New Insecticide Labels to Increase Focus on Pollinator Protection
As part of an ongoing effort to raise
consciousness about the potential threat to pollinators posed by neonicotinoid
insecticides, the USEPA recently unveiled new pesticide labeling criteria.
The new labels will contain a bee advisory box
and icon with information on routes of exposure and spray drift precautions.
The recent announcement focuses on products
containing the neonicotinoids imidacloprid, dinotefuran, clothianidin and
thiamethoxam. The EPA will be working with pesticide manufacturers to change
labels so they are in compliance the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) safety standards.
In May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) and EPA released a comprehensive scientific report on honey bee health,
showing scientific consensus that there are a complex set of stressors
associated with honey bee declines, including loss of habitat, parasites and
disease, genetics, poor nutrition and pesticide exposure
Although there is no data presently connecting
the use of these insecticides in turf to declining bee health, it may prudent
for pesticide applicators to become reacquainted with product labels to ensure
they are being used in a safe and responsible way. Current labels already
include a hazard statement concerning the risk to pollinators posed by these
insecticides.
The EPA also recently released new enforcement
guidance to federal, state and tribal enforcement officials to enhance
investigations of beekill incidents. When it comes to pesticides use, those of
us in the turf industry really do need to be doing everything we can to avoid
unnecessary risks.
Doug Richmond
Turfgrass Entomologist
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