The problem and potential risk is not simple or easy to deal with and straightforward solutions are few.
Bees will collect from the apple trees long after the flowers are gone. Chemicals and pesticides will collect on dew droplets on the leaves and the bees have the potential to collect water from this source, no matter how many water sources are available.
I have never known an orchard to be void of flowers after the trees are done blooming. Dandelions are usually done a period of time after the fruit trees are done. But clover, and most orchards I see have plenty, will still have bees flying and collecting from under the very trees your spraying.
Depending upon the orchard many have ponds where they also pump to fill their tanks while mixing in the chemicals. These ponds, especially if runoff ponds, are great collectors of anything being sprayed in the orchard. Use well water or water from running sources if possible.
Understand that most smaller orchards, like the 20 acre one we are discussing, usually get less than 50% of the pollination from managed bees. The rest of the pollination is from flies, moths, wasps, yellowjackets, and other native pollinators. Kill off the natives and surrounding support pollinators, and you will find out just how much your orchard relies on them. I have many farmers call me and state that they need bees while commenting that they had no pollination activity the previous year. Meaning they though it was OK to spray anything and anytime since no honey bees were around. Apparently they are not listening while getting continuing education for their spray license.
Things I would do....
Spray late in the evening. Any good orchardist knows the spray coverage is better when the winds die down. And your not directly killing off native pollinators even if the bees are removed.
Mow down the dandelion during bloom so they do not compete with apple flower pollination. And mow down the clover prior to spraying after the bloom period. This will keep honey bees and natives seeking better areas to visit.
Never mix chemicals in the sprayer. In recent years, due to gas prices and other cost factors, some farmer have been mixing two or more sprays so they can make one pass for some crops.
Half life means nothing to me. And when the bees collect and mix chemicals within the hive as they collect nectar and pollen, even those labled as "safe" (which is bull at best) can become deadly concoctions. Practice comb rotation and keep beekeeper applied chemicals out of the hives.
The trailer option is a good one....if you have a better location with no sprays. Around here, between other orchards, no till operations, and traditional farming, keeping them in place and doing what you can, might be better than moving them and dealing with someone Else's problems. But if can find a safe out apiary, use it. The recent chemicals that are being used for stink bugs (not sure if you are dealing with them yet) is devastating to bees and natives. The chemical solutions being promoted by the extension services, and the chemical companies, is not going to stop or decrease.
The difference between a dead hive and a hive that had some bee loss, depends upon your efforts. An orchardist or farmer can easily rely or chemicals and keep bees without killing off all the colonies. I keep bees on a good number or orchards yearround. And finding dead hives usually means the farmer did something outside what was best advised.
Good luck!
Topic: Questions about bees in orchards (Read 5247 times)