Why all the Buzz around Bees?
It is nearly impossible to overstate the incredibly important role bees play in pollinating our ecosystem. If bees were to disappear so would most of our food crops. About one mouthful in three in our diet directly or indirectly benefits from honey bee pollination. Commercial production of many high-value and specialty crops like almonds and other tree nuts, berries, fruits and vegetables depend on pollination by honey bees.
The issue of bee safety is important because the native bee population is declining worldwide due to Bee Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Colony loss occurs, in part, due to harmful pesticide use. The European Food Safety Authority published on February of 2018 that most uses of neonicotinoid pesticides represent a risk to wild bees and honeybees https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/180228. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is also taking actions to protect bees and other pollinators from pesticide exposure https://www.epa.gov/pollinator-protection/epa-actions-protect-pollinators.
More and more retailers are removing a variety of toxic chemicals from their shelves. Some pesticides labeled “Organic” or “OMRI listed” can be toxic to bees, so always read product labels! Our Organocide Bee Safe products have been tested and the results speak for themselves.
Recently, i2LResearch, a leading product testing center headquartered in the United Kingdom, evaluated the effects of Organocide® Bee Safe 3-in-1 Garden Spray on honey bees. In summary,
A laboratory study followed EPA (2012) test guideline to assess acute contact toxicity of Organocide Bee Safe 3-in-1 Garden Spray (Sesame oil 5%) to honey bees (Apis mellifera). The goal of the definitive test was to determine the dose-response curve for honey bee mortality after a 48 h acute contact. The product was tested at 5 rates, the highest rate was undiluted.
Organocide® Bee Safe 3-in-1 Garden Spray is an insecticide, miticide and fungicide that has been used in organic gardening for more than 27 years. It has been proven effective in destroying all life stages of small soft-bodied insects (including, aphids, fungus gnats, leaf rollers, psyllids, spider mites, scale, and whiteflies) and controlling certain fungal diseases (like powdery and downy mildews). It is safe enough to use near aquatics and it won’t harm beneficial insects like ladybugs, butterflies, or our precious pollinating bees. It is people, pet and planet safe! It is available for purchase at select Home Depot, Walmart and Independent Hardware and Nursery retailers.