Most gardeners go out of their way to invite bees into their gardens. We know that they mean more veggies, more flowers, etc. I guess what I mean is that we know that they are pretty dang essential to our food supply. Over the last few years, the bee population has been on the decline–pesticides have been largely to blame {another reason growing my garden as organically as possible appeals to me}.
Still, I don’t really have any control over massive single crop growers, and according to an NPR article I read, the type of seeds are sometimes to blame. Seeds treated with neonicotinoids {say that ten times fast} for crops like corn, soy and canola expose bees to pesticides as they feed from the resulting plants. Neonicotinoids are derived from nicotine and while they do protect the plant {the plant absorbs the pesticide as it grows and it helps to ‘protect the tissues’ of the plant for the duration of its lifecycle. The only problem is that the bees also take in the nicotine derivative and literally get buzzed {pun intended!}. The result is that it basically poisons their nervous system.
In Europe, some of the neonicotinoids have been banned temporarily, until they can sort out the full extent to which they affect the bees {of course, wouldn’t you know that if it isn’t a good idea, Europe would be on board with banning in looooong before we even get around to consider it}. Canada is also working on regulating it more carefully. The EPA has announced that they would probably not allow any NEW neonicotinoid pesticides, but no word on regulating the ones that already exist.
I thought the whole article was pretty interesting, just because you know that the pesticides you use on your food affects bees, but I have never really stopped to consider that treated seeds would have longterm effects on the health of the bee population. Guess it is a good thing I use untreated seeds.
What are your thoughts on the issue?
~Mavis
Tracy says
Interesting article. I realize a bee is much smaller then a human, but if the pesticide affects the bee to that extent, think about the long term affects on the human body when it’s in addition to the other daily pollutants.
Sue says
You do use potentially treated plants from Home Depot. It stays in their systems for years and affects the bee population. This includes perennial flowers you think you’re planting for bees as well as things like blueberry bushes.
Ava says
Along with Home Depot, Lowes also treats their plants with neonicotinoids. There are so many other places to buys plants that do not treat with these chemicals. I really encourage people to use local greenhouses and ask if the plants have been treated.
Sharon says
I wonder if the seeds that result from the perrenial flowers carry on the pesticides from the mama plant ?
Robin says
Sue took the words right out of my mouth. We all need to be aware that neonicotinoids are not just in seeds, they are in lots of plants that people buy also, especially daffodils, tulips, and many others. You may start seeing some plants labeled as neonicotinoid free soon as people are becoming more aware of the bee population decline and the role that neonicotinoids are playing.
Leslie says
I find the NPR article is really lacking. My neighbor is hot on this topic, which led me to hunting around for more information a while back. After reading a handful of articles, I found that this one addressed many of the arguments I had come across in my evening of researching:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonentine/2014/02/05/bee-deaths-reversal-as-evidence-points-away-from-neonics-as-driver-pressure-builds-to-rethink-ban/
Kristina@calwalnut.com says
As a politically left-leaning but conventional farmer, I just throw up my hands in frustration. On the one hand, there’s the political right (including most of my colleagues in ag) who say “Climate change is a hoax” but say “You need to pay attention to the science” when it comes to ag chemicals and my left-leaning friends who are very concerned about climate change and see it for the scientifically proven fact that it is, but are scared to death about ag chemicals, even when they are heavily studied, and the science bears out their safety. Sigh. I don’t get it. I guess science only counts sometimes?
As for following Europe’s lead because they are somehow smarter than we are over here, maybe this means more of our population should take up smoking, too. I just got back from Europe, and everyone seems to smoke there, so it must be a good idea, right?
Delores says
I had no idea! I planted mints from Home Depot — I knew that the neo. were in them, but I thought it would wear off. I am pulling them up tomorrow! And probably doing the same with the lavender. This is depressing to me — that it is so hard to grow organic and help the bees out.
Thank you for posting this!
lee margot says
How can you trust ANY scientific report coming from the Chemical Company’s Scientists? Do you expect them to jeprodize their jobs coming up with anything that says the chemicals are BAD? Bah! Buy from organically consious nurseries and seed companies only!