How to Reduce Bee Poisoning from Pesticides
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How to Reduce Bee Poisoning from pesticides L. Hooven R. Sagili E. Johansen Photo: Ramesh Sagili Photo: A PACIFIC NORTHWEST EXTENSION PUBLICATION l PNW 591 Oregon State University n University of Idaho n Washington State University Contents Photo: Ramesh Sagili Photo: Pollinators are essential to Pacific Northwest and California agriculture ................................................................. 3 Rules to protect bees ............................................................................................................................................................................ 3 State rules to protect pollinators .................................................................................................................................................... 4 Investigating and documenting a suspected bee poisoning ........................................................................................... 5 Causes of bee poisoning in the Pacific Northwest and California .................................................................................. 6 Signs and symptoms of bee poisoning ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Ways to reduce bee poisoning ........................................................................................................................................................ 8 What pesticide applicators can do to protect honey bees .................................................................................................. 8 What growers can do to protect honey bees .......................................................................................................................... 10 What beekeepers can do to protect honey bees ................................................................................................................... 11 What pesticide applicators, growers, and managers of alfalfa leafcutting, akali, and orchard mason bees can do ......................................................................................... 12 What growers and pesticide applicators can do to protect nonmanaged native bees, including bumble bees ........................................................................ 12 Sources of uncertainty in toxicity of pesticides to bees .....................................................................................................13 Special precautions ..............................................................................................................................................................................14 Using the tables ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................................................................... 15 For more information ..........................................................................................................................................................................34 Resources .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 34 2 Photo: Ramesh Sagili Photo: Honey bees pollinating cherries. How to Reduce Bee Poisoning from Pesticides Pollinators are essential to Pacific to California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington Northwest and California agriculture (Tepedino and Griswold 1995; U.S. Pollinating Insects Database 2013). ommercially managed honey bees pollinate a variety of crops in the West Coast region The full value of their pollination services to of the United States, including almonds, increased crop production is substantial, even in the Ctree fruits, berries, kiwis, cotton, cucurbits, and presence of honey bees (Garibaldi et al. 2013), but crops grown for seed. This activity is economically their sensitivity to pesticides has not been studied significant. Beekeepers from California and the extensively. Pacific Northwest together perform nearly half Rules to protect bees of the nation’s commercial pollination, valued at approximately $18 billion (Calderone 2012). Follow label directions While honey bees are the most economically Specific precautionary statements designed to important pollinators, other managed bees are protect bees are usually found in the Environmental important as well. For example, alfalfa seed Hazards section of the pesticide label (Table 1). production in the western United States is Review the entire label for precautionary and advisory dependent on alfalfa leafcutting bees and alkali bees for pollination, and managed bumble bees By Louisa Hooven and Ramesh Sagili, Oregon State are important for greenhouse tomato production University; and Erik Johansen, Washington State and some covered row crops. Native wild (pollen) Department of Agriculture. With contributions from Jim bees, including numerous species of bumble bees, Barbour, University of Idaho; Dewey Caron, Emeritus, mining bees, mason bees, sweat bees, leafcutting University of Delaware; Joe Defrancesco, Carolyn Breece, and Linda Brewer, Oregon State University; Laurie Gordon bees, and carpenter bees, are all prolific pollinators. and Steven L. Riley, Oregon Department of Agriculture; The estimated annual value of crops pollinated by Rosalind James, USDA/ARS Bee Biology and Systematics wild, native bees in the U.S. is $3 billion or more Lab; Eric Mussen, University of California-Davis; Mace (Losey and Vaughan, 2006, Chaplin-Kramer et al Vaughan, Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Program; 2011). More than 1,600 species of bees are native and Doug Walsh, Washington State University. 3 statements. Key words to look for include “highly toxic State rules to protect pollinators to bees,” “toxic to bees,” and “residues.” Crop-specific The state agriculture departments in Oregon, precautions may also be listed on the label. Although Washington, and Idaho, and the California these precautions are based on toxicity to honey Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR), are bees, they are also relevant to other species of bees, the most reliable sources of current rules intended with some exceptions as noted in Table 4. Residual to reduce the hazard of insecticide applications to toxicity to bees varies greatly between pesticides, bees. See the links below for rules in your state, and can range from hours to a week or more (Table including specific pesticide application times. For 4). When using insecticides with extended residual more information, call the number listed under toxicity (residues expected to cause at least 25 percent “Investigating a suspected bee poisoning.” mortality 8 or more hours after application, Tables 2 and 4), it is imperative that applicators and growers Oregon carefully consider potential exposures to both wild The Pollinator Incident web page at www.oregon.gov/ and managed bees, and avoid applying pesticides to ODA/PEST/Pages/Pollinator.aspx lists current use blooming plants (crops or weeds). limitations. Apiary registration: www.oregon.gov/ ODA/cid/Pages/bees.aspx. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently revising the risk assessment data Washington requirements and process for pollinators, and it is The specific section of the General Pesticide Rules expected that the precautionary statements on the that deal with pollinator protection are WAC 16-228- labels of newly registered pesticides will be based on 1220(1) and WAC 16-228-1262, 1264, and 1266, and the results of these risk assessments. Consult the EPA can be found at www.agr.wa.gov/PestFert/Pesticides/ Label Review Manual, Chapter 8, for information LawsRules.aspx. Hive registration information is regarding precautionary statements used on existing available on the Washington State Department of pesticide labels: (www.epa.gov/oppfead1/labeling/ Agriculture website: www.agr.wa.gov/PlantsInsects/ lrm/chap-08.pdf). Apiary/. Table 1. Honey bee acute toxicity groups and precautionary statements (from EPA)m EPA) Precautionary Statement if Precautionary Statement if Toxicity Group Extended Residual Toxicity is Extended Residual Toxicity is Displayed not Displayed I This product is highly toxic to Product is highly toxic to bees Product contains any active bees exposed to direct treatment exposed to direct treatment on ingredient with an acute LD50 of 2 or residues on blooming crops or blooming crops or weeds. Do not micrograms/bee or less weeds. Do not apply this product or apply this product or allow it to drift allow it to drift to blooming crops to blooming crops or weeds while or weeds if bees are visiting the bees are actively visiting treatment treatment area. area. II This product is toxic to bees exposed This product is toxic to bees exposed Product contains any active to direct treatment or residues on to direct treatment. Do not apply ingredient(s) with acute LD50 of blooming crops or weeds. Do not this product while bees are actively greater than 2 micrograms/bee but apply this product if bees are visiting visiting the treatment area. less than 11 micrograms/bee. the treatment area. III All others. No bee caution required. No bee caution required. 4 Photo: Louisa Hooven Photo: Photo: Ramesh Sagili Photo: A bumble bee forages on a blueberry flower (left).