Know Your Impact:
Honey Bees forage for nectar, pollen and tree resins within a 3 mile radius from their hive. Little is known about the range of the numerous native pollinators. Most of the city of Stillwater, MN fits within a 3 mile radius. So everything any property manager does to their land affects our Stillwater Bees. Will your actions have a negative or positive affect?Plant Bee Safe Forage:
Blooming Trees provide the most nectar, pollen and resin per SF of your property and you can often plant more bee forage beneath the canopy. Bee Safe Forage is neonicotinoid free. See our March 18 meeting blog entry to learn about neonicotinoids as well as some neonic info further down on this post.
Plant untreated clean soy and corn seed:
Here is where to find seed that has not been treated with a neonicotinoid seed coating:
Plant a Bee Friendly Lawn:
Here's a link for what is recommended for Minnesota lawns and how to do it.http://www.arboretum.umn.edu/UserFiles/File/Bee%20Lawn%20info%20for%20Arb%20website%20.pdf
Growing Bee-Friendly Garden Plants
Friends of the Earth and BeeAction.org put together this helpful publication for retailers, nursery and greenhouse growers and consumers.
http://webiva-downton.s3.amazonaws.com/877/f6/6/5821/GrowingBeeFriendlyReport_web.pdf
Another great resource is the book, Garden Plants for Honey Bees, by Peter Lindtner. It has a pollen and nectar rating scale and great images.
Another great resource is the book, Garden Plants for Honey Bees, by Peter Lindtner. It has a pollen and nectar rating scale and great images.
Here's the Xerces Society Regional Plant Lists for Native Bees
Growers who do not use neonicotinoids on their plants:
Bulbs
http://www.ecotulips.comCedar Hill Natives, www.cedarhillnatives.com Stillwater, MN mail order, also sells at Hedberg Nursery, 8400 60th Street N., Stillwater, MN 55082. http://www.hedbergaggregates.com
Faribault Growers (wholesale annuals).
Gardens of Eagan, 5680 290th St W, Northfield, MN 55057 507-645-2544 http://www.gardensofeagan.com
Glacial Ridge Growers, wholesale Glenwood, MN - 320-634-0136 (866-518-1671)
Hampden Park Co-op 928 Raymond Ave, St. Paul, MN 55114 651-646-6686 http://www.hampdenparkcoop.com
Hostas Direct https://www.hostasdirect.com
Ion Xchange, Iowa http://www.ionxchange.com
Kinnickinnic Natives, http://www.kinninatives.com All plants are grown from seed gathered by them. They do not use any neonics.
Landscape Alternatives, 25316 St. Croix Trail, Shafer, MN - 651-257-4460
http://www.landscapealternatives.com
Minnesota Native Landscapes, 8740 77th St. NE, Otsego, MN 55362, 763-295-0010 http://www.mnnativelandscapes.com
Hostas Direct https://www.hostasdirect.com
Ion Xchange, Iowa http://www.ionxchange.com
Kinnickinnic Natives, http://www.kinninatives.com All plants are grown from seed gathered by them. They do not use any neonics.
Landscape Alternatives, 25316 St. Croix Trail, Shafer, MN - 651-257-4460
http://www.landscapealternatives.com
Minnesota Native Landscapes, 8740 77th St. NE, Otsego, MN 55362, 763-295-0010 http://www.mnnativelandscapes.com
Mother Earth Gardens, Corner of East 38th St and 42nd Ave South, Minneapolis 55406 612-724-2296 http://www.motherearthgarden.com
Natural Twin Cities Food Co-Ops http://themix.coop/?q=locations
Hampden Park (St. Paul), Harvest Moon (Long Lake) Rivermarket (Stillwater), Mississippi Market Food Co-Ops (St. Paul), Seward Co-Op (Minneapolis), Lakewinds (Chanhassen & Minnetonka), Valley Natural Food (Burnsville), The Wedge (Minneapolis)
Naturally Wild, http://www.naturallywildflowers.com or email for information: naturallywild001.yahoom.com
Prairie Moon Nursery, 32115 Prairie Lane, Winona, MN 55987 866-417-8156 https://www.prairiemoon.com
Prairie Restoration, 21120 ozark Court North, PO Box 95 Scandia, MN 55073 Locations also in Princeton, Northfield, Watertown, Northfield, Duluth http://www.prairieresto.com
Rivermarket Co-Op, Stillwater, MN 651-439-0366. http://rivermarket.coop/ For a limited time in the spring, selling vegetable, annual, and herb plants.
Shady Acres Herb Farm, Chaska, MN 952-488-3391 https://www.shadyacres.com
Sunnyside Garden Center, France Avenue & 44th St. Minneapolis. 612-926-2654 http://www.sunnyside-gardens.com
Sunrise Native Plants, All plants are grown by them, and are not purchased from outside sources. All plants are grown without neonicotinoids or neonic seeds. Regular vendor at the Chisago City farmers market. 34292 Quinton Ave. Center City MN 55012, 651-257-4414.
Tangletown Gardens, 5353 Nicollet Ave So., Minneapolis 612-822-4769 https://www.tangletowngardens.com
Out Back Nursery, 15280 110th Street South, Hastings, MN 55033 651-438-2771 http://www.outbacknursery.com
Prairie Restoration, 21120 ozark Court North, PO Box 95 Scandia, MN 55073 Locations also in Princeton, Northfield, Watertown, Northfield, Duluth http://www.prairieresto.com
Rivermarket Co-Op, Stillwater, MN 651-439-0366. http://rivermarket.coop/ For a limited time in the spring, selling vegetable, annual, and herb plants.
Shady Acres Herb Farm, Chaska, MN 952-488-3391 https://www.shadyacres.com
Sunnyside Garden Center, France Avenue & 44th St. Minneapolis. 612-926-2654 http://www.sunnyside-gardens.com
Sunrise Native Plants, All plants are grown by them, and are not purchased from outside sources. All plants are grown without neonicotinoids or neonic seeds. Regular vendor at the Chisago City farmers market. 34292 Quinton Ave. Center City MN 55012, 651-257-4414.
Tangletown Gardens, 5353 Nicollet Ave So., Minneapolis 612-822-4769 https://www.tangletowngardens.com
The Vagary, Randolph, MN 507-263-5369 http://www.thevagary.com
Growers who do not use neonicotinoids in or on their seeds:
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds http://www.rareseeds.com
BBB seeds http://www.bbbseed.com
Fedco Seeds https://www.fedcoseeds.com
High Mowing Organic Seeds http://www.highmowingseeds.com
Johnny's Seeds http://www.johnnyseeds.com
Minnesota Native Landscapes http://www.mnnativelandscapes.com
Prairie Restorations http://www.prairieresto.com
Seed Savers http://www.seedsavers.org
Minnesota Native Landscapes http://www.mnnativelandscapes.com
Prairie Restorations http://www.prairieresto.com
Seed Savers http://www.seedsavers.org
Select Seeds http://www.selectseeds.com
Territorial Seed http://www.territorialseed.com
Renee's Garden http://www.reneesgarden.com
Read the label:
Pesticides have restrictions listed on the label and those restrictions are legal requirements. It is breaking the law to apply a pesticide contrary to the label restrictions.
Clothianidin: Poncho
Carbaryl (1-naphthyl methylcarbamate): Sevin
Sevin is a broad spectrum neuro-toxin insecticide, highly toxic to bees in both dust and liquid form. It also increases the toxicity of another common yard chemical, 2-4-D or Scotts Weed & Feed or Miracle Grow.
Fibronil, a phenylpyrazole: Termidor, Ultrathor, Taurus, Regent, Goliath, Nexa, Chipco Choice, Adons
Fipronil is a broad-spectrum insecticide that disrupts the insect central nervous system.
As with anything, checking multiple sources for the latest research is recommended. If you're still not sure about something's safety, don't use it. Thank you to Honey Bee Club Members for their assistance on this page.
Apis mellifera is the latin name for honey bee:
If the label lists Apis mellifera they are talking about honey bees so pay attention.
Avoid using systemic pesticides:
Avoid systemic pesticides completely. These pesticides stay in the plant for months and woody plants for years, delivering small amounts of pesticides whenever pollinators forage for nectar, pollen and guttation drops (moisture expressed from plant cells) on these plants. It is possible the systemic pesticides are also expressed in the resins of treated plants, which honeybees collect to make propolis.
By the way, systemic pesticides persist inside the tissues of commercial produce sold for human consumption and can not be washed off. Systemic means spread through-out. The Myths of Safe Pesticides by Andre Leu is quite informative.
Neonicotinoids have been found to affect reproduction, learning, and navigation of bees, all of which are crucial to the survival of social insects (bumblebees and honeybees). Solitary bees that are much smaller than honeybees may very well get a lethal dose. The neonicotinoid family includes acetamiprid, clothianidin, imidacloprid, sulfoxaflor, nitenpyram, nithiazine, thiacloprid, dinotefuran and thiamethoxam. Others are likely being developed.
The Xerces Society has a great brochure listing brand names of some of these at: Neonics In Your Garden.pdf Be aware that these brand names and product names change so its best to read the ingredient list. In addition here is some other past and present product names containing neonics:
Tree-age (Emamectin benzoate) is a systemic insecticide used on Emerald Ash Trees for Emerald Ash Borer which affects anything feeding on the tree. Here's its toxicity report
Neonicotinoids are a huge class of systemic pesticides harmful to bees. The bees (and beneficial insects) that feed on neonicotinoid treated plants are getting dosed along with the targeted insect pest. The amount the targeted pest gets is lethal. The amount the bees (and other pollinators who are feeding on the plant) gets is sub-lethal, meaning it doesn't kill a honey bee on contact but weakens them over time and due to the frequent and wide spread exposures can weaken the colony enough that the colony will not survive.
The Xerces Society has a great brochure listing brand names of some of these at: Neonics In Your Garden.pdf Be aware that these brand names and product names change so its best to read the ingredient list. In addition here is some other past and present product names containing neonics:
Clothianidin: Poncho
Imidacloprid: Admire, Advantage (flea & tick for dogs), Confidor, Goucho, Marathon, Merit, Premeir, Provado, Bayer Advanced, Rose Defense
Thiamethoxam: Actara, Crusier, Platinum
Use caution with contact pesticides:
Do not apply any (contact) pesticide known to be harmful to bees when plants are blooming and therefore bees are foraging on them. The best time to apply a contact pesticide is when plants are not blooming, or when the bees are back in their hive in the evening. Most contact pesticides become harmless over a period of hours, so they are harmless by morning when the bees become active. However certain weather conditions can cause them to stay lethal longer, so not applying them when plants are blooming is safer.
Sevin is a broad spectrum neuro-toxin insecticide, highly toxic to bees in both dust and liquid form. It also increases the toxicity of another common yard chemical, 2-4-D or Scotts Weed & Feed or Miracle Grow.
Fibronil, a phenylpyrazole: Termidor, Ultrathor, Taurus, Regent, Goliath, Nexa, Chipco Choice, Adons
Fipronil is a broad-spectrum insecticide that disrupts the insect central nervous system.
Avoid using fungicides where bees will forage:
We just learned this year that bees are 3 times more likely to die from Nosema if they were exposed to fungicides. Previously, we though fungicides were not harmful to bees (again, because testing only required determining the amount of a lethal dose). Our testing system does not assure that approved substances are safe for bees. It only proves they don't kill them on contact over a certain dosage.
How to Reduce Bee Poisonings from Pesticides
This publication is for the Pacific Northwest but much applies to our area as well.
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