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Gardeners who have been ditching chemicals in a bid to save stricken honey bees may have been wasting their time.
In a shock move, the British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA), which represents 24,000 amateur beekeepers, said is not convinced that controversial neonicotinoid garden insecticides are responsible for honey bee decline.
“There is no evidence we have seen of damage to honey bees from…
Environment groups claim certain insecticides, known as neonicotinoids, are leading to the decline of bees, which pollinate many vital food crops. The chemicals remain legal and approved for garden use. But the issue has divided gardeners – including AG’s writers. Here, three of the magazine’s staff state their personal opinions on neonicotinoids.
Tim Rumball, Editor of AG – “NO BAN ON NEONICOTINOIDS”
Tim…
Gardeners’ Worldpresenter Monty Don has slammed an EU decision not to ban garden sprays that campaigners have linked with bee decline.
“I am incandescent about the government’s shameful decision not to ban neonicotinoid insecticides,” Monty wrote on his blog.
“The fact that there is any doubt at all about their safety to the bee population should give them long pause for thought until…
Environment campaigners say retailers have rallied behind their campaign to strip store shelves of sprays linked to bee decline.
Up to 2,000 outlets have removed neonicotinoids (neonics) from sale – even though they remain legal and approved to use.
“The retailer side of the campaign has been extremely fruitful,” said Friends of the Earth (FoE) campaigner Neil Verlander.
Products pulled from many stores…
The Soil Association has clashed with a chemical firm after calling on the government to ban sprays it claims are killing off honey and bumble bees.
Campaigners told the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee last month that neonicotinoids, an ingredient in some garden and farm sprays, have a “damaging impact” on beneficial insects.
“There is strong evidence that neonicotinoids are responsible…
Gardeners are set to come under more pressure to ditch a group of pesticides known as neonicotinoids, due to worries over bee colony death.
An investigation at Reading University, backed by Friends of the Earth, found it would cost £1.8billion a year to hand-pollinate UK crops if bees died out altogether.
In April, Amateur Gardening reported how French scientists had claimed that neonicotinoids …
