APHOX Leaflet
Spray Liaison Scheme
Pesticide Safety
 
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Spraying Of Pesticides And Insecticides
In Conjunction With Honey Bee Management

Many insecticides and pesticides are dangerous or even lethal to honey bees, Non lethal sprays may still cause harm to bee colonies. The beekeeper can be consulted about spraying in order that damage the beneficial insects can be minimised.

Assessing which pesticide is the most appropriate for the use in question, will help to keep costs down, maximise utilisation of spraying equipment and ensure that minimum damage is caused to bees or other beneficial insect. Please also consider the following measures that may help in protecting bees.

Please actively pursue...

Adhere closely the environmental protection instructions on the label of the product and any guidance in supporting literature.

Spray only in the evening when bees have finished their daily flying, as this also allows several hours to enable the pesticide to dry before bees become active the following day.

If it is imperative that you have to spray during the day, please choose a cool and cloudy one, or the very early morning, just after dawn.

Please do not...

Spray at all, unless you have to.

Use pesticides that are labelled 'harmful', 'dangerous', 'extremely dangerous' or 'high risk' to bees if crops or weeds are in open flower or part bloom, unless this is allowed according to the product label.

Allow pesticide drift to reach bee hives, where it may kill brood and adult bees.

Spray or allow drift into hedgerows or field margins where honey bees or bumblebees may be foraging.

Beekeepers can be contacted...

Directly, if you know their phone numbers or via the spray liaison scheme, whereby each county has a nominated spray liaison officer, who is in touch with officers with similar responsibilities within each beekeeping association and thus can contact the beekeeper concerned. Grid references are used to help co-ordinate the system. A list of spray Liaison Officers is available Here

 Written... 27 May and 01 June 2006,
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