On Wednesday, September 19th, North Central PA Beekeepers Association was delighted to sponsor and welcome Michele Colopy from the Pollinator Stewardship Counsel in Ohio to speak to club members and local residents. She presented three mini seminars:
· Understanding the Pollinator Crises
· Creating a Pollinator Habitat
· Pesticides Wintering in the Honey Bee Hives
The mission of the Pollinator Stewardship Council is to defend managed and native pollinators vital to a sustainable and affordable food supply from the adverse impact of pesticides. As the Council’s program Director since March 2013, Michele keeps honey bees in the city and has replaced her front yard of crabgrass with pesticide-free pollinator flowers for her honey bees and other native pollinators. Her talk was inspirational for all who attended.
Participants heard the strong message about the value of pollinators to our food and how bees and other pollinators increase the yield of farm crops. Michele encouraged us to stop mowing large grassy areas such as lawns and, rather, to plant pollinator flowers, a one-time expense. Besides having flowers to enjoy, you will have provided a service to the bees.
Weather, pests, and diseases, are a few of the environmental threats affecting our bee’s and other pollinator’s immune systems. Pesticides meant to kill insects, kill not only the troublesome insects but also the beneficial ones.
Did you know that less than 5% of the world’s insects are harmful to humans or crops?
Know your seeds! Colored seeds usually mean that the seeds are coated in a pesticide, which is not good for the pollinators. Glyphosate has been recognized as wiping out food sources for the monarch. Participants in the seminar were shown a map of the migrating path of the monarchs and the increased use of Glyphosate in the same path.
Check the label. How long do the chemicals stay in the soil? What does the chemical do? What does it kill? What are the ingredients? If the label says “95% other” what are the other ingredients? If you cannot see the label, you can usually find the ingredients on line. Reading the label is the most important first step. Buying the product comes second.
Pesticides do not stay where you put them. “Drifts,” pesticides blown from the winds while being sprayed, can send the pesticides directly into our food and into the food for the pollinators. What you spray (insecticides, fungicides, and fertilizers) can migrate into the watershed or onto your neighbor’s property. It is vital that farmers, property owners, beekeepers, and other interested parties work together to find ways to use fewer chemicals and return the good nutrients to our soil in natural and healthful ways, which will protect our pollinators and other good insects such as dragonflies, which eat mosquitoes.
What can you do to help?
· Create Pesticide Free Pollinator Habitats
· If you keep your grassy lawns, remember that dandelions and other “weeds” are some of the first spring flowers that the pollinators go to for food. As tempting as it may be, DO NOT Spray them!!
· Buy local plants. When you buy plants from companies that have to ship across state lines the plant soil has been heavily treated so that insects do not travel across state lines. Remember, most of our pollinators are insects.
· Read the product labels before you use them.
· Stay informed, Check out web sites such as, Penn State, Penn State Extension, Pollinator Stewardship Council, Ohio State, Xercis, and more.
It is vital that we understand not only the short term implications but also the long term effects of what we spray. Consider carefully the ingredients you want to eat or what you intend to feed to your families. Again, thanks to Michele Colopy from the Pollinator Stewardship Council in Ohio for inspiring us to be better stewards of our environment!
Joan Bradley
Secretary/ Treasurer
North Central PA Beekeepers Assoc.