[Pollinator] 25,000 bumblebees killed, dropping from trees in Wilsonville; pesticide suspected

Wed Jun 19 20:53:06 PDT 2013

oregonlive.com

25,000 bumblebees killed, dropping from trees in Wilsonville; pesticide
suspected

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Elizabeth Case, The Oregonian By Elizabeth Case, The Oregonian 
Email the author | Follow on Twitter 
on June 19, 2013 at 4:24 PM, updated June 19, 2013 at 8:01 PM 

An estimated 25,000 bumblebees have been found dead in a Target parking lot
in Wilsonville since Saturday, the largest known incident of bumblebee
deaths in the United States, according to the Xerces Society. Preliminary
information suggests pesticides may be at fault. 

The Oregon Department of Agriculture received reports of bees and other
insects falling out of 55 blooming European linden trees Monday from the
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. 

The bees were still dying on Wednesday. Yellow-faced bees fell from the
trees, twitching on their backs or wandering in tight circles on the
asphalt. Some honeybees and ladybugs were also found dead. A few dead
bumblebees even clung to linden flowers, while hundreds littered the lot. 

Dan Hilburn, director of plant programs at the state Agriculture Department,
surveyed the damage after an earlier assessment from pesticide experts. 

"I've never encountered anything quite like it in 30 years in the business,"
he said Wednesday outside the Argyle Square Target. 

Hilburn said initial findings indicate the trees were sprayed Saturday with
an insecticide called Safari. Tests to confirm what killed the bees will
take at least two or three days, department officials said. The department
of agriculture is also investigating other possible culprits, which may
include other pesticides used in the surrounding area.

Safari is part of the neonicotinoid pesticide family. When it is sprayed on
a plant, the leaves, flowers and nectar become toxic to almost all insects.
The product's label on the distributor's website warns it is "highly toxic"
to bees and tells applicators not to apply it "if bees are visiting the
area." 

"Bumblebees are the single most important natural pollinator in Oregon,"
said Mace Vaughan, pollinator program director for Xerces. 

They play a crucial role in pollinating berries, flowers and other plants.
The decline of the honeybee, whose populations have been decimated by Colony
Collapse Disorder, has received much attention, but bumblebee populations
are decreasing as well. 

Elliot Associates Inc., the company that rents and manages the Argyle Square
land, did not respond to multiple calls by The Oregonian. The landscapers
that care for the grounds couldn't be reached for comment. 

The Agriculture Department is working with the Xerces Society to help
mitigate any further insect deaths at Argyle Square. As precautionary moves,
they are considering either putting up netting around the trees, stripping
off flowers and leaves or finding non-toxic repellents to keep bees and
insects from eating the leaves or nectar. 

Dale Mitchell, pesticide compliance program manager for the state
agriculture department, said if test show pesticide is the culprit, the
department will assess if the company responsible violated any state or
federal laws, and if so, the severity of those violations. Fines for
pesticide regulation infractions can range from $1000 to $10,000.

The bumblebee deaths marked an inauspicious start to National Pollinator
Week, which runs through June 23. 

-- Elizabeth Case 

_______

Scott Hoffman Black

Executive Director

     The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Chair

     IUCN Butterfly Specialist Group

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

628 NE Broadway, Suite 200, Portland, OR 97232, USA

 <https://webmail.integra.net/src/compose.php?send_to=sblack%40xerces.org>
sblack at xerces.org

Tel: (503) 232-6639 ext. 101

Toll free: 1-855-232-6639 ext. 101

Cell: (503) 449-3792

Connect with Xerces:
 <http://www.xerces.org/> xerces.org
<http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Xerces-Society/193182577358618> Facebook
<http://www.xerces.org/enewsletters/> E-newsletter
<https://twitter.com/xerces_society> Twitter

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international
nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of
invertebrates and their habitat.

To join the Society, make a contribution, or read about our work, please
visit  <http://www.xerces.org/> www.xerces.org.

Buy our best-selling book:

<http://www.xerces.org/announcing-the-publication-of-attracting-native-polli
nators/> Attracting Native Pollinators. Protecting North America's Bees and
Butterflies

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