Hi. I have/had hives in Vic park in Perth. They’ve collapsed over a week or so, clearly poisoned. Suspect pesticide, but can’t be sure. Colonies were super strong and productive, brood box and three supers producing >150kg per annum. Any other metro Perth people seeing similar?
Yikes, how terrible!! Is there anyone in local office to contact/report it to? So sorry
It is more likely that your local council is to blame if Vic Park is a large area, they likely use a spray for bindi and clover. Another product from Monsanto, but it could be from back yard spraying nearby as well.
We had aerial spraying from helicopters a few months ago, they spray for mosquitoes but every other thing that cops the mist dies as well, both wildlife and pets. Seems the council are a law unto themselves and won’t even name the product they spray.
Your not the first to fall victim to indiscriminate insecticide spraying, humans are very slow learners.
Welcome to the forum where you will find lots of help and support. Maybe update your profile from showing you have no hives, most folks list the flow hives if they have any and traditional hives separately.
Regards
Not really the time of year to be spraying weeds and no commercial fruit n veg operations around Vic Pk. Being an old suburb I’d imagine plenty of established gardens for forage. Was there honey stored in the hive? Where were the bees dying? In the hive?
The most obvious thing that comes to my mind is, as it’s been a bit warm, water source. Pretty sure councils don’t spray for mozzies around these parts but they are bad this year, well every year really… I guess that would be a question for the council. What water sources are around your way? Last time I went to Kent St weir I was mauled by mozzies.
Disease?
If there’s a large body of water nearby they could spray for midgie control (like Wanneroo/Joondalup do on lake Joondalup at times, I think… Could be wrong).
@evp Awful news though. Out of interest, how many supers do you run? I’m assuming to get 150+kg you are located near an abundance of flowering gums??
Any updates on this @evp?
They’re all dead. Cleaned up and installed a new nuc, will grow them up again from there
It is sad to read of the loss of your colony and no answer as to why. Glad your back at it with a new nuc. With all the hot weather at this time of year make sure the bees have a handy water supply and check if they need feeding to boost the colony along.
Cheers
Eva, that’s a lot of honey from one hive, wish mine would produce 50% of that then I’d bee very happy.
Right so without finding the source of the possible poisoning you’ve installed more bees?
Good luck.
Sorry Eva, shoulda put me glasses on. Hehe
@Evp, that sounds suspicious to me. Are you in a suburban area? Could you have neighbours that don’t like bees? Could the bees have gone to a poisoned source that was laid out for them?
I agree with skeggley: why install more bees without first determining the cause of death?