh mosquitos are breeding like flies. The mosquitos go riding breezes off the gulf of Mexico up to about 12 miles on good days. So the mosquitos from the marsh come up and like most southern ports we have both the Asian tiger and dengue fever mosquitos (exotics from other lands) that love to breed in flower pots, etc., so after every decent rain, BAM, mosquitos everywhere.

Folks just cannot handle any biting bugs in general so they complain and the county mosquito control starts spraying. The plane knocks them back fairly good, but with the salt marsh mosquito blowing in with the wind, well next day they are replaced.

The good thing about the truck sprayers is generally if you are 150 feet or further from the spray route, you should be safe.

 

[SueGee]

So true. They've sprayed a couple of times around here and the mosquitoes are worse now. I did notice the day after spraying finding some bees crawling on my driveway by the Russian Sage. Don't know if it's related. They spray from trucks here.

They spray from a truck here and my neighbors don't seem to care about it!! It's very discouraging

 

[marshmasterpat]

If you can keep your hives at least 150 feet from the spray route it is better. More than that is better. Drift from the trucks is not that great. Vegetative barriers are another good buffer/benefit.

 

[EarlyBird]

like most southern ports we have both the Asian tiger and dengue fever mosquitos (exotics from other lands)

Maybe the benefits of the spray outweigh the risks (for humans). Not having walked in those shoes, I can't really comment, but sure wonder what the long-term effects are on people, as well as on the beneficial insect population.

I used Malathion with Volck Oil (mixed) in the past to control aphids on our crape myrtles before bloom, and usually wore gloves, but sometimes got it on my skin and it seemed to stay through washings. The spray would stink the area (and me) for a while. I sent the stuff to haz waste this past year. It was stinking up the garage, through the bottle. Smelled like something dead. Maybe the mixture of the two made it worse.

 

[Michael Bush]

>Maybe the benefits of the spray outweigh the risks (for humans).

If it didn't actually result in MORE mosquitoes, maybe it would be worth it... but since it kills off the predators (crane flies, dragon flies, damselflies) and leaves the other predators short of food (birds, bats, frogs, tadpoles) it does not result in less mosquitoes.

 

[EarlyBird]

>Maybe the benefits of the spray outweigh the risks (for humans).

If it didn't actually result in MORE mosquitoes, maybe it would be worth it... but since it kills off the predators (crane flies, dragon flies, damselflies) and leaves the other predators short of food (birds, bats, frogs, tadpoles) it does not result in less mosquitoes.

I agree. Wholesale spraying might be creating an "imbalanced adaptation problem" whereby the predators don't adapt as fast as the mosquitoes. I don't like it, but I don't live where mosquitoes are intolerable, so I can't criticize the control methods. I just blow the garage fan and they usually can't get me.

 

[ChrisBex]

in mn you call the DNR and tell them you have hives and tell the address that they are at and they will not spray within a mile or more

I did this last year. I call my local spray company that works for the county. Told them to stop spraying at and around my house and they said that was fine. Month later I hear around 9pm a familiar buzz/humming of a fog truck. I called back they said he must of forgotten. I told them if he sprays by my house again I'll file legal action, just like southwest Houston guy did. They reassured me it wouldn't happen again and in 14 months I haven't seen a fog truck.


[EDIT] Link to southwest incident: http://abc13.com/health/residents-threaten-to-sue-over-use-of-mosquito-spray/170357/

 

[SoylentYellow]

Some good and bad info in this thread.

Here is a publication about it from 2 knowledgeable people.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in813

My $.02
Keep hives >300ft off the road to avoid truck applications.
Marshmasterpat is right on about putting hives behind vegetative barriers, or wood/plastic fencing.
Benefits outweigh the risks? We can no longer ask the 3/4 million that die from malaria each year in sub saharan Africa alone, but if they were here I'll bet they would ask for mosquito control.
As far as natural balance goes it wasn't working when Lewis & Clark were around and it's not working now, a quick visit to the untreated Fla. everglades right about now is a good place to test this theory.
My county was part of a larger county actually named Mosquito County from 1825-1844. Guess the natural predators never got the memo.

 

[Michael Bush]

The biggest difference we made in mosquito populations was by draining the swamps... now called "wetlands"...

 

[SoylentYellow]

The biggest difference we made in mosquito populations was by draining the swamps... now called "wetlands"...

Draining the swamps didn't work. Flooding the swamp did.
This is called a mosquito impoundment. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in192

Control depends on the biology species you are targeting. Of the 50 mosquito species in my county each is different with some species laying eggs directly on water, others on moist soil, others on the sides of containers. Impoundments work because salt marsh mosquitoes lay eggs on the soil and if the area is flooded with even a few inches of water they can't lay eggs. IPM control without a pesticide in this case.