A new study released today by Friends of the Earth Canada shows that over 60 per cent of “bee-friendly” plants sold at garden centres have been pre-treated with neonicotinoids pesticides critics say can harm and kill bees.
Of the samples collected from London, 100% contained neonics, the highest amount in the Canadian tests.
The plants tested were: Calibrachoa, Gerbera Daisy, Shasta Daisy and Zonal Geranium. All but the Zonal Geranium showed two neonic pesticides.
The Canadian data is part of a larger study, Gardeners Beware 2014, released by Friends of the Earth in Canada and Friends of the Earth US with Pesticide Research Institute (PRI). Garden plant samples were collected from top garden retailers from 18 cities across Canada and the United States. Canadian samples were collected in London, Montreal and Vancouver.
Gardeners Beware 2014 reported that 51% of the total samples contain neonicotinoids. Some flowers contained neonic levels high enough to potentially kill bees outright (assuming comparable concentrations are present in the flowers’ pollen and nectar). Further, 40% of the positive samples contained two or more neonicotinoids.
“The results of this study are profoundly upsetting,” said Maureen Temme, a lifelong gardener, who collected and prepared the plant samples from London. “We gardeners try to purchase bee-attractive plants for our home gardens because we know that honeybees and native bees are assaulted by habitat loss, diseases and pests, and agricultural neonicotinoid use. It is shocking to realize that plants purchased at garden centres might make our own gardens toxic to bees!”
“The high percentage of contaminated plants and their neonicotinoid concentrations suggest that this is a widespread problem,” said Beatrice Olivastri, CEO, Friends of the Earth Canada. “Most gardeners have no idea their gardens may be harmful to bees. We’re circulating a petition calling on retailers to get neonicotinoids out of their plants and supply chain as soon as possible. Until then, gardeners should buy organic plants to ensure the safety of bees.” A number of garden retailers in the UK have stopped selling products containing neonics.
Friends of the Earth Canada is also calling for Health Canada and Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) to suspend the use of neonicotinoids in Canada.
“PMRA is providing a loophole for retailers to avoid the cosmetic pesticide bans in provinces like Ontario,” observed Olivastri. “PMRA permits the use of neonicotinoids in horticulture including plants destined for garden centres as a ‘minor use’.”
High doses of neonics have been responsible for several high profile bee kill-offs in Canada. However, even with doses far below the lethal dose of neonics, a strong and growing body of science shows that the pesticide contributes to impairment in bee reproduction, learning, memory, hive communications and immune response.
“Our data indicates that many plants sold in nurseries and garden stores across Canada and the U.S. are being pre-treated with systemic neonicotinoid pesticides, making them potentially toxic to pollinators,” said Timothy Brown, Ph.D., co-author of the report from PRI. “Unfortunately, these pesticides don’t break down quickly so these flowers could be toxic to bees for years to come.”
