Warn us when using pesticides or herbicides, say beekeepers
BEEKEEPERS are appealing to neighbours to give them a warning if they are planning to use herbicides or pesticides on their land.
Trained bee inspector Ruth Collins, who has been keeping bees for more than 40 years, knows of two keepers who have recently lost three hives each. She was almost certain that one case had resulted from the use of herbicide and believed that the other could well have been the same.
This could be confirmed by tests but it would involve sending samples to the UK and incur cost.
If bees forage while the chemicals are still wet, it is fatal for them.
‘It’s important that bees are kept off it until the stuff has dried,’ said Mrs Collins.
‘We would encourage people not to use herbicides or pesticides at all but if they have to, and are aware of any beekeepers, it would be helpful if they could give them notice before doing it.’
That would enable beekeepers to shut their insects in while the chemical was drying.
Guernsey Beekeepers’ Association president Wayne Atkinson thought that the idea would be helpful, but logistically difficult.
‘Bees will typically forage over an area up to two miles from the hive and when they find a good nectar source within that area they will communicate that to the hive so that a large number of bees from the hive are targeting that source,’ he said.
‘As a result a particular application of pesticide in an area where there is a significant nectar source could affect hives from an entire parish or more.’
Mr Atkinson said he too would encourage people to keep the use of herbicides and pesticides to a minimum because they were still trying to understand the lingering effects the use of certain types of pesticides could have on bees and other pollinating insects.
But sudden kills of entire beehives would point to pesticide use, he said, also impacting other creatures and insects.
Guernsey Water recently asked people to act responsibly by reducing the amount of hazardous chemicals entering the local environment.
‘If islanders plan to apply either herbicides or pesticides they should follow the professional guidelines provided and limit their usage,’ said water quality risk manager Margaret McGuinness.
‘We would, however, encourage natural alternatives where possible, for the benefit of our environment and water resources,’
Other green alternatives include removing weeds by hand, vinegar sprays, or utilising mulch or wood chips as weed barriers.
