Protect honey bees from pesticides

Beekeepers must protect their bees in areas where pesticides are used. This involves choosing strategic locations for apiaries and coordinating movements with local pesticide users.

Apiary locations

Bees can forage up to 7 km from the hive, so there is a wide radius of potential risk from pesticide poisoning. You must prepare to move your apiaries quickly if required.

Take these steps to keep your bees away from harmful chemicals:

1. Place apiaries in sheltered areas, away from crops and fields that are likely to be treated.
2. Provide bees with a clean water source that can't be reached by pesticides. Make sure bees can't access contaminated water.
3. Keep a reserve apiary holding area at a minimum of 7 km away from treated locations. You can move apiaries to the holding area to protect them from planned pesticide applications – wait for the residual effects to pass before returning bees.

Inspect your apiaries regularly for pesticide damage so you can take action to rehabilitate them if needed.

Hives in fruit fly outbreak areas

Following consultation with industry, PIRSA has developed a Bee management plan during fruit fly eradication ( PDF 611.1 KB ) to minimise the risk to managed hives. The plan details the roles and responsibilities for PIRSA, growers and apiarists during a fruit fly outbreak.

You can submit the location of your hives using the Fruit Fly Emergency Response – Hive Notification form – see Hive notification help for assistance.

PIRSA field teams will leave a 50 metre buffer zone around hives, based on your submitted GPS coordinates.

Data submitted using the online form will be available to field teams in 24 to 48 hours. If you submit a hard copy form, it can take up to 6 working days for the information to be added.

Fruit Fly Inspectors will check both the hive notification register and the surrounding area prior to undertaking any baiting.

Use the fruit fly outbreak map to check if your hives are in a red outbreak or yellow suspension area.

Please note that you must still submit any forms regarding moving bees and bee commodities as necessary.

Publicise your apiaries

Beekeepers need to be aware of anyone likely to use pesticides near their apiaries. This includes:

• property owners within bee flight range
• ground and air contractors applying pesticides
• the Department for Environment and Water
• your local Landscape Board
• your local council.

We recommend contacting these individuals and authorities to discuss crop management programs. This may identify low toxicity pesticide alternatives and cultural practices that reduce pesticide damage to apiaries. You should also:

1. Provide your beekeeper information:
   • property name and address
   • phone number
   • dates that your hives will be moved on and off the property.
2. Find out about pesticides being used within foraging range of your apiaries, such as:
   • chemical names
   • the contact and residual toxicity
   • application dates, so you know when to relocate your bees
   • the withholding period for safe return.

Signage

Beekeepers can identify all apiaries with contact details, to be notified if pesticides are going to be sprayed in the area. The signs should:

• display your name, phone number, and beekeeper registration number
• be placed so that the information is readable without risk of bee stings.

Contact

PIRSA Rural Chemicals Program
33 Flemington Street, Glenside