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TRANSCRIPT
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Daniel A. Potter, ProfessorDept. Of Entomology, Univ. of Kentucky
Challenges and Opportunities for the Green Industry
Early one June 2013 morning at an Oregon shopping center parking lot……
Shortly later, as shoppers begin to arrive……
50,000 dead and dying bees
Oregon Dept. of Agriculture officers
Endangered species conservation biologists
More backlash…..
“This product is highly toxic to bees… Do not apply or allow it to drift to blooming crops or weeds if bees are visiting the treatment area”
The bee kill in Oregon resulted from a label violation
Why all this attention on bees?
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What challenges and opportunities does the “bee issue” pose for the Green Industry and the public?
Growers and garden centers
Lawn and landscape industries
Private citizens
Golf courses
Pollinator Decline
‐ Congressional Research Service report (www.crs.gov)
“USDA estimates honey bee colony losses from all causes have averaged more than 30% annually since 2006.”
Why care about bees?
Bee pollination services to US Agriculture valued at $20 billion/year
Cherries
Tomatoes
Melons, squash
The California almond industry alone requires use of 1.4 million honey bee colonies!
Without bees, they’ll all be off the menu
Why conserve bees? Bees pollinate gardens and native plants that provide food for urban wildlife
Honey bees are of European OriginBrought to North America by early colonists in the 1600s
4000 species of wild native bees alsoprovide pollination services in the USA!
Besides managed honey bees…
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Bumble bees Orchard, Mason, and Leafcutter bees
Sweat Bees Mining bees
Types of wild Bees
Bees and Wasps are NOT the same
Mason bee nest
Feeding time!
Bees feed their young on pollen and nectar
Branched hairs
Body adapted to carry pollen
Bees and Wasps are NOT the sameWasps are bald or have a sparse hairs poorly suited for carrying pollen
Wasps feed their young on meat!
Honey bees are docile unless hive is threatened, and native bees rarely sting
Most “bee” stings in urban settings are really from wasps
Why are bee populations declining?
Colony Collapse DisorderBeginning in 2006, beekeepers began reporting sudden widespread loss of hives
Workers “disappear” leaving queen and immature bees no means to sustain them
‐ Diseases‐ Parasites‐Management stress‐ Environmental stress
CCD is “a syndrome caused by different factors, working in combination”
Varroa mites: Suck blood and transmit deadly bee diseases
Yikes!!
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Exotic bee viruses Nosema fungus causes “dysentery” in bees
Pathogen loads are higher in colonies suffering from CCD
Deformed wing virus
Why are honey bees declining? Why are honey bees declining?
Good Not good
Real honey boosts baby bees’ immune systems
Why are honey bees declining?
Why are honey bees declining?
Travel stress!Didn’t I use to live here?
Why are ALL bees declining?Habitat loss
Why are ALL bees declining?Environmental stressors
Less varied, less nutritious pollen & nectar
Accidental or chronic exposure to pesticides
DiseasesParasitic mites
Habitat LossStressful management practices
Acute and chronic pesticide exposures
The Scientific Consensus
No single factor or specific combination of factors has been identified as the ‘cause’ for declining bee populations
Insecticide exposure, though not the main driver of bee decline, can put additional stress on bees
‐ USDA, US EPA, US Nat. Acad. Sci.
Parasites, diseases
Insecticide exposure
Other stressors
One stress can increase bees’ vulnerability to others
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Varroa mites, diseases, stressful management, habitat loss
It is harder to recover from a concussion…
Other stressors, including insecticide exposure
If you are also being kicked in the head
Public perception is that pesticides, esp. neonicotinoid insecticides are the main cause of bee decline
Activism to restrict use of horticultural pesticides is nothing new
But, how did bees become the new driver for those pressures?
Conflicting studies and media coverage…
2014: Friends of the Earth survey receives wide media coverage
February 2014: Organic Consumers Association organizes protests at Big‐Box stores in five cities demanding they stop selling neonic products and treated plants:
Home Depot requires labels on plants treated by wholesale growers (2015)
Lowes announces phase out of sales of home & garden products containing neonicotinoids
2015Why do Green Industry Professionals use neonicotinoids?
Treated
Not Treated
Why does the Green Industry use neonicotinoids?
Emerald ash borer
White grubs
TreatedNot Treated
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Psyllids
Lace bugs
Scale insects
Neonics are very effective for systemic control of:
Leaf miners
Whiteflies
Aphids
Systemic treatments are often less hazardous and more practical than sprays
This…. Or this……
Homeowner products with systemic neonicotinoids (imidacloprid or dinotefuran)
Boxwood psyllid Boxwood leafminer Lace bugs Scale insects
Are very effective for controlling pests like these:
Systemic products simplify outdoor pest control by homeowners
Or this……
This….But… that does not mean that neonics are harmless to bees!
The scientific consensus is that neonicotinoids are not a major driver of bee decline
Bees can potentially be exposed via contact orsystemic transference into pollen and nectar
At high enough dosages, neonicotinoids have sub‐lethal effects that impair individual behavior and colony function
Impaired communication
Impaired learning, foraging, and homing behavior
The research shows:But nearly all that research used unrealistically high doses, gave bees no other choices, and did not reflect real‐world conditions
Our recent studiesEvaluate hazards of insecticides to bees in lawn and landscape settings
Find ways to reduce those hazards
Jonathan Larson, PhD 2014
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The model system: White clover intermixed with cool‐season lawn turf
White clover (Fabaceae)
Clover is common in lawns and (some) golf course roughs
Eusociality when first workers emerge
Queen overwinters, becomes active in early spring
New queens seek overwintering sites, colony dies out
Midsummer switch to producing new queens and males
More workers produced, colony grows
Gynes emerge, mating and outcrossing
Solitary Phase(first few weeks)
Neonicotinoid Anthranilic diamide
We compared representative compounds from two chemical classes:
Clothianidin Chlorantraniliprole
Insecticides were applied at label rates for grub control in early May
Treatment timing matches that for preventive grub control
Commercial bumble bee hives starting with a queen and 20 workers
Colonies introduced after sprays had dried and confined to forage for 6 days
30 open‐bottom cages0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Clothianidin Chlorantraniliprole No Input
Foragers
Colonies exposed to neonicotinoid‐treated turf had fewer workers out foraging
Arena Acelepryn Not treated
*
No reduction from Acelepryn®
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When colonies were opened and examined we saw:
58% fewer live bees3‐fold more dead bees
No adverse effects
GaineswayHorse Farm
Colonies then moved to safe foraging site and left for 6 weeks
Weighing colonies in the field
Get him!!Get him!!
Colonies that had foraged on neonic-treated flowers struggled to grow
Larson et al PLOS One 2013
(Acelepryn®, a diamide)
(Arena®, a neonicotinoid)
Non‐treated or Acelepryn‐treated
Neonicotinoid‐treated
Colonies exposed to neonic‐sprayed blooms failed to produce any new queens
Overspraying clover blooms with a neonicotinoid adversely affected bee foraging, colony vigor, and reproduction
Acelepryn: no impact on bumble bee colony health
Good!
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Will bees avoid sprayed flowers?
Larson et al PLOS One 2013
Spraying plots Counted bees for each day for 1 week
Will bees avoid feeding on contaminated flowers?
NO! Turf mowed to remove directly‐sprayed bloomsNew colonies were confined on same plots 10 days later, after new blooms had opened
Does mowing reduce neonicotinoidimpacts?
Bees exposed to new blooms formed after mowing neonicotinoid‐treated turf showed no harmful effects
Good!Directlysprayed
New blooms after mowing
Imidacloprid 5492 8.4Clothianidin 2393 6.2
Residue levels (ppb) in clover nectar
Reduced 99.4 to 99.8% after one mowing!
‐ Larson et al. (2015) Environ. Tox. Chem. 34:127‐132
Spray versus granular applications
J. Econ. Entomol. 95: 722-728 (2002)
Sprays versus granular applications
Gels, Held & Potter 2002
No adverse effects
What can practitioners do to protect bees?
Do not to overspray flowering plantsUse bee‐friendly products (e.g., Acelepryn)If using neonicotinoids, mow or control flowering weeds before or after application, or use granular formulation Communicate with customers
Homeowner Grub Control Products
Neonics Alternatives
Merit Arena Acelepryn Dylox
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Foster holly Summersweet(Clethra)
New Residue Studies: 3 plant species
2 neonics
3 treatment timings
Winter King hawthorn
Post Bloom NovemberPre-bloom
Twigs with holly blooms mounted for centrifugation
Hawthorn nectar, 200‐300 flowers extracted per tube
Sampling Nectar and Pollen
Prune to remove flower buds Treat for scales, leafminers, lace bugs after bloom or in autumn
Tentative BMPs if needing to treat key pests on woody ornamentals
Match product to target: Imidacloprid: longer residual Dinotefuran: faster uptake
Hazard = Toxicity x ExposureCommon sense practices reduce bees’ exposure to residues
High exposureHigh hazard
Low exposureLow hazard
New EPA Bee Advisory Box Bee‐friendly land care also provides opportunities for the Green Industry
Lawn care
Golf coursesNurseries and garden centers
Operation Pollinator for Golf Courses
Carnoustie St. Andrews
Operation Pollinator at St. Andrews and Carnoustie, Scotland
Establishing KY Operation Pollinator Plots
Mow Herbicide
Scarify and rake
Seeding
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They will advise and custom‐blend a seed mix for your area
June 2013 July 2013
Lakeside GC, Lexington (same site)
• Total of 49 different pollinator species• Seven bumble bee species including
three uncommon and declining ones
Recommended Mix for Ohio Valley Region Primary species:
Lanceleaf Coreopsis Bergamot Black‐eyed Susan New England Aster
Prairie coneflowerPlains Coreopsis Purple coneflower
And…. smaller amounts of others to add variety and interest
As of Spring 2015, Operation Pollinator sites had been planted on 125 U.S. golf courses in 27 states
Operation Pollinator Tools
GreenCastOnline.com/OperationPollinator
Literature and guidelines
Downloadable communications to members
Downloadable press release to local media
Signage for Operation Pollinator Plots
Monarch Butterfly and Caterpillar on Milkweed
Monarchs Migrate to and From Overwintering Grounds in Mexico
Seed Kit: $16
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Common milkweed in naturalized roughs helps monarch butterflies
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Opportunities for progressive small businesses
What Else can you do to help bees?
Diversity of plant species with succession of bloom from early spring through fall
Research Project: 2014‐2016Best Woody Landscape Plants for Bee Conservation
Sampling 60 Species of Flowering Trees and Shrubs
Bee Assemblages: 50‐bee samples from each of 5 sites per plant species
Attractiveness to bees:“Snapshot” (1‐min) counts; includes both attractive and non‐attractive plant species
Different woody ornamentals attract unique bee assemblages
Flowering crabapple Fuzzy Deutzia
Flower Form Matters!
Hydrangea paniculata
Hydrangea arborescens
Prairie rose
Hybrid tea rose
Good!
Pretty useless
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Diversity of bees varies by plant species
Mock Orange (Philadelphus)
Chaste tree(Vitex)
Non‐nativeNative
Chelosoma philadelphi
Native and Non‐Native Plants Can Both Be Good for Bee‐friendly Landscapes!
Yellowwood
Deutzia
Pyracantha
American HollyHawthorn Chaste tree
Redbud
Some other GREAT trees for bees
Bee bee tree
Korean stewartia Seven sons flower tree
Devil’s walking stickAmerican yellowwood
Bottlebrush buckeye
Winged sumac
Eastern redbud spiraea
Cornus mas
Native Non‐native
Some GREAT shrubs for bees
Sweetspire (Itea)
Glossy abelia
Winterberry holly
SummersweetClethra
Dwarf fothergilla
Buttonbush
Virginia spiraea
Fuzzy deutzia
St. John’s Wort
Spring Early Summer Late Summer
Serviceberry Bottlebrush buckeye Bee bee tree
Crabapple Climbing prairie rose Winged sumac
False Indigo Clethra Glossy abelia
Eastern redbud Hydrangea paniculata Seven son flower tree
Cornelian cherry St. John's wort Chaste tree
Winter king hawthorn Winterberry Devil's walking stick
False indigo Golden rain tree Buttonbush
Foster's holly Amur maackia
Flowering cherry Virginia spirea
American yellowwood Linden
How to Build a Bee‐Friendly Landscape(Choose some from each column)
Opportunities for progressive small businesses
What else can you do to help urban bees?
Leave some clover in lawns
It provides pollen, nectar, and stepping stones between remnants of natural habitat
Published Sept 2014
More than 50 species of pollinators recorded from dandelions and clover in Lexington, KY lawns
Conserving Pollinators benefits urban habitats
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Bee‐Friendly Land Care:
Read and follow the label
Leave buffer zones, do not overspray flowering plants Promote some
tolerance of clover!
Bee‐Friendly Land CareDiversify landscapes with bee‐friendly flowering plants
Keep Cost/Benefit in PerspectiveIPM is more than Integrated Pollinator Management
Emerald Ash Borer Impact: Toledo Ohio
Before (2006) After (2009)
Photos: Dan Herms (OSU)
Keep the politics in perspective…
Flowering landscape plants from garden centers are good for bees!
Research Supported by: Thanks!