Early one June 2013 morning at an Oregon shopping center parking lot. The bee kill in Oregon resulted from a label violation

Transcription

1 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 Daniel A. Potter, Professor Dept. Of Entomology, Univ. of Kentucky 50,000 dead and dying bees More backlash.. Oregon Dept. of Agriculture officers Endangered species conservation biologists The bee kill in Oregon resulted from a label violation 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 Why all this attention on bees? 1

2 What challenges and opportunities does the bee issue pose for the Green Industry and the public? Pollinator Decline USDA estimates honey bee colony losses from all causes have averaged more than 30% annually since Congressional Research Service report ( Lawn and landscape industries Golf courses Growers and garden centers Private citizens Why care about bees? Bee pollination services to US Agriculture valued at $20 billion/year Tomatoes The California almond industry alone requires use of 1.4 million honey bee colonies! Without bees, they ll all be off the menu Melons, squash Cherries Why conserve bees? Bees pollinate gardens and native plants that provide food for urban wildlife Honey bees are of European Origin Brought to North America by early colonists in the 1600s Besides managed honey bees 4000 species of wild native bees also provide pollination services in the USA! 2

3 Bees and Wasps are NOT the same Bees feed their young on pollen and nectar Bees and Wasps are NOT the same Wasps are bald or have a sparse hairs poorly suited for carrying pollen Honey bees are docile unless hive is threatened, and native bees rarely sting Branched hairs Feeding time! Body adapted to carry pollen Mason bee nest Wasps feed their young on meat! Most bee stings in urban settings are really from wasps Why are bee populations declining? Colony Collapse Disorder Beginning in 2006, beekeepers began reporting sudden widespread loss of hives Workers disappear leaving queen and immature bees no means to sustain them CCD is a syndrome caused by different factors, working in combination Diseases Parasites Management stress Environmental stress Varroa mites: Suck blood and transmit deadly bee diseases Yikes!! Why are honey bees declining? Pathogen loads are higher in colonies suffering from CCD Deformed wing virus Exotic bee viruses Nosema fungus causes dysentery in bees 3

4 Why are honey bees declining? Why are honey bees declining? Why are honey bees declining? Travel stress! Not good Good Real honey boosts baby bees immune systems Why are ALL bees declining? Habitat loss Didn t I use to live here? Why are ALL bees declining? Environmental stressors Parasitic mites Diseases Stressful management practices Habitat Loss Less varied, less nutritious pollen & nectar Accidental or chronic exposure to pesticides 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 Parasites, diseases One stress can increase bees vulnerability to others Other stressors It is harder to recover from a concussion If you are also being kicked in the head Insecticide exposure, though not the main driver of bee decline, can put additional stress on bees USDA, US EPA, US Nat. Acad. Sci. Insecticide exposure Varroa mites, diseases, stressful management, habitat loss Other stressors, including insecticide exposure 4

5 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 The bee issue has become a new driver for those politics Why do Green Industry Professionals use neonicotinoids? Why does the Green Industry use neonicotinoids? Neonics are very effective for systemic control of: Systemic treatments are often less hazardous and more practical than sprays Not Treated Treated Treated Aphids Not Treated Lace bugs Leaf miners Emerald ash borer This. Or this White grubs Whiteflies Psyllids Scale insects Homeowner products with systemic neonicotinoids (imidacloprid or dinotefuran) The scientific consensus is that neonicotinoids are not a major driver of bee decline But that does not mean that neonics are harmless to bees! Bees can potentially be exposed via contact or systemic transference into pollen and nectar Are very effective for controlling pests like these: Boxwood psyllid Boxwood leafminer Lace bugs Scale insects 5

6 The research shows: At high enough dosages, neonicotinoids have sub lethal effects that impair individual behavior and colony function But nearly all that research used unrealistically high doses, gave bees no other choices, and did not reflect real world conditions Our recent studies Evaluate hazards of insecticides to bees in lawn and landscape settings Find ways to reduce those hazards Impaired communication Impaired learning, foraging, and homing behavior Jonathan Larson, PhD 2014 The model system: White clover intermixed with cool season lawn turf Clover is common in lawns and (some) golf course roughs New queens seek overwintering sites, colony dies out Queen overwinters, becomes active in early spring Gynes emerge, mating and outcrossing Solitary Phase (first few weeks) White clover (Fabaceae) Eusociality when first workers emerge Midsummer switch to producing new queens and males More workers produced, colony grows We compared representative compounds from two chemical classes: Insecticides were applied at label rates for grub control in early May Neonicotinoid Anthranilic diamide Clothianidin Chlorantraniliprole Treatment timing matches that for preventive grub control 6

7 Commercial bumble bee hives starting with a queen and 20 workers Colonies introduced after sprays had dried and confined to forage for 6 days Colonies exposed to neonicotinoid treated turf had fewer workers out foraging No reduction from Acelepryn Foragers open bottom cages * Clothianidin Arena Chlorantraniliprole Acelepryn Not No treated Input When colonies were opened and examined we saw: 58% fewer live bees 3 fold more dead bees No adverse effects Gainesway Horse Farm Colonies then moved to safe foraging site and left for 6 weeks Weighing colonies in the field (Acelepryn, a diamide) (Arena, a neonicotinoid) Get him!! Get him!! Colonies that had foraged on neonictreated flowers struggled to grow Larson et al PLOS One

8 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! Non treated or Acelepryn treated Neonicotinoidtreated Will bees avoid sprayed flowers? Spraying plots Counted bees for each day for 1 week Will bees avoid feeding on contaminated flowers? NO! Does mowing reduce neonicotinoid impacts? Turf mowed to remove directly sprayed blooms New colonies were confined on same plots 10 days later, after new blooms had opened Larson et al PLOS One 2013 Bees exposed to new blooms formed after mowing neonicotinoid treated turf showed no harmful effects Good! Residue levels (ppb) in clover nectar Reduced 99.4 to 99.8% after one mowing! Directly sprayed New blooms after mowing Imidacloprid Clothianidin Spray versus granular applications Larson et al. (2015) Environ. Tox. Chem. 34: J. Econ. Entomol. 95: (2002) 8

9 Sprays versus granular applications What can YOU do to protect bees? Don t overspray flowering plants Use bee friendly products (e.g., Acelepryn) Mow or control flowering weeds before or after application, or use granular formulation Communicate with customers Hazard = Toxicity x Exposure Common sense practices reduce bees exposure to residues No adverse effects Gels, Held & Potter 2002 High exposure High hazard Low exposure Low hazard New EPA Bee Advisory Box Bee friendly land care also provides opportunities for the Green Industry Operation Pollinator for Golf Courses Lawn care Nurseries and garden centers Golf courses Operation Pollinator at St. Andrews and Carnoustie, Scotland Establishing KY Operation Pollinator Plots They will advise and custom blend a seed mix for your area Carnoustie St. Andrews Mow Seeding Herbicide Scarify and rake 9

10 Lakeside GC, Lexington (same site) Recommended Mix for Ohio Valley Region Primary species: Lanceleaf Coreopsis Bergamot Black eyed Susan New England Aster June 2013 July 2013 Total of 49 different pollinator species Seven bumble bee species including three uncommon and declining ones Plains Coreopsis Prairie coneflower 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 GreenCastOnline.com/OperationPollinator Operation Pollinator Tools Monarch Butterfly and Caterpillar on Milkweed Literature and guidelines Downloadable communications to members Downloadable press release to local media Signage for Operation Pollinator Plots Monarchs Migrate to and From Overwintering Grounds in Mexico Common milkweed in naturalized roughs helps monarch butterflies Seed Kit: $16 10

11 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: Best Woody Landscape Plants for Bee Conservation Sampling 60 Species of Flowering Trees and Shrubs Different woody ornamentals attract unique bee assemblages Flower Form Matters! Good! Flowering crabapple Fuzzy Deutzia Prairie rose Hydrangea paniculata Pretty useless Hybrid tea rose Hydrangea arborescens Native and Non Native Plants Can Both Be Good for Bee friendly Landscapes! Some other GREAT trees for bees Native Non native Some GREAT shrubs for bees Hawthorn American Holly Deutzia Chaste tree Eastern redbud spiraea Winged sumac Bottlebrush buckeye Korean stewartia Seven sons flower tree Virginia spiraea Buttonbush Dwarf fothergilla Fuzzy deutzia Glossy abelia Yellowwood Redbud Pyracantha American yellowwood Devil s walking stick Cornus mas Bee bee tree Winterberry holly Summersweet Clethra Sweetspire (Itea) St. John s Wort 11

12 How to Build a Bee Friendly Landscape (Choose some from each column) 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 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 Conserving Pollinators benefits urban habitats Bee Friendly Land Care: Read and follow the label More than 50 species of pollinators recorded from dandelions and clover in Lexington, KY lawns Leave buffer zones, do not overspray flowering plants Promote some tolerance of clover! Bee Friendly Land Care Diversify landscapes with beefriendly flowering plants Keep Cost/Benefit in Perspective IPM is more than Integrated Pollinator Management Research Supported by: Thanks! Emerald Ash Borer Impact: Toledo Ohio Before (2006) After (2009) Photos: Dan Herms (OSU) 12