|
Really interested in your comments about the lack of insect life. My other half is a beekeeper and has had his attention drawn to the damage being caused by neonicatinoids, insect sprays and treatments which have taken over the space left by the removal of organophosphates and other pesticides.
Unfortunately its not just bees who are affected, and while the absolute proof of the damage being caused is hard to find, a small amount of research on the internet (yes, a lot of scientific papers out there, not just rants from the disaffected) will reveal the story.
Seeds are treated and the poison becomes a systemic insecticide in the plant. A good example is canola - it permeates the plant and pollens, causing our poor old bees to become disorientated. Other beneficial insects are also affected and vanish.
Sprays of the nicatinoids (all of them, I gather) remain in the soil for many years, causing problems with worms and other soil inhabitants.
The whole family of these are now in ubiquitous use in the community, through our supermarkets, farming supply shops etc etc. I guess that the big chemical companies wanted treatments which had no apparent affect on
humans, as toxity of these substances on us appears to be safe, whereas the organophosphates and their ilk were apparently not so.
We have noticed on our farm since the floods last year a dearth of mosquitoes and other insect life. One would have expected huge numbers after the floods, but not so.
I read where even 1 part per billion has deleterious affects on insects, a staggeringly minute percentage. With bees it affects their neurotransmitters and they get lost.
There is a suspicion that this is part of the reason for the massive loss of bees in the USA. France and Germany have banned the substance because of observed losses from spraying near beehives.
We would be most interest to receive any comments re apparent insect losses in any areas.
Time to invoke the Precautionary Principle! [IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Julie/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image001.gif[/IMG]
|