Killing bees with pesticides

Every beekeeper tries to avoid killing bees.  We usually as a group are supportive of efforts to control widespread use of pesticides.  Homeowners at times need to control honeybees that have invited themselves into their home.  So what are we to do?

In the past it seems that information about pesticides and bees was hard to come by.  Today, the information is more available, but with knowledge there requires a sharing of information.  The following list can be used both to save bees and to also kill them.  I leave the information for your personal use.  Print the list and take it with you next time you need to buy pesticides.

Classification of pesticide toxicity

Insecticide toxicity is generally measured using LD50 – the exposure level that causes 50% of the population exposed to die. Toxicity thresholds are generally set at:

• highly toxic (acute LD50 less than 2μg/bee)
• moderately toxic (acute LD50 2ug/bee to 10.99μg/bee)
• slightly toxic (acute LD50 11ug/bee to 100μg/bee)
• non-toxic (acute LD50 more than 100μg/bee) to adult bees.

Bee kill rate per hive

The kill rate of bees in a single bee hive can be classified as:

• Less than 100 bees per day - normal die off rate
• 200-400 bees per day - low kill
• 500-900 bees per day - moderate kill
• More than 1000 bees per day - high kill 

Toxicity of Pesticides to Bees

Common name (ISO)	Examples of Brand names	Pesticide Class	length of residual toxicity	Comments	Bee toxicity
Aldicarb	Temik	Carbamate		apply 4 weeks before bloom	Relatively non-toxic
Carbaryl	Sevin, (b) Sevin XLR	Carbamate	High risk to bees foraging even 10 hours after spraying; 3 – 7 days (b) 8 hours @ 1.5 lb/acre (168 g/Ha) or less.	Bees poisoned with carbaryl can take 2–3 days to die, appearing inactive as if cold. It allows them time to take contaminated nectar and pollen back to the colony. Some crops treated with Sevin under the wrong conditions (in bloom, using a dust formulation, with large numbers of bees in the field) have been responsible for disastrous kills. Sevin is one of the United States' most widely used insecticides for a wide variety of insect pests. It is also one of the most toxic to honey bees, in certain formulations. These should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination. There are formulations, however, which are determined to be less toxic (see tables). Usually, applicator-beekeeper communication can effectively be used to adequately protect bees from Sevin poisoning.	highly toxic
Carbofuran	Furadan	Carbamate	7 – 14 days	US-EPA ban on use on crops grown for human consumption (2009)carbofuran (banned in granular form)	highly toxic
Fipronil	Various Roach & Ant Baits			Fipronil is a slow acting poison. Should not be applied to vegetation when bees are foraging. See here for damage to crayfish.	highly toxic
Methomyl	Lannate, Nudrin	Carbamate	2 hours +	Should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination.	highly toxic
Methiocarb	Mesurol	Carbamate			highly toxic
mexacarbate	Zectran	Carbamate			highly toxic
Pirimicarb	Pirimor, Aphox	Carbamate			Relatively non-toxic
Propoxur	Baygon	Carbamate			highly toxic
Acephate	Orthene	Organophosphate	3 days		Moderately toxic
Azinphos-methyl	Guthion, Methyl-Guthion	Organophosphate	2.5 days	banned in the European Union since 2006.	highly toxic
Chlorpyrifos	Dursban, Lorsban	Organophosphate		banned in the US for home and garden use Should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination.	highly toxic
Coumaphos	Checkmite	Organophosphate		This is an insecticide that is used inside the beehive to combat varroa mites andsmall hive beetles, which are parasites of the honey bee. Overdoses can lead to bee poisoning.	Relatively non-toxic
Demeton	Systox	Organophosphate	less than 2 hours		highly toxic
Demeton-S-methyl	Meta-systox	Organophosphate			Moderately toxic
Diazinon	Spectracide	Organophosphate		Residential uses of diazinon were outlawed in the U.S. in 2004. Should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination.	highly toxic
dicrotophos	Bidrin	Organophosphate			highly toxic
Dichlorvos	DDVP, Vapona	Organophosphate			highly toxic
Dimethoate	Cygon, De-Fend	Organophosphate	3 days	Should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination.	highly toxic
Fenthion	Entex, Baytex, Baycid, Dalf, DMPT, Mercaptophos, Prentox, Fenthion 4E, Queletox,Lebaycid	Organophosphate		Should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination.	highly toxic
Fenitrothion	Sumithion	Organophosphate			highly toxic
fensulfothion	Dasanit	Organophosphate			highly toxic
fonofos	Dyfonate EC	Organophosphate	3 hours	List of Schedule 2 substances (CWC)	highly toxic
Malathion	Malathion USB, ~ EC, Cythion, maldison, mercaptothion	Organophosphate	>8 fl oz/acre (58 L/km²) ⇒ 5.5 days		highly toxic
Methamidophos	Monitor, Tameron	Organophosphate		Should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination.	highly toxic
Methidathion	Supracide	Organophosphate		Should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination.	highly toxic
methyl parathion	parathion Penncap-M	Organophosphate	5–8 days	By far the most potentially damaging pesticides for honey bees are those packaged in tiny capsules (microencapsulated). Microencapsulated methyl parathion (PennCap M), for example, is a liquid formulation containing capsules approximately the size of pollen grains which contain the active ingredient. When bees are out in the field, these capsules can become attached electrostatically to the pollen-collecting hairs of the insects, and at times are collected by design. When stored in pollen, the slow-release feature of the capsules allows the methyl parathion to be a potential killer for several months. At the present time, there is no way to detect whether bees are indeed poisoned by micro-encapsulated methyl parathion, so a beekeeper potentially could lose replacement bees for those already poisoned by the pesticide. It is, therefore, strongly recommended by experts that this formulation be used only when honey bee exposure is not a possibility. It is classified as a UNEP Persistent Organic Pollutant and WHO Toxicity Class, "Ia, Extremely Hazardous".	highly toxic
mevinphos	Phosdrin	Organophosphate			highly toxic
Monocrotophos	Azodrin	Organophosphate		Should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination.	highly toxic
naled	Dibrom	Organophosphate	16 hours		highly toxic
Omethoate		Organophosphate		Should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination.	highly toxic
oxydemeton-methyl	Metasystox-R	Organophosphate	<2 hours		highly toxic
phorate	Thimet EC	Organophosphate	5 hours		highly toxic
Phosmet	Imidan	Organophosphate			highly toxic
phosphamidon	Dimecron	Organophosphate			highly toxic
pyrazophos	Afugan	Organophosphate	fungicide		highly toxic
tetrachlorvinphos	Rabon, Stirofos, Gardona, Gardcide	Organophosphate			highly toxic
Trichlorfon, Metrifonate	Dylox, Dipterex	Organophosphate		3 – 6 hours	Relatively non-toxic
Permethrin	Ambush, Pounce	Synthetic pyrethroid	1 – 2 days	safened by repellency under arid conditions. Permethrin is also the active ingredient in insecticides used against theSmall hive beetle, which is a parasite of the beehive in the temperate climate regions.	highly toxic
Cypermethrin	Ammo, Raid	Synthetic pyrethroid	Less than 2 hours	Cypermethrin is found in many household ant andcockroach killers, includingRaid and ant chalk.	highly toxic
Fenvalerate	Asana, Pydrin	Synthetic pyrethroid	1 day	safened by repellency under arid conditions	highly toxic
Resmethrin	Chrysron, Crossfire, Pynosect, Raid Flying Insect Killer, Scourge, Sun-Bugger #4, SPB-1382, Synthrin, Syntox, Vectrin, Whitmire PT-110	Synthetic pyrethroid			highly toxic
Methoxychlor	DMDT, Marlate	Chlorinated cyclodiene	2 hours	available as a General Use Pesticide	highly toxic
Endosulfan	Thiodan	Chlorinated cyclodiene	8 hours	banned in European Union (2007?), New Zealand (2009)	moderately toxic
Clothianidin		Neonicotinoid		Banned in Germany In June 2008, the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (Germany) suspended the registration of eight neonicotinoid pesticide seed treatment products used in oilseed rape and sweetcorn, a few weeks after honey bee keepers in the southern state of Baden Württemberg reported a wave of honey bee deaths linked to one of the pesticides,clothianidin.
Imidacloprid	Confidor, Gaucho, acetamiprid, clothianidin, nitenpyram, thiacloprid, thiamethoxam, Kohinor, Admire, Advantage, Merit, Confidor, Hachikusan, Premise, Prothor, and Winner	Neonicotinoid		(see also Imidacloprid effects on bee population)Banned in France since 1999	highly toxic
dicofol		Acaricide			Relatively non-toxic
petroleum oils					Relatively non-toxic
2,4-D	http://extoxnet.orst.edu/pips/24-D.htm ingredient in over 1,500 products	Synthetic auxinherbicide			Relatively non-toxic

Source: Protecting Bees When Using Insecticides University of Nebraska Lincoln, Extension, May 1998

Common insecticides toxic to bees and used on soybeans

Many insecticides used against soybean aphids are highly toxic to bees.

• Orthene 75S (acephate)
• Address 75 WSP (acephate)
• Sevin (Carbaryl)
• Lorsban 4E (Chlorpyrifos)
• Dimate (Dimethoate)
• Steward 1.25 SC (Indoxacarb)
• Lannate (Methomyl)
• Cheminova Methyl 4EC (Methyl Parathion)
• Penncap M (microencapsulated Methyl Parathion)
• Tracer (Spinosad)

Highly toxic and banned in the US

• Aldrin banned by US EPA in 1974
• dieldrin banned by US EPA in 1974
• heptachlor
• lindane, BHC (banned in California)

Zip Lock bag or baggie bee feeding

So you read or heard about using zip lock style bags for feeding your bees.  By now you also have found out that additional information on the subject is hard to come by.  Well here are some tips and tricks that can make it easier, prevent some problems and help you.

You will need some type of spacer to raise the lid (cover) to give you the space needed to place the baggie on the top of the frames in most hive designs.  If you are going to the trouble of making a spacer, consider making it do double duty.  Why not build an Imire shim and use it? How about a spacer with a entrance?  Get the idea? Plans are available in the DIY section.

Here's the tip list I promised:

1. Use quality bags.  Freezer bags have thicker plastic. Cheap bags have cheap seals and will leak many times.
2. Remove all the air you can before sealing the bag.
3. Only make one or two razor slots about 3 inches or LESS long, small bags use smaller cuts.
4. Use a new sharp razor.  Single edge or a utility knife.
5. Don't make the slots near the edge.
6. Place baggies with the seal end toward the side of the box.  If they open, the syrup will run down the side and not the core of the hive.
7. Use large bags or multiple bags.  This reduces how many times you have to come back and open the hive.
8. Don't reuse the bags.  Dried syrup in the seal will cause them to leak.
9. Have extra bags with you when placing in the hive.  If you have a leaker or puncture the baggie you can save the syrup and your time.
10. Make sure your spacer is tall enough.  You need some bee space on top of the bag.  Place a baggie on a counter top with your spacer and check you have the room.
11. Smoke the bees off the frames as you lay the bag down.  Replace new bags quickly to avoid the bees being squashed.
12. Don't forget to cut the slits in the bags.  Cut slots at the hive not before.
13. If you use medicated syrups, a drop of food coloring will help you identify the mix.
14. Place pollen patties or grease patties in at the same time and save your time.
15. Lay bags flat before placing on hive to test the seal.
16. Keep records so you can see how long each size of bag lasts.

Small Hive Beetle (SHB) ID and Control

Small, fast, alarming and disruptive could describe this pest of the hive.  Like having children the Small Hive Beetle (SHB) will change your life forever.  As the beetle makes its way to a hive near you, its no longer a question of if you have them, it's more of a question as to when you will have them.

The SHB is here to stay in the USA and is spreading nation wide.  Maybe you have them?  Photos are usually the best way to confirm the Small Hive Beetle.  You can find a lot of good photos on the entire life cycle HERE.

Many beekeepers do not prepare for the SHB for various reasons.  When asked they shrug their shoulders, sport a dumb look and then casually say no or something to the effect that's it not in their area.  Maybe so.  But I also believe that some do not want to admit they have them or that the number they have are insignificant.

There are sites on the internet that will tell you all the "details" about the beetle.  Look HERE for a good quick overview without a lot of reading.  Don't get bogged down by what country the article(s) is from.  That does not matter.  It is the same bug and the same info.

So now what?  If you are reading this post you are preparing for them or you think or know you have them.  So what is your next step?  Below are my suggestions.  Also on this site there are MANY different traps, baits and info for you.  Stop by the do-it-yourself (DIY) section or check the alpha list.

PREPARING FOR THE SHB - You do not have them now.

1. Read up.  Take the time now to understand your enemy.  You are preparing for battle.  You will find multiple opinions on the Small Hive Beetle and what works best. You can watch some videos on Youtube also.
2. Clean up.  If your apiary looks like either a junk yard or a overgrown pasture clean it up.  Don't give aid and comfort to your enemy.  Weeds keep birds and sunlight from your hives, helping the beetle to survive and making your apiary a nice place to visit.  Clean the bottom board of debris, they love hive debris.
3. Fix it.  The SHB lays eggs in cracks, debris, open cells and in seal cells (they pierce the cover).  Fix any hive components that are broken, have holes or seam cracks.  Caulk works and so does simple glue.  Just fill in the voids.  Result - one less place to lay eggs.  Look for places where the beetle can hide from the bees.  If your hive looks like an ink well, they will be harder to see as they are black.  Paint solid bottom boards a light color both inside and out.  Paint the hive, your out there anyway, the buggers will hide under peeling paint.  Get rid of black combs.  Level your hives as required.
4. Install control measures now.  Order or make your traps, baits and new components now and install them.  If you wait till you see the Small Hive Beetle you lose the advantage.  Some traps and baits after installing them you will not like. Weed them out now.  Some will take away a frame or two from you.  Others can be messy if used wrong.
5. Replace equipment.  That old screened bottom board with big holes that worked well for Varrora is like an open door for the SHB.  The holes are to big and they just fly in.  Keep them closed up with the tray and a rear door.  If the top cover is wrapped get a new one. See item two above and if the equipment is to far gone buy new. 
6. Place tar paper or other barrier under the hive.  This keeps the weeds down and allows you to see other problems as well sometimes.
7. Move the hives to sun.  Hives in shaded areas seem to have more trouble.
8. Keep your eyes and ears open.  Always look for them in your hives.  One is to many, there are more hiding.  Ask other Beeks in your area if they have them, this should be a standard question at the beginning of every meeting.

CONTROLLING THE SHB - You have them now.

1. Read and do all of the above.
2. Install multiple traps.  Use more than one type.  Some will work for you and some will not.
3. Treat your soil and the area under your hives.  Cut the grass short, really short.  Dry hot soil is better than nothing.  Short grass invites birds for a quick lunch. Add bird feeders to your apiary.  
4. Kill on site.  Smash away.
5. Combine weak hives.
6. Remove landing boards.  This just gives a running start at the entrance.
7. Consider chemical or other intervention.
8. If you use "Roach Bait" don't place on the bottom board unless you are positive that water will not collect there.  If it does, you create a poison pool and your hive WILL DIE.
9. If you see what looks like wax moth larva, it's to late.  Do an artfical swarm and salvage the frames as you can.
10. Use a propane torch to test your numbers of beetles.  Get something like a trash can lid.  While holding the frame (bee free) over the lid, lightly wave the soft tip of the frame over the comb without melting the wax (yes this can be done).  Any SHB hiding in the comb will fall to the lid (burn them quickly or they will fly away) and you can get a better idea how many are in your combs.  Use the same torch to "sanitize" hiding places.
11. Ask other Beeks for what they use and compare notes.
12. For your honey house, create a barrier about 1 1/2 high at the doors to stop the larva from crawling out.  Kill as you see fit.
13. Harvest honey without delay.  Don't leave frames sitting around the honey house.
14. Consider removing pollen patties and grease patties from hives.

THE FAR SIDE OF CONTROL

1. Go into the quail business.  Raise your hives and install quail cages under/around your hives. They eat the larva and beetles and you make extra money.
2. Install water drainages tubes that "dump" into a pit or a chicken/quail cage at the honey house.
3. Make moots/lakes under your hives.  SHB larva can't swim.  They do this in the tropics for ant control.
4. Change to a different hive design. 
5. If you use the Freeman trap (my favorite) use RV pink antifreeze instead of oil.  Then you can use it year round.  This stuff is non toxic, cheap (<$4.00 a gallon), readily available and not near as messy.

Maybe more another day.

Ant Pro Station

AntPro Bait Station

The AntPro® Ant Control System, kills and destroys entire ant colonies, not just individual foraging ants. Its patented round-the-clock, feed-on-demand, liquid bait delivery capability is proven effective against carpenter ants, imported fire ants, Argentine ants, white footed ants, crazy ants, as well as, numerous other ant and insect species. The most important fact to keep in mind is that AntPro accomplishes its task without broadcasting pesticides that sacrifice your health and our environment. Our bait system is organic listed and has a low toxicity rating by the EPA.

AntPro Ant Bait Dispenser

AntPro is a high-volume, weather-tolerant, heavy duty polypropylene, liquid ant bait dispenser designed to deliver low-toxic ant bait solutions which are a combination of insect attractant and slow acting toxicant. Use in conjuction with an integrated approach to ant management.

Ant Bait Station Placement

One of the first considerations when using ant bait stations is where to locate them and how many are required to do the job. Whether you are eliminating insects entering a home or office complex; invading a lawn or garden area; or infesting commercial buildings, there are basic guidelines to follow: Remember the worker ants of most ant species are charged with the responsibility of finding and providing food for the colony by randomly foraging. Most important is that once they have found an adequate food source, they create a pheromone trail, a chemically marked highway, to and from the ant nest. This means that more ant bait stations are not necessarily the answer, but strategic placement is what is important:

Around home and other structures:

Basically, put at least one AntPro ant bait station on each side of the structure, giving consideration to it's size and number of different structure walls. The following are additional important considerations:

Key areas are by acute angles where insects converge from more than one direction to a common corner.

Place a unit, when possible, by the A/C condenser water overflow outlet. Water is always a primary attractant.

North-side with high shade and moist areas.

Where ants are seen trailing.

Most important, do not put bait stations directly over ant nests; do not disturb ant nests; and do not spray the area around them with insecticides.

Avoid locations where substantial water run-off will occur.

Guideline to placement around structures such as homes:

0 - 2,000 square feet, use 4 units

2,000 - 3,000 square feet, use 6 units

3,000 - 5,000 square feet, use 8 units

Lawn, garden and balance of property:

For full property protection, place additional ant bait stations spaced around perimeter of lot. Locate units where ants are most active and preferably in shrub or tree belts so as not to interfere with lawn maintenance. Avoid locations where substantial water run-off will occur.

Guideline to placement around property:

Up to two acre lot size, use a minimum of 4 units (1)

Greater than two acres, use 2 units for each added acre (2)

Agricultural Acreage:

The number of ant bait stations required depends on the targeted specie (Argentine Ant, White-footed Ant, etc.); the degree of infestation; and the acreage involved and whether it is contiguous acreage.

Guideline to placement: - Contact us for more information.

Operating Instructions

General:

The AntPro ant bait station, used with our low-toxic, liquid ant bait provides an environmentally friendly, weather resistant system that is designed to kill ant colonies,not just ants. The foraging ants carry back this bait solution to the nest to feed the queen and the other workers, and this feeding, slowly, over a period of a few weeks, kills off the entire colony. Once the colony is eliminated, the AntPro's sustained liquid delivery system continues its ant control by providing a barrier to new infestations.

How to operate:

To fill the AntPro station, unscrew the bait reservoir (bulb) from the base, and pour up to 20 ounces of the liquid ant bait into the reservoir. A minimum of 12 ounces is recommended. While the reservoir is still inverted, reattach it to the base, fully; and turn down the screw to lock the assembly in place so that the unit can be moved safely without leaking.

Choose a level surface, if possible, away from areas where flooding may occur.

Make a small pilot hole in the ground with a screwdriver. Attach the stake to the dispenser using firm pressure until it locks in place.

Insert the dispenser's stake into the pilot hole you made. Press the unit into the ground as level as possible.

Activate the dispenser by loosening the locking screw on the stem of the reservoir. Turn the reservoir counter-clockwise 180 degrees so the arrow points to the activated position (indicated by mark).

To lock in place, re-tighten the locking screw until the top is secure. This restricts unauthorized access to the unit

The AntPro ant bait station will hold and deliver bait for extended periods depending on ant activity and weather conditions (wind, humidity, etc.), but should be emptied, flushed out and refilled with fresh bait, periodically. Ant bait refills are sold separately.

Caution:

Always read the product label, and the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) before opening and using products.

Be sure not to tilt or jar the AntPro bait station, when activated, so as not to disturb the metering action and cause the liquid to spill out of the unit.

Ant control baiting systems are recommended for exterior application, only, so that insects are not attracted into the house or other structure.

While using the AntPro liquid bait system, do not use insecticides that, although they kill ants quickly, serve to alert the colony to relocate and increase in population.