This spring, think about the bees
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- Published on Wednesday, 16 April 2014 12:20
- Written by editor
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Time to ban bee-killing pesticides!
Hi PAOV,
Spring is finally arriving in Canada, and that means corn-planting season will be starting in a few weeks.
Why is this important for bees and other wild pollinators?
It is vitally important because the vast majority of corn seed that is planted in Canada has been treated with bee-killing neonicotinoid (pronounced neo-nicotin-oid) pesticides, which are acutely toxic to bees.
"Although there may be a pesticide more toxic to honey bees, I am not aware of one."
- Professor Greg Hunt, entomologist and honey bee specialist at Purdue University, Indiana.
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In the spring of 2012 and 2013 tens of millions of bees were killed in eastern Canada after corn fields were planted using this dangerous class of pesticide. Health Canada analyzed the thousands of affected hives and found that "approximately 75% of the dead bee samples had detectable residues of neonicotinoid insecticides," and that the pesticide was found in more than 90% of the comb pollen samples from affected yards, as well as in some water, soil and comb honey samples.
In fact, in a surprising move Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) said, "current agricultural practices related to the use of neonicotinoid treated corn and soybean seed are not sustainable."
This month I made a presentation to the Senate explaining why bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides must be banned in Canada. I had to speak up loudly and clearly for our bees and wild pollinators, because powerful pesticide companies like Bayer have been intensively lobbying the federal government to keep these pesticides on the market.
Together we can put bees and nature before corporate profits.
Please join me and thousands of other Canadians in telling the federal government to ban neonicotinoid use in Canada NOW – before the corn-planting season begins.
r0
