Around the world, news of mass bee die-offs is making
headlines. In June, an estimated 50 000 bumble bees were found dead in Wilsonville,
Oregon. Not much later, early in July, an estimated 37 000 000 bees were
found dead in Elmwood,
Ontario. These deaths have mainly been attributed to recent spraying of
neonicotinoid pesticides on nearby trees and corn seeds, respectively.
According to
the petition site Change.org,
“Canada’s Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency has confirmed that last year’s
widespread bee deaths in Ontario were caused by neonicotinoid pesticides.”
As the name would suggest, neonicotinoids are
chemically related to nicotine, which is itself a known toxin. Neonicotinoids work by binding to and
overstimulating cells in the insects’ central nervous systems. This leads to
paralysis and death.
Unfortunately, it’s not just insects that are affected.
In March, a review
was published by the American Bird
Conservancy that looked at 200 studies on insecticides and their impact on
birds. They found that “neonicotinoids are lethal to birds and to the aquatic
systems on which they depend”.
Neonicotinoids may be used on crops that
include grains such as corn, rice and cereal, legumes, vegetables including
potatoes, fruits such as apples and pears, cotton, and even as flea treatments
for your pets.
So with such widespread use and contamination, what can
we do to avoid neonicotinoids, and what can we do to help our bees?
1)
GO
ORGANIC. Avoid foods potentially contaminated with
neonicotinoids by choosing organic produce. If budget is a concern, refer to
the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty
Dozen & Clean Fifteen lists. Another good rule of thumb: if it has skin
you can eat, whether you peel it anyway or not, or you eat the leaves, buy it
organic.
2)
Bee
kind.
We recently noticed a few bumblebees flying into and out of an opening in the
awning above our front door. We wondered what we could do to relocate them
without hurting them. In the case of bumblebees, I was surprised to learn that
it may be best just to leave them
alone, as they will usually abandon their nest in the fall, and trying to
remove them may actually do more harm than good. As long as they are not
agitated, they have no reason to sting. You can even build a nest in your
garden if you’d like to give the bees a home away from your home. If you’ve got honeybees or wasps, though, you may need
to call in the help of a beekeeper to remove them safely.
3)
Buy
local. Go to your local Farmers’ Market and buy produce
direct from smaller-scale farms. If the farmer doesn’t indicate “organic” on
their produce, ask why. They may follow organic guidelines, but may not yet be
able to afford the certification process to allow them to label their produce
as organic. You can also become a member of a CSA delivery program to have
fresh, local, in-season, and organic produce delivered to your door each week!
You can also look for locally-produced honey at the Markets. Ask the beekeepers questions about the bees and how they collect and treat the honey. Some keepers will also provide handouts with this information.
4)
Boycott/Buycott. Be
aware of the parent companies of common packaged foods and household products.
In the case of neonicotinoids, many are produced by Bayer. You
can also download an app to your
smartphone that lets you enter a product and trace it back to its parent
company to help you stick to your “buycott”.
5)
Plant
flowers. Fill your garden with flowers that will attract bees.
They need to eat, too! Avoid using commercial garden products
like fertilizers and herb/pest/fungicide sprays.
6)
Bee vocal. Spread the word and help increase awareness of this
issue. The European Union enacted
a two-year ban in several countries, and Oregon has put a 180-day
restriction on neonicotinoids. Petitions have arisen to enact similar bans
closer to home. See the Petition link below to call for a ban here in Ontario!
Have any other ideas to help our bees? Leave them in
the comments below!
Petition:
Sources:
No comments:
Post a Comment