Neonicotinoids – Honeybee Colony Collapse – Local Home Depot

What are Neonicotinoids?  Why should we all be concerned, upset, outraged?  If you don’t read any further, read this: Neonicotinoids are a LEGAL (now in 2016) insecticide that has been linked to honeybee colony collapse.

First of all, this topic is not new, this group of chemicals is not new and the information and concerns about the findings are not new.  Government action on this topic is moving at glacier speed. Moving, yes…quickly, no.  You should be aware of this information and keep yourself knowledgeable.  It effects YOU.

Neonicotinoids are a specialized systemic agricultural insecticide resembling nicotine.  Systemic means that it is actually in the plant.  Many are water soluble so they can be taken up by the plant as it grows.  The first commercial use was as a seed coating.  You probably remember seeing corn seed coated with a pink powder.  There are several “varieties” of neonicotinoids including Nitenpyram, Dinotefuran, Thiacloprid, Acetamiprid, Clothianidin, Thiamethoxam and Imidacloprid. Invented back near the 1970’s and coming under scrutiny back in the 1990’s, these chemicals have been used all over the world.  Eighty percent of all seeds in 2008 were treated with neonicotinoids.

In 2008, the link to colony collapse became more prominent when a planted cornfield undeniably poisoned a massive amount of nearby honeybees in Germany.  Germany suspended use, followed by France and Italy.  The U.S. did not.  Again, a 2012 study found thiamethozam and clothianidin (both neonicotinoids) in dead bees in agricultural settings.  Some bees still alive had tremors and convulsions both indicating poison.  Tests also proved that corn pollen foraged by bees tested positive for neonicotinoids.  Recent research establishes toxicity for both honeybees and other beneficial insects even with very low levels of contact.

In 2013 almost all corn in the US was treated with either clothianidin or thiamethoxam. And a year later the soybean growers joined in along with cotton and sugar beets.  Now, soybean growers are using the most neonicotinoids of any major crop.  Yes, increasing use, not decreasing!  Bayer Cropscience and Syngenta are two major manufacturers of neonicotinoids whose names you probably recognize.  So, the U.S. continues to allow use… why?  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) operates a 15-year review cycle for all pesticides… let that sink in… 15 years!

Neonicotinoid TagBut there’s more.  These chemicals are not limited for use by commercial growers.  Many plants and seeds sold to consumers are treated as well as the availability of “consumer use” insecticides for purchase.  Locally, (in 2016) we found tags on plants in Home Depot labeling the plant as being treated with neonicotinoids.  Specifically, one of the plants was a Butterfly Bush, a pollinator attracting plant!  (A Butterfly bush is not usually susceptible to invasive insects anyway.) So, a plant purchased specifically to provide forage for pollinators may actually be doing harm. The tags found were not prominent.  Apparently, Home Depot requires plants treated with neonicotinoids be labeled as such, but the company continues to sell them.  How many plants are available to buy nationwide that are not labeled?  There is no law that consumers must know the plant has been treated with a systemic insecticide. Still, Home Depot is knowingly selling neonicotinoid infused plants.

Although small, Maryland, on a state level, in April of 2016, has restricted the use of insecticides “by consumers” containing neonicotinoids.  A partial ban is better than no ban.  Maryland has at least recognized the problem.

The EPA is evaluating this insecticide group and is said to release its findings in 2018… like I said, glacier speed.

Please research this topic on your own, read labels, check tags and hopefully choose NOT to buy neonicotinoid products, plants and seeds.

Vision Overview

Gray Hill School FarmAfter much study and prayer toward serving my community, Gray Hill School Farm was created on faith. A not for profit entity, our mission is to be a catalyst for sustainable community abundance through research and education.

The vision for community abundance is a collective of projects to create sustainable infrastructure. Philanthropists of this generation need to become “farmlandthropists”. Individuals, organizations and municipalities working together will ensure generational resources for our families and communities. When we create food we create jobs.

The 33rd parallel is one of the best places to grow food crops in the country. Our near perfect climate, sunlight hours, and available water, are ideal for year round growing, with minimum heat and cooling requirements. The rolling foothills in this area create a multitude of microclimates suitable for a huge variety of species and crops. With the creation of mini-eco-systems, much more can be produced on smaller acreage, with less inputs and labor.

By the time our children and grandchildren enter the workforce, much of the agricultural economy will have shifted to our part of the country. Napa Valley is quickly running out of water. Many of the mega-farmers are looking at relocating to the southeast. Having sustainable infrastructure in place will prevent many of the same mistakes from occurring here.

Individually:

  1. Home Gardens– There are many ways to make small backyard gardens and orchards easier and less expensive to grow and maintain. Seniors, children, and working adults can benefit from methods that require less time and energy to produce healthy, home grown food.
  2. Small/Medium Scale Farming– Large yields produced on small acreage will encourage entrepreneurism and help keep family farms viable. Many techniques are scalable for larger operations.

Municipally:

  1. Municipal Composting –Troup County has the potential to save Millions of tax dollars, while reducing municipal waste treatment and discharge. Land fill Inputs would be reduced with a possible revenue stream from creating high yield topsoil for private and public use. Preliminary research indicates that Troup County is an ideal candidate for success.
  2. Food Forests- Planting large areas of food plants that mimic the natural growth in the area. We can identify what is already growing naturally, and finding edible or food bearing plants with similar characteristics to recreate self-sustaining eco-systems.
  3.  Green Entrepreneurship- Attracting retirees and entrepreneurs. Providing mentorships, business training and tax incentives for agro/eco businesses will give our best and brightest an opportunity to stay and contribute to our community.

 

Community:

  1. Community Gardens- There are many areas in the city and county ideal for community garden sites. Starting with high yield, easy to grow crops such as collards or sweet potatoes.

Partnerships– Forging relationships with Schools, Churches, Organizations, Institutions, Home Schoolers, and Local Farms. Providing space and opportunities for Research Experiments, On-Site Gardens, Workshops, Videos, Internships, and Volunteer Opportunities.

Utilizing shade.

beansMaking use of hearty, fast-growing plants for shade can be beneficial to the plant as well as offering shade for the gardener.  The sun in the middle of the day is the hottest and growing plants on straight steaks won’t help with temperature.  Consider growing in an arch where you, the gardener, can get some overhead coverage from the sun.  This also shades the plant’s root area and helps with water retention in the soil.