Earth Day Challenge for Gardeners: Do not poison bees

• A group of pesticides called neonicotinoids has been associated with massive mortality of bees and other pollinators.
• Although the problem is global, home gardeners can also help solve the problem by paying attention to the plants that they buy.
• To help consumers, more and more garden centers are detailing, stopping or labeling plants treated with neonicotinoid pesticides.
• Home Depot, Walmart, Ace and TruValue are among the national retailers that are taking these steps.

When tens of thousands of honey bees were found dead on a parking lot in Oregon in 2013, the public was sensitized to a group of nicotine-derived pesticides. The bee deaths were linked to a group of pesticides called neonicotinoids and were particularly alarming given the vital role that bees and other pollinators play in the production of food and plants.

Groups such as Friends of the Earth have focused on the issue, pushing for retailers and state governments to make changes, where a large number of consumer regulations are being developed. The focus on retailers and home gardeners is essential, since about 90% of bees do not live in large hives. They tend to be loners, living in nests of less than a dozen insects, and they cover small areas like your garden.

The active ingredient in widely used pesticides may play a role in the mysterious disappearance of bees in the United States over the last decade.

Alex Wild / University of Texas at Austin

This is one of the reasons that consumers who buy plants, seeds and pest control agents this spring could make a big difference in efforts to restore the health of bees and other pollinators, researchers. On Earth Day, April 22 – and the spring planting season – home gardeners are well-positioned to lend a hand to pollinators.

"It's one of those global environmental problems that only one owner or one individual can solve, because the housing needs are so limited," said Damon Hall, Assistant Professor at the School of Natural Resources of the University of Missouri, and co-author. from a recent study that tracks the evolution of state laws governing neonicotinoid pesticides.

Know what you are buying

States such as Minnesota, California, Connecticut, Maryland, New Mexico, and Oregon have amended or are considering amending pesticide laws so that consumers know if the plants they are buying have been treated with neonicotinoids likely to kill bees, according to the National Caucus of Environmental Lawmakers and Hall's own research.

"So, no matter what you have – it's about 20 meters out of 10 – you can have some species of bees." The small, solitary bees can live any their lives in an area of ​​this size, provided they have enough flowers and a place to nest, "Hall told CBS MoneyWatch. "This is what is really striking in this case.There are so few global environmental issues that only one person can act on."

Neonicotinoids were widely used in the 1990s as a safer alternative to existing pesticides for farmers. Yet, an increasing number of studies show that they are harmful to pollinators such as bees and butterflies, as they can become invasive in a larger environment. Last year, the European Union decided to ban the group of pesticides to protect pollinators.

In the United States, the number of home gardeners is increasing, especially among those under 35, according to an annual gardening survey by Gardenresearch.com. The latest statistics indicate that Americans spent a record $ 47.8 billion on their gardens and lawns in 2017. The average household spent $ 503, up about $ 100 from 2016.

Large retailers respond

This could be another reason why the number of companies taking action is on the rise. Today, major chains of garden centers such as Home Depot, Walmart, Ace Hardware and True Value are firmly committed to stop selling neonicotinoid-treated products, from live plant seeds. And many others join in the effort as they woo worried gardeners, according to a count of Friends of the Earth.

Home Depot now claims that 97% of live products sold do not contain neonicotinoids after launch a program in 2014 and work with suppliers, according to a statement from the retailer via email.

Lowe's still cutting products "containing neon", but there are many reasons why disposal is not a viable short-term goal. For example, some states require the use of neonicotinoids, "said the retailer in an email to CBS MoneyWatch.Lowe's, which formalized a phase out in 2015, announced the expansion of products without neonicotinoids and offers "educational information on neonicotinoids in store and online".

Ace Hardware told CBS MoneyWatch that over 95% of the insecticide products sold at its independent and independent retail stores were free of neonicotinoids, as well as all of its private label garden and lawn products. The company has added more than 90 new "natural and organic" products from brands such as Scotts, Dr. Earth, Espoma, Safer / Woodstream and Monterey.

And True Value stores have "successfully eliminated" products containing neonicotinoid pesticides since the announcement of its intention to do so in 2015, the company said in an email to CBS Moneywatch. And Walmart said in an email that it complied with all state laws regarding pesticides.

Hall recommends consumers ask their gardening centers how products are labeled and what their policy is before they buy. "First of all, talk to the staff and managers of the garden centers and call them before you go there," he said. "As a staff, are you thinking about these issues, are they aware of them, and if not, then there is no reason to shop there." There are other places that are very conscious and very aware. "