As many of you may be aware both our native bees and honey bees are in trouble these days.
The theory is that the combined effects of habitat loss, varroa mites and Neonicotinoids have contributed to the collapse of bee colonies all across North America. A report from Friends of the Earth describes Neonicotinoids as systemic pesticides which are taken up through roots and leaves and distributed through the entire plant including the pollen and nectar.
These pesticides can kill the bees directly but even low level exposure can result in sub lethal effects such as altered learning, impaired foraging and immune suppression which exacerbates the lethality of pathogen infections and mite infestations.
Unfortunately home gardeners have no idea that they may be poisoning bees by trying to plant bee friendly gardens. It has been common practise to pretreat nursery plants with neonicotinoids. Here is the good news. You can change this. When purchasing your bedding out plants and transplants ask the nursery if they have been pre treated with neonicotinoids.
If so, tell them of the damage being done and choose to buy your plants from suppliers who are neonicotinoid free. And yes, let's make our gardens truly bee friendly.
ThINC
Thetis Island Nature Conservancy
