Carol Dunk on Neonicotinoids in Store-bought Plants and Vegetables
Posted: February 17, 2015
Categories: Food in the News
Excerpt from “Buyer Beware: Neonicotinoids in Store-bought Plants and Vegetables”
Written by Carol Dunk
“Most of us concerned about the plight of bees are now conscientiously choosing plants for our gardens that are good for bees. What we may not be aware of is that the very plants we are purchasing to help bees may have been treated with the same pesticides that have been killing or sickening bees worldwide– neonicotinoids. […]
Those very same neonics that harm bees on crop plants may be present in the ornamental plants we purchase at nurseries and big box stores. Studies of plant material from a variety of retail sources have revealed the presence of neonics in plants offered for sale. Some growers use the pesticides on their ornamental stock as a control for insects just as farmers do on crops. And we purchase those plants for our bee gardens!
To reduce the danger to bees, many countries have banned the use of neonicotinoids, but there is no legislation banning the use of neonics on garden plants in Canada or the USA. The nurseries and plant producers, the sources of our plants, are free to use neonics on the plants they produce. Of course, we wouldn’t choose plants for our bee gardens that contained harmful pesticides, but there is no way of knowing whether the plants we purchase have been treated with neonics or not.
The Ontario Horticultural Association has acted. OHA has written a letter to the main large box stores asking them to choose plants for sale that have not been treated with neonics and to label plants that have been treated.
You and I can act, too. We can ask our plant sources whether neonics have been used on the plants, and we can choose not to buy plants that have been treated with neonics. We can regulate the use of neonics with our purchasing decisions. Buy only bee-friendly plants this spring.”
Go to Carol Dunk’s blog for her full article as well as more informative links and a call-to-action.
You can also visit Carol’s website about a program she co-developed to help pollinators, called Roadsides: roadsides.caroldunk.com