The SBBA in the news
In the short time SBBA has been in existence, it has been featured in the Santa Barbara News-Press, the Santa Barbara Independent, KEYT and even the nightly reports in the Oval Office. Click on the links below to read the articles. If you would like an interview, or to learn more about what we do, please contact us.
Local Bees and Pollinators in Immediate Danger
For Immediate Release: March 29, 2013
Contact: Todd Bebb, Vice President, Santa Barbara Beekeepers Association
805-450-9194; todd@sbba.org
In response to the discovery of 7 Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) in residential citrus trees in Santa Barbara and Goleta, the California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) is planning a systemic neonicotinoid pesticide application, possibly affecting thousands of residential properties. This application follows on the heels of similar foliar spraying and systemic ground soaking throughout the State, and most recently, in Santa Maria.
According to the CDFA, ACP can carry and transmit a devastating bacterial disease called Huanglongbing (HLB). It should be noted that HLB has not been detected in any of the samples, but because of risk to the citrus industry, the state has been aggressively monitoring and attempting to control the pest. Few alternatives to this treatment exist, though netting citrus trees is an option that organic growers have used successfully.
The three pesticides intended to be applied including Imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid, all are labeled by the manufacturer to be “highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment or residues on blooming crops or weeds.” Dozens of independent studies on Imidacloprid, as well as other neonicotinoid pesticides confirm impacts on bees and colony health including colony collapse disorder (CCD). (see NY Times link below)
As many citrus trees are currently in bloom in the intended treatment area where local bees are foraging, an application of these insecticides poses an extremely high risk of poisoning, injuring, and potentially exterminating local honeybee colonies.
Recently, 18 beehives collapsed in nearby Montecito. Penn State University tested samples of the comb and honey which showed the presence of a number of pesticides. Penn State Senior Extension Associate, Maryann Frazier remarked, “Honey bees across the country are being exposed to a great diversity and sometimes high levels of pesticides. While the evidence associated with the Montecito die-off is not conclusive, the symptoms of colony deaths and detections of low levels of pesticides toxic to honey bees are suspicious and cause for concern.”
Just this past week, several beekeepers and public interest groups filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the “conditional registration” of neonicotinoids, and labeling deficiencies.
(see PANNA link below) CDFA will be sending notifications to homeowners within the treatment area within 72 hours of a scheduled public hearing. Treatments could commence within 48 hours after this meeting. We will let you know when
and where as soon as we have this information.
Residents DO have the option of requesting to opt out of treatment and should inquire further.
Sign up at: http://optoutgoleta.com/OptOutGoleta/What_Can_I_Do_files/Notice.pdf
(ACP Treatment Opt Out Form)
Honeybees are responsible for the pollination of at least 95 kinds of crops. Local beekeepers and supporters of beekeeping are highly committed to providing safe, healthy, and pesticide-free environments for honeybees, as
well as other important pollinators.
“Honeybees and other pollinators are getting hit hard, but there are things wecan do to reduce the threats to them,” said SBBA President, Paul Cronshaw.
Voluntary monitoring and treatments using less invasive and harmful methods by owners of Citrus Trees are encouraged.
The USDA has published this document about treatments:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?seq_no_115=275704
The CDFA has published this one about ACP/HLB Facts and Identification:
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/acp/index.html
Contact: Todd Bebb, Vice President, Santa Barbara Beekeepers Association
805-450-9194; todd@sbba.org
In response to the discovery of 7 Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) in residential citrus trees in Santa Barbara and Goleta, the California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) is planning a systemic neonicotinoid pesticide application, possibly affecting thousands of residential properties. This application follows on the heels of similar foliar spraying and systemic ground soaking throughout the State, and most recently, in Santa Maria.
According to the CDFA, ACP can carry and transmit a devastating bacterial disease called Huanglongbing (HLB). It should be noted that HLB has not been detected in any of the samples, but because of risk to the citrus industry, the state has been aggressively monitoring and attempting to control the pest. Few alternatives to this treatment exist, though netting citrus trees is an option that organic growers have used successfully.
The three pesticides intended to be applied including Imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid, all are labeled by the manufacturer to be “highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment or residues on blooming crops or weeds.” Dozens of independent studies on Imidacloprid, as well as other neonicotinoid pesticides confirm impacts on bees and colony health including colony collapse disorder (CCD). (see NY Times link below)
As many citrus trees are currently in bloom in the intended treatment area where local bees are foraging, an application of these insecticides poses an extremely high risk of poisoning, injuring, and potentially exterminating local honeybee colonies.
Recently, 18 beehives collapsed in nearby Montecito. Penn State University tested samples of the comb and honey which showed the presence of a number of pesticides. Penn State Senior Extension Associate, Maryann Frazier remarked, “Honey bees across the country are being exposed to a great diversity and sometimes high levels of pesticides. While the evidence associated with the Montecito die-off is not conclusive, the symptoms of colony deaths and detections of low levels of pesticides toxic to honey bees are suspicious and cause for concern.”
Just this past week, several beekeepers and public interest groups filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the “conditional registration” of neonicotinoids, and labeling deficiencies.
(see PANNA link below) CDFA will be sending notifications to homeowners within the treatment area within 72 hours of a scheduled public hearing. Treatments could commence within 48 hours after this meeting. We will let you know when
and where as soon as we have this information.
Residents DO have the option of requesting to opt out of treatment and should inquire further.
Sign up at: http://optoutgoleta.com/OptOutGoleta/What_Can_I_Do_files/Notice.pdf
(ACP Treatment Opt Out Form)
Honeybees are responsible for the pollination of at least 95 kinds of crops. Local beekeepers and supporters of beekeeping are highly committed to providing safe, healthy, and pesticide-free environments for honeybees, as
well as other important pollinators.
“Honeybees and other pollinators are getting hit hard, but there are things wecan do to reduce the threats to them,” said SBBA President, Paul Cronshaw.
Voluntary monitoring and treatments using less invasive and harmful methods by owners of Citrus Trees are encouraged.
The USDA has published this document about treatments:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?seq_no_115=275704
The CDFA has published this one about ACP/HLB Facts and Identification:
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/acp/index.html
Massive Honeybee Die Off in Montecito
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 30, 2013
Santa Barbara Beekeepers Association announces: Massive Honeybee Die Off in Montecito
Last October, SBBA was called out to several backyard beekeepers’ properties in response to massive honeybee die-offs. Local amateur beekeeper, Carrie Kappel, called SBBA when she noticed hundreds of dead and dying bees outside her backyard beehive. “It was devastating to see the number of dead bees outside the hive, and watch those in their death throes, twitching and stumbling around in front of the hive, unable to fly. I watched the whole hive go from healthy and vigorous to empty over a few short weeks.”
A total of 16 formerly healthy hives, with an average population of 30-60,000 bees each were lost. SBBA estimates approximately 750,000 bees lost their lives, all within a 1.5-mile radius. The Association submitted four test samples to Penn State University for a comprehensive pesticide screening and just received the reports back from the USDA labs.
As SBBA leaders suspected, there were several commonly used pesticides found in bee food stores, brood cells and wax. These include bifenthrin (found in hundreds of agricultural and household pesticide products), chlorpyrifos (used on orchards, golf courses, and crops, and banned from residential use), cyhalothrin (found in household and commercial products like Demand®, Karate®, and Warrior®), and fipronil (used in over 50 products to control ants, termites, fleas and other insects, e.g., Frontline®, Goliath®, Nexa®, and Regent®). All of these chemicals are known to be highly toxic to bees. Also found at low levels were two legal miticides used by beekeepers to control mites. While this does not prove that pesticides were behind the die-offs, it does point to them as a possible factor.
According to Penn State Senior Extension Associate, Maryann Frazier, “Honey bees across the country are being exposed to a great diversity and sometimes high levels of pesticides. While the evidence associated with the Montecito die-off is not conclusive, the symptoms of colony deaths and detections of low levels of pesticides toxic to honey bees are suspicious and cause for concern.”
While SBBA is very upset about this loss, its leaders hope that by spreading the word about the die-off, community members will become more aware of the potential dangers of pesticides for honeybees and other pollinators. The organization encourages pest control companies, horticulturalists, landscape contractors and homeowners to evaluate the products that they are using and how they are being applied and work to reduce risks to honeybees and other beneficial insects.
Honeybees have been in decline worldwide. Frazier notes, “We believe that pesticide exposure is an important factor contributing to pollinator decline and possibly Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).” Colony Collapse Disorder has wiped out honeybee hives in the US and elsewhere, threatening both the viability of commercial beekeeping and the sustainability of the pollination services that honeybees provide to agricultural crops, domestic gardens, and wild plants. Whatever the cause of the Montecito die-off – whether acute pesticide poisoning, CCD, or other stresses – it may be symptomatic of a general decline in the quality of our environment for honeybees. “Honeybees and other pollinators are getting hit hard, but there are things we can do to reduce the threats to them,” said SBBA President, Paul Cronshaw.
Pesticides applied to plants that are in bloom can be transferred to the hive by bees foraging for nectar and pollen, and thus the pesticides can impact the entire colony. SBBA urges Santa Barbara community members to please speak with your gardener, pest control company and anyone else that may use these products to make sure that they are being used properly. Commercial pesticides should only be applied by registered, licensed pesticide applicators. They should be applied carefully, according to the instructions on the label, and only as needed, avoiding applying them to blooming plants and at times when pollinators are active. “Working together, we can reduce both our own exposures to pesticides, and also the honeybee’s, so that she may continue to help us feed the planet,” says SBBA Vice President, Todd Bebb.
SBBA Mission Statement
The Santa Barbara Beekeeper's Association is dedicated to the promotion and advancement of beekeeping through best management practices, the education and mentoring of people about honey bees and beekeeping, and increasing public awareness of environmental concerns affecting honey bees.
If you have questions about bees or beekeeping, please contact SBBA. If you would like to help SBBA, a 501(c)3, fulfill its mission, please consider a donation: www.sbba.org.
Links:
Learn more about how to reduce bee poisoning from pesticides, from Oregon State University Extension: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pdf/pnw/pnw591.pdf
Find out if your pesticide applicator is registered and licensed in the state of California:
http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/license/currlic.htm
Learn more from the National Pesticide Information Center:
http://npic.orst.edu/ingred/aifact.html
Explore recent research linking pesticides to declines in honey bee health: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0009754
Contact Info:
Todd A. Bebb
805-450-9194 or todd@sbba.org
January 30, 2013
Santa Barbara Beekeepers Association announces: Massive Honeybee Die Off in Montecito
Last October, SBBA was called out to several backyard beekeepers’ properties in response to massive honeybee die-offs. Local amateur beekeeper, Carrie Kappel, called SBBA when she noticed hundreds of dead and dying bees outside her backyard beehive. “It was devastating to see the number of dead bees outside the hive, and watch those in their death throes, twitching and stumbling around in front of the hive, unable to fly. I watched the whole hive go from healthy and vigorous to empty over a few short weeks.”
A total of 16 formerly healthy hives, with an average population of 30-60,000 bees each were lost. SBBA estimates approximately 750,000 bees lost their lives, all within a 1.5-mile radius. The Association submitted four test samples to Penn State University for a comprehensive pesticide screening and just received the reports back from the USDA labs.
As SBBA leaders suspected, there were several commonly used pesticides found in bee food stores, brood cells and wax. These include bifenthrin (found in hundreds of agricultural and household pesticide products), chlorpyrifos (used on orchards, golf courses, and crops, and banned from residential use), cyhalothrin (found in household and commercial products like Demand®, Karate®, and Warrior®), and fipronil (used in over 50 products to control ants, termites, fleas and other insects, e.g., Frontline®, Goliath®, Nexa®, and Regent®). All of these chemicals are known to be highly toxic to bees. Also found at low levels were two legal miticides used by beekeepers to control mites. While this does not prove that pesticides were behind the die-offs, it does point to them as a possible factor.
According to Penn State Senior Extension Associate, Maryann Frazier, “Honey bees across the country are being exposed to a great diversity and sometimes high levels of pesticides. While the evidence associated with the Montecito die-off is not conclusive, the symptoms of colony deaths and detections of low levels of pesticides toxic to honey bees are suspicious and cause for concern.”
While SBBA is very upset about this loss, its leaders hope that by spreading the word about the die-off, community members will become more aware of the potential dangers of pesticides for honeybees and other pollinators. The organization encourages pest control companies, horticulturalists, landscape contractors and homeowners to evaluate the products that they are using and how they are being applied and work to reduce risks to honeybees and other beneficial insects.
Honeybees have been in decline worldwide. Frazier notes, “We believe that pesticide exposure is an important factor contributing to pollinator decline and possibly Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).” Colony Collapse Disorder has wiped out honeybee hives in the US and elsewhere, threatening both the viability of commercial beekeeping and the sustainability of the pollination services that honeybees provide to agricultural crops, domestic gardens, and wild plants. Whatever the cause of the Montecito die-off – whether acute pesticide poisoning, CCD, or other stresses – it may be symptomatic of a general decline in the quality of our environment for honeybees. “Honeybees and other pollinators are getting hit hard, but there are things we can do to reduce the threats to them,” said SBBA President, Paul Cronshaw.
Pesticides applied to plants that are in bloom can be transferred to the hive by bees foraging for nectar and pollen, and thus the pesticides can impact the entire colony. SBBA urges Santa Barbara community members to please speak with your gardener, pest control company and anyone else that may use these products to make sure that they are being used properly. Commercial pesticides should only be applied by registered, licensed pesticide applicators. They should be applied carefully, according to the instructions on the label, and only as needed, avoiding applying them to blooming plants and at times when pollinators are active. “Working together, we can reduce both our own exposures to pesticides, and also the honeybee’s, so that she may continue to help us feed the planet,” says SBBA Vice President, Todd Bebb.
SBBA Mission Statement
The Santa Barbara Beekeeper's Association is dedicated to the promotion and advancement of beekeeping through best management practices, the education and mentoring of people about honey bees and beekeeping, and increasing public awareness of environmental concerns affecting honey bees.
If you have questions about bees or beekeeping, please contact SBBA. If you would like to help SBBA, a 501(c)3, fulfill its mission, please consider a donation: www.sbba.org.
Links:
Learn more about how to reduce bee poisoning from pesticides, from Oregon State University Extension: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pdf/pnw/pnw591.pdf
Find out if your pesticide applicator is registered and licensed in the state of California:
http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/license/currlic.htm
Learn more from the National Pesticide Information Center:
http://npic.orst.edu/ingred/aifact.html
Explore recent research linking pesticides to declines in honey bee health: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0009754
Contact Info:
Todd A. Bebb
805-450-9194 or todd@sbba.org
| beespesticides_sos_final_may2012.pdf |
Stewards of the Bees: Backyard Beekeepers talk about a hobby that keeps them buzzing
Latest buzz on preserving bees: Removing hive without stinging the bees.
Latest buzz on preserving bees: Removing hive without stinging the bees.
