POLLINATORS FROM INSECTICIDE APPLICATIONS IN TURFGRASS

Transcription

1 E-267-W Turfgrss Insects Deprtment of Entomology PROTECTING POLLINATORS FROM INSECTICIDE APPLICATIONS IN TURFGRASS Dougls Richmond, Turfgrss Entomology Extension Specilist As evidence mounts, there is growing concern neonicotinioid insecticides my ply role in the declining helth of pollintors nd other wildlife cross North Americ. A string of unfortunte nd widely publicized events, hve plced this clss of insecticides t the center of the debte surrounding pollintor decline. This publiction provides turfgrss mngement professionls with suggestions imed t minimizing the potentil negtive impcts of neonicotinoids nd other insecticides on pollintors. Neonicotinoids re extremely toxic to bees nd despite the fct tht turf nd ornmentl systems comprise only bout 4% of neonicotinoid usge in the U.S., they re still the most widely used insecticides in turfgrss systems (Tble 1). Products contining the neonicotinoids clothinidin, dinotefurn, imidcloprid, nd thimethoxm represent useful set of chemistries for controlling severl key turfgrss insect pests. However, their bredth of use does crry with it some risk of pollintor exposure. Not only do neonicotinoid insecitcides exhibit strong contct ctivity ginst insects, they lso ct systemiclly, being tken up by plnts nd distributed throughout plnt tissues vi the plnt vsculr system. As result, neonicotinoid insecticides my end up in vrious plnt tissues, including nectr nd pollen, for n undetermined mount of time. Avoid treting these res with ny insecticide. This is consistent with most insecticide lbels tht dvise ginst pplictions to blooming, nectr-producing plnts tht ttrct pollintors. Remove weeds with herbicide (Fig. 4). Effective weed control should be prerequisite for using insecticides in turfgrss. Mow the turf immeditely before sprying ny insecticide. Mowing will remove 90% of the flowers nd reduce pollintor forging. When neonicotinoids re used, mow frequently enough to keep these blooms from returning s neonicotinoids my be tken up from the soil nd moved systemiclly throughout the plnt for n extended period of time. To minimize potentil negtive impcts of insecticides on pollintors nd other beneficil insects, consider the following suggestions: 1) Don t tret res where pollintors re likely to forge Pollintors forge for nectr nd pollen on wide rnge of flowering plnts, including some of our most common turfgrss weeds (Fig. 1). If flowering weeds such s dndelion (Fig. 2), birdsfoot trefoil (Fig. 3) or white clover re present nd flowering t noticeble levels: Figure 1. Honeybees nd other pollintors forge on vriety of flowering weeds tht re common in turfgrss such s white clover shown in this photogrph. (Photo credit: A. Ptton)

2 Protecting Pollintors E-267-W 2 2) Mintin buffers Mnged lndscpes re usully composed of lrge turfgrss res with lndscpe beds present in vrious rrngements throughout. These beds often contin flowering plnts tht re ttrctive to vriety of pollintors nd other beneficil insects. Although the boundries between lndscpe beds nd turf re usully well defined bove ground, the intermingling of plnt roots my crete much softer boundry in the soil. Therefore: Ø Systemiclly ctive neonicotinoid insecticides pplied to protect the turf could indvertently be tken up by flowering plnts within djcent lndscpe plntings. Ø Leve buffer strip of 2-3 feet between the treted turf nd the border of ny lndscpe bed to minimize the potentil for unintended uptke of neonicotinoid insecticides by the roots of flowering ornmentls (Fig. 5). Figure 2. Dndelion is common turfgrss weed tht is highly ttrctive to pollinting insects including hover flies s shown in this photo. (Photo credit: A. Ptton) Figure 3. Birdsfoot trefoil is ttrctive to pollintors nd is especilly common in low mintennce turfgrss. Figure 5. Lndscpe beds often contin flowering plnts tht re ttrctive to pollintors. Leving n untreted buffer strip between the turf nd bed my help reduce the potentil for unintended uptke of neonicotinoid insecticides by flowering plnts following pplictions trgeting turfgrss insect pests. 3) Wit until petl fll before treting flowering ornmentls Professionl turfgrss mngers my sometimes be required to control insect pests of flowering lndscpe trees nd other ornmentl plnts. When lterntives to neonicotinoids re not vilble: Figure 4. Judicious use of brodlef herbicides cn drmticlly reduce the incidence of flowering brodlef weeds tht re ttrctive to pollintors. The re to the left of the dshed line in the photo ws untreted while the re on the right ws treted with brodlef herbicide. Ø Wit until flower petls fll before pplying neonicotinoids. After petl fll, pollintors will not be ttrcted to these plnts. Ø Never pply ny insecticides directly to the blooms of flowering plnts.

3 3 Protecting Pollintors E-267-W The potentil for neonicotinoids to persist nd move into the flowers of trees nd other ornmentl plnts one yer fter ppliction is not currently known, so insecticide use in nd round such plnts should be limited s much s possible. 4) Embrce lterntives Although there ppers to be no immedite thret of losing neonicotinoids from our insect mngement rsenl, there re plenty of lterntives vilble for use ginst key turfgrss insect pests. See Tble 2 for list of turfgrss insect pests Tble 1. Ecotoxicology of severl common turfgrss insecticides in different niml systems. represents mount of mteril per unit body mss (mg/kg) or individul (µg/bee) required to kill 50% of test popultion. LC 50 represents the concentrtion of mteril in wter required to kill 50% of test popultion. Lower LD50 nd LC50 vlues men greter toxicity. (Trde Nme/Compny) Bet-cyfluthrin (Tempo/Byer) Bifenthrin (Tlstr/FMC) Crbryl (Sevin/Byer) Chlorntrniliprole (Acelepryn/Syngent) Chlorpyrifos (Dursbn/Dow) Clothinidin (Aren/Nufrm; others) Cyntrniliprole (Ference/Syngent) Deltmethrin (Deltgrd/Byer) Dinotefurn (Zylm/PBI-Gordon) Imidcloprid (Merit/Byer;others) Indoxcrb (Provunt/Syngent) Lmbd-cyhlothrin (Scimitr/Syngent) Permethrin (Astro/FMC) Spinosd (Conserve/Dow) Thimethoxm (Meridin/Syngent) Trichlorfon (Dylox/Byer) Zet-cypermethrin (Tlstr Xtr/FMC) Mmml (mg/kg) Bird (mg/kg) Toxicity Fish (mg/liter) b Honey Bee (µg/bee) c Pyrethroid >77 >2, Pyrethroid , Crbmte 614 >2, Dimide >5,000 >2,250 >12 >4 Orgnophosphte Neonicotinoid > Dimide >5,000 >2,250 > Pyrethroid 87 > Neonicotinoid >2,000 >2,000 >100 >0.023 Neonicotinoid Oxdizine Pyrethroid 56 >3, Pyrethroid >430 > Biortionl >5,000 <2, Neonicotinoid >1, > Orgnophosphte 212 > >0.4 Pyrethroid 86 > *Toxicity refers only to ctive ingredient nd does not ccount for formultion. Dt from IUPAC. for mmmls nd birds represents cute orl toxicity. b LC 50 for fish represents cute 96-hour toxicity. c for honey bees my represent either cute contct or orl toxicity.

4 Protecting Pollintors E-267-W 4 controlled by neonicotinoids nd Tble 3 for list of vilble lterntives. Neonicotinoid insecticides cn be orders of mgnitude more toxic to pollintors thn other clsses of insecticides. There re currently number of effective lterntives to neonicotinooids tht re lbeled for use ginst turfgrss insect pests. Tble 2. Neonicotinoid insecticides lbeled for use in turfgrss nd common rthropod pests controlled. (Trde Nme/Compny) Clothinidin (Aren/Nufrm; others) Arthropod Pests White Grubs Billbugs Cterpillrs Chinch Bugs Crne Flies Neonicotinoid X X X X X Dinotefurn (Zylm/PBI-Gordon) Imidcloprid (Merit/Byer; others) Thimethoxm/ (Meridin/Syngent) Neonicotinoid X X X X Neonicotinoid X X Neonicotinoid X X X X X *Alwys consult lbel directions for specific timing nd ppliction recommentions. Lbeled for use ginst sod webworms, but not cutworms or rmyworms.

5 Tble 3. Alterntives to neonicotinoid inseticides lbeled for use in turfgrss nd common rthropod pests controlled. (Trde Nme/Compny) Bet-cyfluthrin (Tempo/Byer) Bifenthrin (Tlstr/FMC) Crbryl/ (Dursbn/Dow) Chlorpyrifos (Dursbn/Dow) Arthropod Pests White Grubs Billbugs Cterpillrs Chinch Bugs Pyrethroid X X X Crne Flies Pyrethroid X X X X Crbmte X X X X X Orgnophosphte X X X X Chlorntrniliprole (Acelepryn/Syngent) Cyntrniliprole (Ference/Syngent) Deltmethrin (Deltgrd/Byer) Indoxcrb (Provunt/Syngent) Permethrin (Astro/FMC) Lmbd-cyhlothrin (Scimitr/Syngent) Dimide X X X X Dimide X X X X Pyrethroid X X X Oxdizine X X Pyrethroid X b X Pyrethroid X X Spinosd (Conserve/Dow) Biortionl X Trichlorfon (Dylox/Byer) Zet-cypermethrin (Tlstr Xtr/FMC) Orgnophosphte X X X X X Pyrethroid X X X X *Alwys consult lbel directions for specific timing nd ppliction recommentions. For use only on turfgrss grown for sod or seed. b Lbeled for use ginst sod webworms, but not cutworms or rmyworms. READ AND FOLLOW ALL LABEL INSTRUCTIONS. THIS INCLUDES DIRECTIONS FOR USE, PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENTS (HAZARDS TO HUMANS, DOMESTIC ANIMALS, AND ENDANGERED SPECIES), ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS, RATES OF APPLICATION, NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS, REENTRY INTERVALS, HARVEST RESTRICTIONS, STORAGE AND DISPOSAL, AND ANY SPECIFIC WARNINGS AND/OR PRECAUTIONS FOR SAFE HANDLING OF THE PESTICIDE. October 2017 It is the policy of the Purdue University Coopertive Extension Service tht ll persons hve equl opportunity nd ccess to its eductionl progrms, services, ctivities, nd fcilities without regrd to rce, religion, color, sex, ge, ntionl origin or ncestry, mritl sttus, prentl sttus, sexul orienttion, disbility or sttus s vetern. Purdue University is n Affirmtive Action institution. This mteril my be vilble in lterntive formts. This work is supported in prt by Extension Implementtion Grnt / IND011460G from the USDA Ntionl Institute of Food nd Agriculture EXT-INFO Order or downlod mterils from