When I was sitting in the hospital with Brian, I read a book of fiction that was loosely based upon facts. When I read books like that, I feel the need to research the science and facts stated as truth. In this case, one of the topics was how fipronil is in part responsible for the "disappearing bee mystery"
As a pet owner I recognized the name fipronil as the main ingredient in a pet flea control product. In fact, I even have some in my home. I was naturally concerned over the book implication, so research I started.
I was dismayed to find that indeed fipronil is not only in part responsible for the bee deaths (though this is a claim naturally dismissed by it's producer Bayer) But that it has been banned in France since 2005. China is in the process of instituting a ban
Further research shows In my opinion disturbing uses of it with obviously toxic effects. In fact, there seems to be warranted cause for this product to no longer be sold.
To compound my concern, it also no longer works at all on the fleas my pets have had this year.
The national pesticide information center has an alarming fact sheet on it, This report discusses it's further effects on bugs, as well as the fish in the water .
on a less science more discussion side of things, this blog discusses how the EPA may not renew the license for a fipronil product because of concerning long term effects.
And finally for those likely a little more drama This article sums things up nicely.
Finally...I recommend this website and it's video to tie up this little discussion....
What do you think??
I saw a show about the missing bees in China a few years ago. They had people out in the orchards doing the bee's duties with long sticks and cotton rags. It was the only way to get their plums. I personally have seen a resurgance of the honey bee activity around my house in the last year. In the previous 2 years it was all done by the bumbles and other wasps and flies.
ReplyDeletePink, I saw that show also...very interesting, and very labor intensive...it said that the bees were missing from that area of china for long time. I can't see that happening here in the US...we've seen mainly bumblebees and wasps here.
ReplyDeleteI used to keep honeybees at my Missouri farm. We've had a massive die off of honeybees in the US too.
ReplyDelete"One-Third of All Honeybees Died Last Winter, and That's Not Even The Worst News"
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/blogs/bees/colony-collapse-disorder-census-0430#ixzz0wpyqykkv
thanks PJ interesting article as well. I think that the current uses of fipronil in pets as well as in agriculture and pest control is frighting, even more so because i knew so little about it.
ReplyDeleteI do not want to be out there dusting my plants by hand. I am going to put together an apiary next year. Send me a link to your blog again, it was saved on my old hard drive that died a while ago.