S tre e t R oots • Aprii 14-20, 2017
BEES, from page 9
gardeners to over-apply pesticides and other
chemicals in their home gardens.
“There’s always this thought of ‘more is
better,’ and it really isn’t,” she said.
Code said a recent Xerces Society study
revealed that even when people follow the
directions on the label, they may be using
too much.
“What we found,” she said, “was that
because of the way pesticide labels are
written, the application rate could be
significantly higher on an ornamental tree in
a backyard in comparison to what can be
applied in an agricultural setting. So not
only are these chemicals a concern by
themselves, but all of a sudden we might be
allowing people to use much higher levels
than what we expected because of the way a
backyard is so different from an agricultural
field.”
Vollmer and Xerces Society staff joined a
long list of scientists, researchers and
pollinator fans - some came dressed as bees
and butterflies - at a March 27 public
News
hearing in Salem testifying in support of the
bills that would regulate neonicotinoids.
The European Union has already placed
restrictions on neonicotinoids, and in
California and Colorado, lawmakers are also
considering bills that are similar to the one
passed in Maryland.
The causes of bee decline are not
pesticides alone. Code said climate change,
disease and loss of habitat are also to blame.
“This is part of the solution. It’s not all of
it, but it’s part of it,” she said of the bill.
“What I really want to see is a
transformation in how we think about
agriculture and how we manage our yards.”
Oregonians for Food and Shelter, which
represents the agricultural industry,
opposes both of the bills. Its policy director,
Scott Dahlman, told lawmakers in Salem
that if neonicontinoids are taken off the
market, people will simply reach for
alternative pesticides that also pose
problems, and can also be toxic to fish and
pollinators.
Arkin called this a “side-stepping”
argument.
Page 11
“They are all toxic, and the
reason neonicotinoids need to
come off the market is
because of their bio
persistence and systemic
nature,” Arkin said. “This is a
chemical that is known to contaminate
surface water and kill aquatic insects for
years after the initial application. We’re
talking about disrupting the food chain at its
most basic level.”
As of press time, the neonicotinoid-
restricting bill was scheduled for a work
session on April 13, which could be
postponed, or if it goes forward, the bill
could either pass a committee vote or die.
(Check news.streetroots.org for updates.)
If it moves forward, it will go to a vote in
the Senate.
“It’s so important to push these bigger
policy changes, but we also really need to
know what we can do in our own yard,”
Code said.
Vollmer said planting a variety of native
species that will provide pollinators with
blooms throughout the seasons is key.
She offers natural pest control
products at her nursery, but at home,
she said, she usually just blasts aphids
with water because once they are
knocked off the plant, they can’t get
back up.
Code said that while “organic does
not mean pollinator friendly,” because they
are shorter lived, “the window for exposure
is really small, whereas neonicotinoids we
could have ongoing exposure over days and
weeks, and lead to much greater harm.”
Vollmer recommends using a natural
dormant oil on trees during the winter,
which will coat the pest eggs and keep them
from hatching. She said there are also
bacteria-based sprays for lettuce and
cabbage that will kill pest caterpillars, but
not butterfly larvae.
But both Vollmer and Code agree:
Healthy plants will, for the most part,
protect themselves against pests.
“You have to take care of your plants, and
not try to grow things where they shouldn’t
be grown, and that’s why natives are great,”
Vollmer said. “Stressed plants get hurt by
do you share health?
At Health Share, we
believe good health is
more than what happens
inside your doctor’s office.
Good health starts in your
community and includes
staying active, eating
h e a lth y food and g e tting
regular dheck-ups.
Share your healthy habits
with family and friends. We
can all have better health
when we share it together.
Better health
together.
www.healthshareoregon.org
ACROSS
OOUCHNUT
CROSSWORD PUZZU
1.
4.
6.
7.
8.
9.
12.
14.
16.
17.
Fermentation agent
Have a bite
Tree fluid
Cake ingredient
Three-ply cookie
Hook's henchman
Ground grain
The gift o f __
Tease or ridicule
Francis or Kevin?
down
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
8.
10.
11.
13.
Affirmative!
Type of fritter
Analyze or try
Cake ingredient
Tres
Deal
Potter's practice
Nosh!
Late rapper; abbr.
15.
__ appetit
n
u
All Profits to Social Justice
Cannabis with Benefits
Panacea is a non-dividend,
triple-bottom-line company.
We commit 100% of profits to
affordable housing and social justice.
Everyone else
is just
sellin'weed.
Recycle your cannabis money
back to the community at Panacea.
6714 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, Oregon • 503-477-5083
www.panaceapdx.com • panacea_pdx
Mon-Sat, 10-8, Sun 11-5