As fruit farms gear up for the bloom season and the arrival of bees and other pollinators, ensuring their protection and minimizing pesticide exposure is paramount. Whether you're a fruit grower utilizing rented honey bee hives or relying on wild bees for pollination, safeguarding these vital insects is essential for fostering high-quality yields.
Planting non-crop flowering plants, such as wildflowers, can promote bee health by providing chemical-free food and nesting habitats, potentially enhancing pollinator abundance and crop yield.
Even if you do not use pesticides on your farm, the bees in your area, may still be vulnerable to pesticide use on other properties. Therefore, it is important that you understand how pesticides could be used, and why timing of pesticide use is important.
A primary concern during bloom is the potential exposure of pollinators to pesticides. While some may consider pesticides as crucial for managing crop pests, they also carry risks for bee health. When pesticides are used, it's crucial to adhere to the instructions on pesticide labels, paying particular attention to pollinator protection language.
Insecticides are typically the most immediately toxic to bees, leading to restrictions on their use during bloom. Fungicides, while less acutely toxic, can still have long-term effects on bee behavior and health. Herbicides, though less directly harmful, can indirectly impact bees by reducing their access to alternative food sources if flowering plants are aggressively removed from farm surroundings.
Bees can encounter pesticides through various routes, including direct spray, contact with treated plants, drift, contaminated water sources, or contaminated pollen and nectar brought back to the nest.
The best approach to protect pollinators is to avoid spraying while crop flowers are open. Employ integrated pest management strategies, such as biological or mechanical controls, where feasible. Maintain open communication with beekeepers if renting hives about activities on neighbouring farms and consider establishing a pollination contract.