Friends of the Earth | Mommy Ramblings

I love being outside this time of year because there’s so much beauty to be seen. I have my perennials exploding with color, gold and rose finches by the dozens, cardinals, doves, robins, wrens, chickadees, woodpeckers, swallowtail butterflies and even a pair of majestic bald eagles that nest on our lake all around. Of course along with the birds we have our helpers the bees who keep our flowers, vegetables and fruits pollinated.

I am very opposed to any type of pesticide use that is not natural or organic. Did you know that bees are dying at alarming rates due to the use of pesticides that are toxic to bees called neonic pesticides. Did you know that many bee friendly plants you can buy have neonic pesticides in them? Neonic pesticides are one of the most widely used class of insecticides in the world and are manufactured by Bayer and Syngenta.

Bees are crucial for our food system. Are you aware that bees and other pollinators are essential for two-thirds of the food crops we eat everyday such as almonds, squash, cucumbers, apples, oranges, blueberries, and peaches.

One out of every three bites of food we eat is pollinated by honeybees. The land around our home is a pesticide free zone and we garden organically and the many sunflowers, perennials and vegetables and fruits we have growing all over are flourishing thanks to bees.

Neonics are also harming other helpful insects and animals critical to sustainable food production and healthy ecosystems, like wild bees, butterflies, dragonflies, lacewings, and ladybugs,birds,earthworms,mammals and aquatic insects. There is an urgent need to restrict neonics in the United States and Canada.

Bees contribute over $20 billion to the U.S. economy and $217 billion to the global economy. Neonics are widely used in the U.S. on 140 crops and for cosmetic use in gardens. Neonics can last in soil, water and the environment for months to years to come. Neonics can kill bees outright and make them more vulnerable to pests, pathogens and other stressors while impair their foraging and feeding abilities, reproduction and memory.

Beekeepers have lost an average of 30% of their hives in recent years, with some beekeepers losing all of their hives and many leaving the industry. This is too high to be sustainable. Recent losses are staggering making it difficult for beekeepers to stay in business and for farmers to meet their pollination needs for important crops like almonds and berries.

Friends of the Earth is helping to do something about the declining bee populations and the use of neonic pesticides. Bringing awareness of the dangers of using neonic pesticides and with their “bee’n’bee” kits that allow people to create a bee oasis in their backyards.

BeeAction-Create A Bee Friendly Yard:

Friends of the Earth U.S. had “bee kits” and “bee’n’bee” houses. The kits contain organic sunflower seeds and resources, a bee-safe and pesticide-free zone aluminum yard sign and other informational materials. The “bee’n’bee”kits will include a mason bee house and resources to maintain the house and create pollinator friendly habitat.

Both kits will include resources that will allow people to get more involved with Friends of the Earth and its #BeeAction Campaign. The goal is that after taking action in their own backyards through the “bee map” and kits, individuals and families will use it to connect and stay engaged with Friends of the Earth and the campaign on marketplace and local, state and federal organizing around protecting bees and other essential pollinators.

We recently received a “bee’n’bee” kit with a mason bee house and resources to create a pollinator friendly habitat. It is advised to hang the mason house on a tree, fence or your house about 3-6 feet above the ground in an area that gets morning sun and afternoon shade. It is also advisable to have a wide range of annuals and perennials for the pollinators we are attracting.

Some Good News:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it will phase out neonics by 2016
More than a twenty nurseries, landscaping companies and retailers across the U.S. are taking steps to eliminate bee harming pesticides from their garden plants and their store
BJ’s Wholesale Club , announced they will require vendors to remove neonics from plants by the end of 2014 or else they will carry warning labels.
Home Depot, has decided to label plants with neonicotinoids and is working with its suppliers to “find alternative insecticides for protecting live goods and bees.
Lowe’s, made a public commitment to eliminate neonicotinoid pesticides from its stores including products and plants treated with them, redouble existing integrated pest management practices for suppliers and provide additional material educating customers about pollinator health.
Whole Foods issued a new product rating system, which identifies pollinator protection as a priority by restricting neonicotinoid pesticides.
Cities, states and universities across the U.S. have taken steps to restrict neonicotinoids.

We Need To Do More!

We need to change the law to restrict neonics in the U.S. as Europe and Ontario, Canada have done.

Our own survival is tied closely to the survival of bees and other pollinators. Find out more how you can help the bees and other pollinators at BeeAction Campaign. Follow Friends Of The Earth on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram