Replies to post #535 on A Gardener's Diary

[Monksdream]

This husband/wife research scientists delivered a lecture. They work for Smithers Viscient, a contract research organization in the central Piedmont region of North Carolina. Jessica Louque is a contributor to Bee Culture magazine. She has a Linked In profile.

The perform field studies of how insecticides affect bee populations. They set up 200 foot grow tunnels, put in hives, apply the insecticides, then collect data. They have anywhere from 500 to 700 hives. They order sugar by the truckload to feed started colonies.

Apparently there is a movement afoot to establish bee ordinances. Cities and counties already have ordinances in urban areas.

I agreed with her observations that on the whole, farmers use less chemicals because they're cost conscious. There is probably more dangerous chemicals in urban areas because a backyard grower figures if one pound is recommended, wouldn't twice as much be even better. True, the yields increase because the plants are healthier, but then all other living things die along with the targeted insect.

And so we're back to Square One as to why organic growers advocate integrated pest management.