[Girl Next Door Honey]

Have you dealt with pesticide poisoning in your hives? I manage many of my hives in urban/suburban settings and have seen this more than I would like to. I wrote an article about recognizing pesticide poisoning, ways to help a poisoned hive and ideas for attempting to prevent it. http://beekeepinglikeagirl.com/how-to-save-a-poisoned-beehive/

 

[Gypsi]

I posted this link to my local group, as so many of us are urban and suburban. Besides not eating the honey, and trying to keep from contaminating any hives that are unaffected, there are tips in this article for saving some of the bees, that I would not have thought of.

 

[Bkwoodsbees]

I had this happen to a new yard this past spring. Only 12 hives , I don't wish it on anyone. Moved them away after I figured out what had happened.

 

[Gypsi]

Zika is coming to Texas. Only question is when. I shared her article with my local bee club

 

[Bkwoodsbees]

Mosquito spraying is not a big deal if you get notified a couple days before and they spray in the late afternoon as they should. My county has sprayed the last 2 years and I have found that closing up the hive the night before is not the way to go. The bees close off air flow in the hive by crowding the entrance and they wont give up. This year I put cheap tarp tents over the hives with a good size front porch to protect from wind drift. Don't use clear or white plastic , the bees fly into it and get trapped or cling to it on top side. Put them up a couple days before so they get used to it. Works well and pretty fast with t posts and rope to hold up tarps. Very few bee losses alot less than closing up hives. Keep in touch with your mosquito abatement office in every county you have yards in. Robert

 

[beepro]

I would change out all the broods, nectar and pollen frames from the hive.
Give them a new hive box along with a few frames from my strongest hive. And if possible moved the hive
to a new forage location.

 

[Gypsi]

I live in Fort Worth Texas, in an area that didn't get sprayed for West Nile in 2004 because it was rural. We had it, my granddaughter caught it, but they didn't spray. They are building new houses all around me. I am looking for outyards. Fort Worth might not notify anyone. Ground spraying is not a big issue. But aerial - they only fly in daylight. And so do my bees.