Recent reports of mosquito spraying for Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases in other states have led to many N.C. residents asking what can they do to protect commercial and hobby beehives across the state. The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services encourages bee owners to use theBeeCheck mapping software to alert farmers and pesticide applicators to the location of their hives.
“We have spent the past several months educating beekeepers and pesticide applicators about the program,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Since the program launched five months ago, 533 producers and more than 700 beekeepers have registered.” Troxler says the program is voluntary, non-regulatory and free to use.”
Using BeeCheck, beekeepers map their hives using pins and half-acre circles and can choose details of hive information to display on the map.
Producers of high-value specialty crops, such as tomatoes, tobacco, fruit trees, grapes and vegetables, can map their sites and provide contact information about their operation onDriftWatch.
Growers, beekeepers and pesticide users can get an overview of both DriftWatch and BeeCheck by going to the website: http://www.ncagr.gov/pollinators . The website offers detailed instructions on how to sign up and use the mapping tools.
Beekeepers can also register their apiaries with theNCDA&CS Plant Industry division if they would like to be notified of any aerial spraying within a mile of their apiary location. The apiary registration form is located on the apiary link on the division’s website. There is a $10 registration fee for each site for this notification.
The NCDA&CS Structural Pest Control and Pesticides Division registers pesticides and licenses pesticide applicators. The department is not responsible for spraying for mosquitoes. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health is responsible to detecting, tracking and responding to mosquito-borne diseases. Homeowners and municipalities may also choose to use a licensed pesticide applicator to treat for mosquitoes.
For more information about the NCDA&CS efforts to protect pollinators, visitwww.ncagr.gov/pollinators.
