Post by toddbalsiger on Sept 2, 2014 0:05:24 GMT -7
Last year I suffered huge losses at about this time of year. The landowner had gone through and sprayed all the blackberries around my hives. So many bees died that the air reeked of death. Many hives did not make winter or were very week.
I was so upset that tell this day I have not asked him what he sprayed.
He actually may have done it again this year. I was told he sprayed again but not near my lives. Hives at location seem weaker then hives that I moved in from other locations.
I did not know how actively honeybees work the ripening or rather the decaying blackberries. Spraying blackberries now, which is the best time to kill them, is actually a very dangerous time for your bees as they're on this plant just like as if it is in bloom.
Here's a picture of a hive I've moved in to this location:
Now here is the same pictures of a hive that has been at this location with adjacent spraying of blackberries:
Quite a contrast between hives: one is very strong the other one definitely needs help.
Some of the hives at this location look very good so it could be a robbing issue or a queen issue but I suspect spray again has affected this apiary location.
