NORTON META TAG

20 June 2014

Bzzzzzzzzzzzz......STOP THE BEE-POCALYPSE 16JUN14 & SNL KILLER BEES......


Killer Bees.
SNL's Killer Bee skits were hysterical, the bee die-off isn't.
HR 2692 has 65 co-sponsors in the US House. This legislation will ban pesticides containing neonics / neonicotinoids for two years while safer pesticides are developed. We are running out of time, the bees can't keep dying in the numbers they are without the potential for major disruptions in agricultural production in this country. Please click the link to send your Representative a letter telling them to support, co-sponsor and vote for HR 2692!
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honeybee

Could you imagine a fall without fresh apples? Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce or pumpkin pie? Chips without guacamole? It’s hard to picture, but this could be our not-so-distant future if we don’t take action now to save our number one food security guard -- the honeybee.
In recent years, nearly one third of commercial bee colonies in the U.S. have been dying over the winter. In Oregon last year we saw the biggest mass killing ever, as 50,000 bumblebees dropped dead after coming in contact with a pesticide used purely for aesthetic purposes. The situation is so bad that people have started to dub it the “Bee-pocalypse.”
Why is this a big deal? Because one third of the food produced in North America, including nearly 100 varieties of fruits and vegetables like apples, pumpkins, cranberries, and avocados, rely on honeybees for pollination.
Losing our bees wouldn’t just leave us without delicious guacamole and apple pie, it would be a crushing blow to our economy. We could lose more than $15 billion a year in agricultural production in the U.S.
The good news is that Congress has finally started to take notice. Just last week, a bill (H.R. 2692) to save honeybees by temporarily banning certain pesticides reached 65 co-sponsors.
This is the closest we’ve ever gotten to actual legislation to protect our bees, so we need your help to spread the word and keep the momentum going. If enough of us speak out, we can get more members of Congress to support this bill and make saving our bees a reality.
The mass death of our honeybees is not a natural phenomenon. Europe is seeing huge population declines as well. The difference is that the European Union is working to reverse this trend with a two-year ban in place on neonicotinoids, the pesticides linked to mass bee deaths. We need your help to get the United States to follow suit.
This bill would temporarily halt certain pesticides while safer pesticides are being developed. And get this -- we may already have the key to a safer pesticide. Researchers in England have been investigating the venom of one of the world’s most deadly spiders, the Australian funnel web spider. The spider’s venom creates a bio-pesticide that is still fatal to common farm pests, but appears to have absolutely no effect on bees.
We have a very real shot at saving the bees, but only if we stop the use of dangerous pesticides and develop new, safer alternatives. But we have to act now to convince Congress to do something about it. There are 65 members supporting the bill so far -- will you help us get even more on our side?
There’s no simple solution to the bee crisis, but we do know about some steps we can take now to move us in the right direction and the first one is passing this bill. The success of our crops and security of our nation’s food supply hinges on whether or not we can protect our bees. So thank you for telling Congress to take action today.
Best,
Vanessa
Vanessa Kritzer
Director of Digital Strategy
League of Conservation Voters

1920 L Street, NW Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
202-785-8683
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Bee deaths a result of pesticide Safari; count upped to 50,000 dead insects

Elizabeth Case, The Oregonian By Elizabeth Case, The Oregonian
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on June 21, 2013 at 5:16 PM, updated April 22, 2014 at 1:05 PM






As the estimate of dead bees rose to 50,000, the Oregon Department of Agriculture confirmed the insecticide Safari caused the deaths in a Wilsonville earlier this week. A landscaping company sprayed 55 linden trees in a Target parking lot to control for aphids, said Dan Hilburn, the plants division director at the department of agriculture. The bees have been dropping from trees since the spraying on Saturday.

Aphids produce honeydew, a sticky liquid that can drip off onto cars or pedestrians. A Target representative said by email that the Wilsonville store had received no customer complaints about it. 

The Portland-based Xerces Society, which first reported the die off to the state Agriculture Department said aphids can be controlled without insecticides, including by spraying infested plants with soapy water. 

On Friday the Agriculture Department, the City of Wilsonville, neighboring towns and some local landscape contractors covered the sprayed trees with netting in an attempt to prevent further insect deaths. 

The state is investigating any violation of pesticide laws, which could take up to four months, said Dale Mitchell of the Agriculture Department. 

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." 


Bumblebee deaths caused by insecticide A bee poisoned by the insecticide "Safari" struggles in a parking lot in Wilsonville. 25,000 bees and insects were affected.
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.

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