Merit related to Colony Collapse Disorder??

**C* U* <c*@sbcglobal.net>**

Just received the following. I had heard that Europeans were getting

suspicious of Merit and connecting it to bee disappearance but that

Americans weren't ready to buy into this theory. Until now.

Carolyn Ulrich

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
August 30, 2007 Lauren Annicelli
202-544-5430
lannicelli@didiongroup.com

CHEMICAL PUTS BEEKEEPERS AND LAWN GROWERS AT ODDS
Colony Collapse Disorder linked to common lawn chemical

Portland, ME- The onset of autumn always brings heightened

advertising for grub control products for lawns. With the winter of

2007-2008 not far off, however, comes an urgent reminder from

beekeepers about Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which wiped out

tens of thousands of hives of bees across North America last winter

and spring. That desire for a grub-free lawn has placed some

homeowners and landscape contractors in direct conflict with the

bee industry.

“The issue is that the primary product used to control grubs

contains a chemical compound known as Imidacloprid, which is most

commonly marketed as Merit,” said Paul Tukey, founder and

spokesperson for SafeLawns.org, a national non-profit organization.

“Imidacloprid is known to be toxic to bees and many beekeepers see

a direct link to this chemical and the disappearance of bee hives.

Many countries are employing the ‘precautionary principle’ and

pulling Imidacloprid from the shelves. In the U.S. however,

homeowners and farms are using more and more of it, especially

since many of the other products such as Diazinon that folks were

using to kill grubs and other insects have already been banned due

to their proven toxicity.”

Colony Collapse Disorder was coined in 2006 as catch phrase for a

disturbing, unexplained phenomenon that saw nearly a quarter of

United States’ honeybee colonies suddenly disappear within a few

months. Though many thought the problem was limited to western

North America, beekeepers across the U.S, Canada and Europe also

reported the problem. In addition to the production of honey,

honeybees pollinate every third bite of food ingested by Americans,

according to a Cornell University study, including approximately

$14 billion in produce.

Research at Penn State and elsewhere has suggested potential links

to bee decline and the new pesticide. “If bees are eating fresh or

stored pollen contaminated with these chemicals at low levels, they

may not cause mortality but may impact the bee’s ability to learn

or make memories,” stated a Penn State report published in December

of 2006. “If this is the case, young bees leaving the hive to make

orientation flights may not be able to learn the location of the

hive and may not be returning, causing the colonies to dwindle and

eventually die.”

“Before last November I knew very little about Imidacloprid,” said

David Hackenberg, owner of Hackenberg Apiaries in Lewisburg, PA.,

and past president of the American Beekeeping Association. “In the

past few months I have come to know more than I want to know about

this newer type of pesticide. From what I have learned so far, I am

convinced that Imidacloprid plays a role in CCD.”

Given all this information, many American farmers aren’t willing to

take any chances and are forsaking any products containing

Imidacloprid. “Pollination is so important to us, we agreed not to

use these new materials,” said Darren Hammond, farm manager for

Jasper Wyman & Sons of Maine, the nation’s largest producer of wild

blueberries. “Our primary competitor and all of our outside growers

have also agreed not to use these products. We’re not saying

there’s definitely a link between bees and Imidacloprid; that’s for

the researchers to decide. We’re just not willing to take the risk.”

To combat grub infestations, Tukey suggests other approaches not

involving chemicals — including the use of naturally occurring

beneficial nematodes, which are non-toxic, as well as organic soil

management. “Time and time again these chemical products have

proven to be questionable for our health, our pets’ health or the

environment in general,” said Tukey, author of The Organic Lawn

Care Manual. At SafeLawns.org, we’re committed to promoting

organic alternatives that don’t offer these same risks.”

For the beekeeping brethren, those risks just aren’t worth it.

For the entire article, please visit www.SafeLawns.org.

Safelawns.org is a national non-profit group whose mission is to

create a broad based coalition of non and for-profit organizations

committed to educating society about the benefits of organic lawn

care and gardening, and effect a quantum change in consumer and

industry behavior.

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