Bee-killing pesticides found in 51% of "bee-friendly" plants from garden centers across US & Canada

[Becky]

This article was shared over on our pond site and I thought it might be interesting to you folks here. Quite a shocking read!

New tests find bee-killing pesticides in 51% of “bee-friendly” plants from garden centers across U.S. and Canada - Friends of the Earth

Many “bee-friendly” home garden plants sold at Home Depot, Lowe’s and Walmart have been pre-treated with pesticides shown to harm and kill bees, according to a study released today by Friends of the Earth and allies. The study, Gardeners Beware 2014, shows that 36 out of 71 (51 percent) of garden plant samples purchased at top garden retailers in 18 cities in the United States and Canada contain neonicotinoid (neonic) pesticides -- a key contributor to recent bee declines. Some of the flowers contained neonic levels high enough to kill bees outright assuming comparable concentrations are present in the flowers' pollen and nectar. Further, 40 percent of the positive samples contained two or more neonics.

It looks like only a small sample was done, but the results are worrying. You can read the full report here: Gardeners Beware 2014

 

[Annabell]

Shocking indeed! Conspidering the falling numbers of the bee populations, this could finally lend some evidence as to why this is happening on such a global scale.

 

[Chuck]

I just checked out neonics on wikipedia. Just lovely. Seems that this same poison is in use in Europe too with the same results. I had thought that this chemical poison was topical but it isn't, it is systemic, meaning it is absorbed into the plant and then distributed throughout including the flowers and pollen. This is just another of the myriad chemical pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and fertilizers that are extremely harmful. What is ridiculous is why even use these chemicals when there are harmless organic methods and substances that work just as well or better.

 

[firelily99]

I am not shocked by this because of the rapid decline and demise of the honey bee. When we have such a dramatic problem with our precious wildlife it almost always goes back to the use of pesticides.

 

[Pat]

It is a shame that the plants that are suppose to attract the bees is really going to do them more harm. People are out purchasing these plants thinking they are helping to populate the bee environment when they are really hurting it.

When the bees are gone and the other species that needed the bees begin to decline will people understand the use of chemicals must be stopped.

 

[Annabell]

It is a shame that the plants that are suppose to attract the bees is really going to do them more harm. People are out purchasing these plants thinking they are helping to populate the bee environment when they are really hurting it.

When the bees are gone and the other species that needed the bees begin to decline will people understand the use of chemicals must be stopped.

Thinking about this actually, I wonder if there's a sort of half life to this chemical? Like, once its just come from the store, obviously it will be quite harmful, but how long will it take for the chemical to wash out of the plant, making it safe again?

 

[Chuck]

Thinking about this actually, I wonder if there's a sort of half life to this chemical? Like, once its just come from the store, obviously it will be quite harmful, but how long will it take for the chemical to wash out of the plant, making it safe again?

I am sure the growers and the chemical companies will say that it has a very short life if they say anything at all. I wouldn't want to put any plants that have this into my compost pile

 

[Annabell]

I am sure the growers and the chemical companies will say that it has a very short life if they say anything at all. I wouldn't want to put any plants that have this into my compost pile

Well, that's what I'm wondering. I'm going to start looking up if there's been studies done on the half life of this sort of thing, or if its in there for good, a part of the plant somehow.

 

[davbonpol]

I wasn't aware of this, that the bee-friendly pesticides were actually killing the bees! No wonder we have such a bee shortage, I will be sure to share this important information on facebook!

 

[CountryQueen]

That is absolutely horrible! My grandfather kept bees while I was growing up, but it became harder and harder to do because they were dying off. I had hoped to one day have my own hives, but to think that I might unintentionally harm them!

 

[Tiara Murphy]

That's horrible. When people make a conscious decision to try to do something to help the environment and the overall food supply, their efforts shouldn't be wasted because they were being misled. It's sad and terrifying.

 

[Meowmie]

Sadly, this doesn't surprise me at all. While the researchers are looking at things like cell phones for the reason for the dwindling bee population, I've always believed it had more to do with the chemicals that are used in farming/gardening. Just another reason to go completely organic.

The bees are cross pollinating the GMO corn with non GMO corn, infecting the non GMO corn. Yes, I said infecting, sorry, GMO supporters, I can't see it as any other way. I think in the process they are killing themselves, though it wouldn't be considered suicide, it's murder. Collateral damage.

How long before we don't have bees to pollinate our crops?

 

[ChanellG]

Wow, just seeing this and it is very disheartening. It's also a reason to leave a corner of your garden to the wild plants that flower - bees love those! Even some invasive vines like Virginia Creeper can be of value if you control them as the flowers are a magnet for bees, wasps, and Giant Swallowtail butterflies.

The Texas butterfly site has documented people buying milkweed for Monarchs only to have it kill dozens of caterpillars because it had been treated with some kind of poison. How stupid is that?

I just wish more people cared about this - I discovered one of the small elder trees in the back had been sprayed by some kind of chemical and spoke to the new neighbor about it. A few days later, the morning glories in front had obviously been sprayed as well. Some people just don't care.

 

[claudine]

This is absolutely horrifying! I feel so very sorry for all bees. Living in today's world must be extremely hard for them. Poisoning chemicals are almost everywhere and there is no way to avoid them.
Whenever I hear news like this, I always think about Albert Einstein who said: 'If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left." Let's hope he was wrong

 

[kevinkimers]

Thank you so much for posting this. My boyfriend and I were thinking it would be nice to make our own honey and were thinking of doing some light bee farming. Now we know not to get our bee plants from those places. We want bee's not kill them.

Now we know why there is a sudden decline in the bee population globally. Need to find out what growers they are getting these plants from and get them to stop using that pesticide on their plants. We need the bee's not only for their honey but for pollination.