25,000 bumblebees killed, dropping from trees in Wilsonville parking lot
#1
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/in...pi.html#/0

Excerpt: "An estimated 25,000 bumblebees were found dead and dying in a Target parking lot in Wilsonville beginning Saturday, the largest known incident of bumblebee deaths in the United States according to the Xerces Society.

Reports of bees and other bugs falling out of blooming European linden trees and littering the ground reached the Portland-based Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation on Monday.

Dan Hilburn, director of plant programs at the Oregon Department of Agriculture, arrived at the site Wednesday to begin assessing the damage.

"I've never encountered anything quite like it in 30 years in the business," Hilburn said.

The bumblebees were mostly found under 55 linden trees in the parking lot of the Argyle Square Target. While no laboratory tests have confirmed the findings, Hilburn said initial information indicates the trees were sprayed on Saturday with an insecticide called Safari.

On Wednesday, dead bumblebees were still clinging to linden flowers and hundreds were scattered on the ground. The yellow-faced bees fell from the trees, twitching on their backs or wandering in tight circles on the asphalt. Some honeybees and ladybugs were also found dead.

Safari is part of the neonicotinoid pesticide family, which are systemic chemicals that make the entire plant toxic to almost all insects. The product's label warns that it is "highly toxic" to bees and tells applicators not to apply it "if bees are visiting the area."

The European Union recently issued a two-year ban on three varieties of neonicotinoids because of concerns about their effects on bees. The type used in Safari was not among those banned. U.S. activists have also called for more regulation of the insecticides.

Bumblebees play a crucial role in pollinating berries, flowers and other plants.

ODA is working with the Xerces Society to prevent the now-poisonous trees from killing more insects.

Three of the most viable solutions are to put up netting around the trees, strip the trees of their flowers and leaves or find non-toxic repellents to keep bees and insects from eating the leaves or nectar.


"Bumblebees are the single most important natural pollinator in Oregon," said Mace Vaughan, the Xerces Society' pollinator program director.

The bumblebee deaths mark an inauspicious start to National Pollinator Week, which runs through June 23."
Reply
#2
Well that sucks. Sad
Reply
#3
(06-19-2013, 05:48 PM)Valuesize Wrote: Well that sucks. Sad

BIG time!MadMadMad
Reply
#4
(06-19-2013, 05:49 PM)gapper Wrote:
(06-19-2013, 05:48 PM)Valuesize Wrote: Well that sucks. Sad

BIG time!MadMadMad

I don't know why one would need to spay this type of tree, but if there was a true need, they should choose an appropriate product.
Reply
#5
It looks like Linden trees have their own species of aphid that thrives on/with them, called the Linden Aphid. Aphids annoy people when they park cars underneath them, because they excrete sticky drops that land beneath.

Whether that's a sufficient reason for pesticide use might be argued. I made my living for many years selling alternatives to pesticides, so my personal opinion may be tainted.

(I'm suspecting that Linden trees might be an inappropriate species to plant in a parking lot, off the top of my head.)
Reply
#6
It would be great if people thought a little more when providing landscape. When they built the condos we live in now they planted trees near the buildings that have now grown over where many of us need to park. Not sure what they are but most of the year they have a fine droplet of very sticky sap that comes off them and just pisses me off.
Reply
#7
If you were a bee you might find that sweet delectable nectar quite appealing. Smiling
Reply
#8
Quote: Target parking lot in Wilsonville

Well, I'm never going to shop there after that.
Reply
#9
Most of the stuff for sale is inside the building and not in the parking lot anyway.
Reply
#10
(06-19-2013, 07:19 PM)chuck white Wrote:
Quote: Target parking lot in Wilsonville

Well, I'm never going to shop there after that.

YAHHAA me too! No Dinero for Target. Big Grin
Reply
#11
Wouldn't you think they'd know exactly what kind of insects would be affected by the pesticide? Did they really think it would just be the aphids who'd get killed off? Talk about throwing the baby out with the bathwater.... Mad
Reply
#12
OOPS!
Reply
#13
The carnage is up to 50,000 bumblebees now. They've decided to cover the trees with netting, and hope that keeps the bees off until the pesticide effect dies down (and being a systemic pesticide, that might be awhile). They've also verified my hunch aphids and their dripping honeydew on cars was the shopping centers concern (although no one complained, it was proactive on their part). Quite a few comments after the article, too: http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/in...ea.html#/0

[Image: -a28a16bac276ed22.JPG]
Reply
#14
With bee deaths all over the country and scientist pointing their fingers at insecticides this just might be the catalyst that brings insecticides and the serious consequences of their use into full view and force the government agencies into action after decades of turning a blind eye.

The follow is from the Oregonian article sited in the first post;

Mitchell said the bee deaths, the largest documented die-off of bumblebees, could prove important in determining the use and regulations of Safari and other insecticides in the United States.

Safari's main ingredient is dinotefuran, a neonicotinoid. There are two main kinds of neonicotinoids, both of which are general use insecticides. Safari is a member of the nitro-group. Research published in 2012 shows these are generally more toxic to bees than the other type. The European Union issued a temporary ban on three other kinds of nitro-group neonicotinoids, which will go into effect this December.

Elliot Associates, the land management company that rents the affected Argyle Square lot, released the following statement Thursday: "If a cause is discovered which may be attributable to our actions or those of our contractors, a proactive course of action will be taken after consulting with the DOA and other experts in this field."

Meanwhile, other reports of bees dying around Wilsonville and surrounding towns have prompted Xerces to check whether similar pesticides were used elsewhere.

"My worry is that we're going to lose sight of the real message," said Mace Vaughan of Xerces. "I think we're (using insecticides) all over the place, and people are doing it in their backyards without even knowing it."

The agriculture department and other related groups will meet Monday to discuss any further action.
Reply
#15
More dead bees in, this time in Hillsboro. Same pesticide (Safari), they sprayed it last March and it's still killing bees off months later: http://www.oregonlive.com/hillsboro/inde...cart_river

Excerpt: "The City of Hillsboro and the Oregon Department of Agriculture are investigating the deaths of what could be hundreds of bees in downown Hillsboro over the past few days.

The city notified state agricultural officials and the Xerces Society Friday. The kill-off is more alarming because its discovery comes after an estimated 50,000 bumblebees were found dead at a Target parking lot in Wilsonville during the past week or so.

“We take it seriously,” Hillsboro spokesman Patrick Preston said, Saturday. “We recognize the importance of bees.”

Hillsboro officials aren’t sure what’s killing the bees, but Preston confirmed that the trees in downtown Hillsboro were treated with the same pesticide, Safari spray, as 55 trees that were sprayed in Wilsonville. Agricultural officials determined that the insecticide — which is meant to kill aphids — caused the Wilsonville bees’ deaths.

As soon as Preston learned of the Hillsboro die-off Friday, he visited the site along Southwest Washington Street. He saw about 100 dead or dying bees below one tree, and more living bees up in the tree.

Although bees have been found dead elsewhere along the street, Preston said most of them have been found dead below that one tree. It's between Fourth and Fifth avenues.

Workers were planning to cast a large net over that tree Saturday afternoon, to prevent more bees from landing on it and falling victim.

The trees in Wilsonville were covered with nets on Friday.

Preston said that one interesting difference between the die-offs is that the Wilsonville trees were sprayed recently, while Hillsboro sprayed its trees in March."
Reply
#16
[Image: tumblr_m8cpioFAZA1qa02x4o1_500.jpg]
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)