In a message dated 97-05-31 02:38:42 EDT, [log in to unmask] (Paul Cronshaw,
D.C.) writes:
<< It also got very hot over the last 3 days into the low 90's. I am
wondering if the combination of new paint and hot temps created fumes that
permeated the hive resulting in a large loss of bee population.
Are any of these ingredients toxic to bees?
Are there certain paints (flat latex, etc) that are safer for beehive
woodenware paintings?
Thanks for any input. >>
Probably not the paint. If it were you'd have seen the damage sooner. I've
used latex paints and had bees in the hives within a day, with no noticeable
effects. Oil paints take a bit longer to really dry. But I use them, as
soon as they feel dry to the touch, with no adverse effects.
I'd be suspicious of pesticides. Someone in the area poisoned some flowers
the bees were working on. Look around the neighborhood. What is blooming
that bees would work? Is there a layer of Sevin on the neighbor's butter
beans?
Just because not all hives are affected equally does not eliminate this
possibility. I've had yards of 40-50 hives within a mile of a pesticide
violation site, and had a half dozen severely affected, others with moderate
effect, and others with no noticeable effect. Some hives may be working
harder than others, so they get hit worse. And all hives will go where their
scouts send them, which may be in different directions for different hives.
If you find something that has been poisoned, find out what the material
was, and get a copy of the label. You will most likely find a label
violation (pesticide MISuse). Make the applicator do it right! Make sure he
knows that the bees have the legal right-of-way, and he has got to do his
applications in accordance with the label directions or be prosecuted.
[log in to unmask] Dave Green, PO Box 1200, Hemingway, SC
29554 (Dave & Jan's Pollination Service, Pot o'Gold Honey Co.)
Practical Pollination Home Page Dave & Janice Green
http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html
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