WELL-BEING
Pesticides and bees
Biologists have found more than 150 different
chemical residues in bee pollen, a deadly
“pesticide cocktail” according to University of
California apiculturist Eric Mussen. The chemical
companies Bayer, Syngenta, BASF, Dow, DuPont,
and Monsanto shrug their shoulders at the
systemic complexity, as if the mystery were
too complicated. They advocate no change in
pesticide policy. After all, selling poisons to the
world’s farmers is profitable.
– Ontario Beekeepers’ Association
Critics emphasize that other factors — including climate
change, habitat loss and disease — affect pollinator health.
But these factors are not entirely independent; for example,
chronic exposure to neonics may increase vulnerability to
disease. A comprehensive pollinator health action plan should
address all these factors, and scaling back the use of neonics
is a good place to start.
Apart from the immediate and lethal effects on bees, neonics
represent a more subtle threat to a wide range of species. The
2014 Worldwide Integrated Assessment of the Impacts of
Systemic Pesticides, the most comprehensive review of the
scientific literature on neonics, pointed to effects on smell
and memory, reproduction, feeding behaviour, flight and
ability to fight disease. Jean‐Marc Bonmatin, one of the
lead authors, summarized the conclusions: “The evidence
is very clear. We are witnessing a threat to the productivity
of our natural and farmed environment equivalent to that
posed by organophosphates or DDT. Far from protecting
food production the use of neonics is threatening the very
infrastructure which enables it, imperilling the pollinators,
habitat engineers and natural pest controllers at the heart of
a functioning ecosystem.”
HOW YOU CAN HELP
SAVE THE BEE
• Rethink your lawn. Replace part (or all) of your lawn grass
with flowering plants, which provide food and habitat for bees
and other wildlife.
• Plant native flowers.
• Select single flower tops, such as daisies and marigolds, which
produce much more nectar, rather than showy double flower
tops such as impatiens.
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Is there some uncertainty involved in calculating these risks?
Absolutely. Uncertainty is at the heart of scientific inquiry.
The precautionary principle requires that where there is
threat of serious or irreversible harm to human health or the
environment, the absence of complete scientific certainty or
consensus must not be used as an excuse to delay action. In
the case of neonics, the weight of evidence clearly supports
precautionary action to reduce — or even eliminate — them.
Ontario’s proposal to restrict the use of neonic-treated corn
and soybean seed, starting next year, is far from radical. The
idea is to move away from routinely planting neonic-treated
seeds and use neonics only in situations where crops are highly
vulnerable to targeted pests. The government expects this will
reduce the uses of neonic-treated corn and soybean seed by
80 per cent by 2017.
It’s no surprise that the pesticide industry and its associates
oppose even this modest proposal and are running expensive
PR campaigns to obscure the evidence of harm. The industry’s
objection to restrictions on neonics is eerily similar to bigbudget advertising campaigns to create a smokescreen thick
enough to delay regulatory responses to the obvious harm
caused by cigarettes.
Let’s hope today’s decision-makers have a better grasp of
the precautionary principle and a stronger commitment to
protecting the public good, because bees really do matter. •
Dr. David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author
and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation.
Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation
Ontario and Northern Canada Director – General Faisal Moola.
Learn more at www.davidsuzuki.org.
Website for Ontario’s proposal to
restrict use of neonicotinoid insecticides:
news.ontario.ca/ene/en/2014/11/reducing-pesticide-use-andprotecting-pollinator-health.html
• Only use natural pesticides and fertilizers – ladybugs, spiders
and praying mantises will naturally keep pest populations
in check!
• Create a bee bath. Fill a shallow container of water with
pebbles or twigs for the bees to land on while drinking.
• Live in a home without a garden? Even a window container
can create an inviting oasis for bees!
• Bee-friend the Honeybee Conservancy on Facebook, at:
facebook.com/honeybeeconservancy