*Petition* to fight Bee-killing Insecticides - Sign by Mon 11/24 please!!!

[RiverLover]

Due to the use of bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides, Bees and other pollinators are dying-off at an alarming rate with dire implications for our food supply and domestic agriculture industry.

The federal government’s response to this crisis has been totally inadequate – but that could soon change.

In June, President Obama created the Pollinator Health Task Force with the goal of focusing federal efforts to research, prevent, and recover from pollinator losses.1

Now, for the first time, the Pollinator Health Task Force is accepting public comments on what it should do to protect bees and other pollinators.2 We know a ban on bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides is what’s needed to save the bees, but we only have a few days to pressure the task force to act before this crucial public comment period closes.

Tell the Pollinator Health Task Force: Ban bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides. Submit a public comment before the November 24 deadline.

Bees and other pollinators play a vital role in our food production system by enabling the production of many of the nuts, fruits and vegetables in our diets. In total, pollinators make possible an astounding 35% of global food production and contribute more than $24 billion annually to the U.S. economy. But the number of managed honeybee colonies in the United States has declined from 6 million in the 1940s to just 2.5 million today – jeopardizing our food supply and domestic agriculture industry.3

http://act.credoaction.com/sign/ban_neonics?nosig=1&t=1&akid=12251.6619363.AT_cfE

[lunasun]

1. Signed the petition

in all sincerity I would hope they would include this in their study anyway but who knows, the panel could be stacked with pesticide producers
best they be petitioned to include it !

[RiverLover]

4. Woohoo! Thanks Lunasun! ~nt

[CountAllVotes]

2. Neonicotinoid

Been having some serious problems with moths and fleas recently. I went so far as to contact an exterminator that said he was using "pet safe" products to combat my problem.

When I asked him what was it he was using he said very quickly "nico ..." something or the other. I asked again and he spewed out another "nico ... something or the other. I could not understand him and did a search on pest control extermination nico .. and this it what came up. It seems this crap is being widely used and said to be "safe".

It is not safe and luckily I did not have to hire an exterminator and managed to be rid of these problems in other ways that did not involve a bunch of toxic crud being sprayed everywhere.

NO mention of the bee hives and colony collapses by this guy btw.

Be forewarned should you require the services of an exterminator as this is widely used!

[RiverLover]

3. Really good info. Thanks!!

Did you sign the petition?

[yellowcanine]

5. Advantage contains imidocloprid, a neonicotonoid.

http://www.1800petmeds.com/Advantage+II+-prod10433.html

[CountAllVotes]

7. wow

Thanks for letting me know!

I ended up using boric acid, diatomaceous earth (food grade)and had the rugs steam cleaned. Was also using some essential oils which I realized *finally* were likely exacerbating the problems.

[underpants]

6. Signed and rec'd

[RiverLover]

8. A World without Bees...

Where would we be without bees? As far as important species go, they are top of the list. They are critical pollinators: they pollinate 70 of the around 100 crop species that feed 90% of the world. Honey bees are responsible for $30 billion a year in crops.

That’s only the start. We may lose all the plants that bees pollinate, all of the animals that eat those plants and so on up the food chain. Which means a world without bees could struggle to sustain the global human population of 7 billion. Our supermarkets would have half the amount of fruit and vegetables.

It gets worse. We are losing bees at an alarming rate. Possible reasons include the loss of flower meadows, the crab-like varroa mite that feasts on their blood, climate change, and use of pesticides...."

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140502-what-if-bees-went-extinct

[RiverLover]

9. "A Plea for Bees"