Pyrethrum Spraying. Please help!!!!

[annette]

Remember I was concerned because the guy who lets me use his property for my beehives had Clark Pest control come out and spray. 

Well I spoke to Clark Pest control this morning and what they are spraying is pyrethrum .300%.
They told me they sprayed all around the foundation of the house and all the flower beds, including on the ground in front of the rosemary bushes that the bees are presently foraging on.

I asked them if this is dangerous to honeybees and they looked it up and told me yes it kills honeybees.
I started to cry I was so beside myself and I started to scream and yell at the man at Clark Pest control. Poor guy had to deal with an hysterical woman. He said had he known I had honeybees he would not have sprayed this stuff. It was not his fault, but it was my friends fault for not ever telling me.

Well I went to my friend and pleaded with him to stop this kind of spraying. He cancelled the contract right then and there and said he did not know how dangerous the stuff was to honeybees. OK the damage is done. The man from the pest control said to water all the flower beds very heavy to dissapate the effects of the spray. My friend started watering the beds and will water them all day long.

I am so beside myself. I actually could not stop crying for about an hour.

So I went up to visit the hives and they are looking very good at this moment. What can I expect to happen now with my hives with all this spraying that was done last Friday. Will they die out slowly????

Many flowers will start to bloom in about a month where all that spraying took place. Will the bees start to bring poison home then???

I need answers, I need help now.

Annette

[UtahBees]

Annette -

Your bees probably get nectar from more than one source, and have been flying around for the last how ever long with the spraying going on (think of all your friend's neighbors that get this). While it's not good, perhaps your bees can survive as they always have?

[Kathyp]

it does not last long.  is destroyed by exposure to sun light.  that's why it doesn't last long as fly spray for the horses.  contact kills, but beyond a few hours, it doesn't do much.  i wouldn't worry about it.  if they mixed it with oil, it lasts a bit longer, but it still is probably gone by now.

[reinbeau]

Why on earth would anyone broadcast spray like that with such a general purpose insect/bug/creature killer?  On flower beds?  That pest control guy is an idiot.  Better living through chemicals.

Annette, we had a pesticide die-off our first year, it looked grim, but the girls did make it through the fall (they didn't produce any honey).  Unfortunately that was our first year and those hives didn't make it through the wacky winter weather we had last year.  My only comfort to you is that yes, they did survive it and recover - hopefully yours will, too.

[annette]

My friend did cancel the contract with Clark Pest control this morning, but what I found out from him is, he had this contract last summer also and I did not even know this. So this spraying went on last summer when my bees were on his property also.

And I do not know if anyone here remembers, but last summer I almost lost a very strong hive. There were many bees walking around in the evening looking drunk and dying. At the time the beeforum members put there heads together and came up with mites as the possible problem. Now I am rethinking this whole episode and wondering if I almost lost my hive last summer from the pesticides being sprayed. That hive also recovered, but gave very little honey.

I just have to calm down now and pray for the health of the hives. Right now my relationship with this man is on edge also because I came to him in such an emotional state this morning.

I appreciate all the help I am receiving here. Thank you very much
Annette

[Rodni73]

very sorry to hear!

People these days just spray this crap for the sake of spraying it.

I hope your bees will get through this! Let me know if I can so anything to help!

-Rodni

[ElDoBill]

Annette, Will you be able to continue to keep your hives there?

[Kathyp]

when you have calmed down, go on back and apologize.  he didn't know any better.  i'm sure he'll understand that you were upset.  that old "count to 10" thing was good advice.  i usually need a higher count and a gun lock.......

[NWIN Beekeeper]

Well, unfortunately I don't think I was off the mark in what I told you.

I am glad to hear that he volunteered to quit the service.

What is done is done.
Now you just have to ride out the storm.

By that I mean you are going to suffer losses until the pesticide diminishes. 
That can be days, weeks, or even months depending on where the chemicals are.
In the mean while, the best thing you can do is supportive care in being sure that there is plenty of syrup if you do not have a flow.

Your neighbor could help expedite the degrade of the chemicals by watering the plants in the evening.
I say evening because your bees will not forage on any possible standing water overnight.
Things should be well absorbed by morning forage.

There were far worse chemicals that could have been used, but that does not detract from your losses.  I am sorry that the world isn't a more understanding place. I have tried to do my part in educating those pest control people that I have had contact with. Some will never understand, others have a new found appreciation.

-Jeff

[annette]

Annette, Will you be able to continue to keep your hives there?

Right now I am still trying to calm down from the whole experience. I have been upset all day. I do not know about the hive situation right now. My friend is a good person, but I believe he was trying to deceive me by not telling me about all the spraying he had done even last year, when we spoke about things like this. If he had been upfront about it all, I could have kept the hive from foraging for a couple of days. Right now this deception has me even more upset than the outcome for the bees. So I am having bad feelings for my friend right now and that is what I have to work out.

I could bring the hives onto my own property, but my home is like a desert since the deer have eaten everything in site. Also I am more residential so their may be other issues in keeping the hives on my property. I just do not believe they would do as well at my house.

It is good that he cared enough to end the contract with the pest control company which makes me feel that he is sorry although he is not the type to apologize. I just have to ride this out for now.

Another friend told me that he was watering the flower beds all day to help dissapate the chemicals, which also means he cares about what he did.

Thanks to everyone for understanding what I am going through
Annette

[JP]

Annette, sorry for your losses. Pyrethrums are very toxic to bees but unless he were to dig a trench and bury the mixture the sprayings should have a very short life. On top of the soil there's not going to be much of a residual if its water based, I would say maybe a couple of weeks, 3 weeks max. Oil based, 4 weeks to 6 weeks. Add lots of sun and rain and you can subtract some of that time. Things will work out, you'll see. Best wishes, always.

....JP

[NWIN Beekeeper]

[I would say maybe a couple of weeks, 3 weeks max. ]
[Oil based, 4 weeks to 6 weeks. ]
[Add lots of sun and rain and you can subtract some of that time.]

Yeah what he said.

[Cindi]

Annette, oh dear, I am sorry to hear of what is going on now.  I clearly and I say very clearly, remember your plight last summer with your bees.  I remember everyone here putting their heads together to think of what could be making your bees act like they were drunk.  And the thoughts on the outcome was blamed on the varroa mite.  I think that was the only plausible thoughts that came from it.

Now girl, do you also remember that the colony did just fine after awhile?  I remember.  I remember being elated with joy that your colony wound up being OK after all.  I hope that I am remembering what I think I am remembering correctly. 

Your post last summer stuck out in my mind so strongly, I think that is why I recall these events.

I am sure that the bees will fare well.  Maybe it was only some of the foragers that became afflicted with any kind of poisoning.  Keep your chin up, things will be OK.  You have to let that go about feeling really badly towards your friend where the bees are.  Sometimes it is really hard to actually apologize to someone for a deed that has inadvertently happened.  I think that the fact that he cancelled the contract and that he so diligently watered so much is his way of saying he feels really badly and is sorry.  You must accept that and move on.  Hard as it may be to do, sometimes we must let things go.  I have a hard time with this sometimes too.  I get hurt very deeply now and then and I have tried to let things go and not sweat the small stuff, as hard as it is.  Carry on girl, the bees will be OK, they are survivors, we are survivors.  Have a wonderful, awesome day, don't cry anymore, that is very draining, and you need your energies to look after your girls, and your Husband, too.  Cindi

[annette]

Yes Cindi,

I am glad to hear from you tonight. I am slowly feeling better. I cannot believe how I let myself get into such a tizzy over this.  I am totally wiped out tonight.

I am a forgive and forget person when all is said and done. This shall pass also.

Thank you for remembering my plight with the hive last year. That set me into an emotional spin back then. I pray I do not have another experience this year like that.

Thanks for your good wishes and support.
Annette

[Cindi]

Annette, oh I am so glad that I may lighten your soul a little bit.  I know what it is like to be sensitive and worry, you are the same, and as you said, you will heal and you will have tons of strength to carry on.  Tomorrow is another day, sleep on tonight with deep sleep, the morning always brings a fresh and healed mind.  It will be a good day.  Your plight last summer was deep, I could feel that, you pulled through with shining colours, and so did your bees, again, this shall happen.  Have a beautiful and restful night, sleep deeply, heal in your sleep, as I said, tomorrow the sun will be shinin' and your bees OK.  Deep regards.  Cindi

[annette]

OK, goodnite

[Cindi]

to you too.  C.