Pollinators In Our Community

The Low-Down:

You’ve probably already heard that life’s hard for a pollinator these days, but to give a quick snapshot of just how hard, we turn to the Go Bee Friendly Program for more:

“Nature’s pollinators are dying off in massive numbers. In recent years, beekeepers report they’re losing on average 30% of all honey bee colonies each winter — twice the loss considered economically tolerable. Scientists point to several causes behind the problem, including global warming, habitat loss, parasites and a class of bee-killing insecticides known as neonicotinoids (or neonics). When seeds are treated with neonics, the chemicals work their way into the pollen and nectar of the plants — which, of course, is bad news for bees and other pollinators. Worse, for the bees and for us, neonics are about 6,000 times more toxic to bees than DDT.

We’re calling on the EPA to take bee-killing pesticides off the market, but in the meantime, there’s plenty we can all do this spring and summer to help save our beloved and crucial pollinators.”