Category Archives: Pesticides

The Ultimate Irony from within

Posted on June 29, 2013 by itsonlyausername

This morning (Friday at 0545hrs) I was on my way to work listening to Radio 4’s Farming Today program. The first item up was an interview with Margaret Ginman, a spokeswoman from the Bee Farmers Association. All well and good … Continue reading →

Posted in Bayer, BBKA, Bee Hives, Honey, Insecticides, Natural Beekeeping, Pesticides | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

The Ultimate Irony from Bayer

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Gareth John

Bayer, the company that makes insecticides that harm bees, has come up with the ultimate irony: buy their Provado Ultimate Bug Killer and get a free packet of bee seeds.  Their publicity continues the irony with: ‘There is a lot … Continue reading →

Posted in Bayer, Ecosystem, EFSA, Environment, Insecticides, Neonicotinoids, Pesticides, Provado | 5 Comments

Government Posturing on Pesticides a Busted Flush

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Gareth John

Damian Carrington writes a good piece in the Guardian describing how the EFSA have concluded that the much trumpeted ‘evidence’ that UK government ministers constantly quote supporting neonics is, in fact, worthless.  He says: The trump card waved by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecosystem, EFSA, Environment, EU, Food Safety, Insecticides, Pesticides, Precautionary Principle | 1 Comment

The World in a Jar

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Gareth John

Consider a jar of honey on your breakfast table, ready to spread on your toast. Bees make honey from nectar.  Nectar is sugary plant sap.  The bees take the nectar back to the hive and concentrate it into honey.  So … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecosystem, Environment, Food Safety, Insecticides, Natural Beekeeping, Pesticides | 17 Comments

Waitrose Bans Neonics from Supply Chain

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Gareth John

The government can’t see it and Defra can’t see it, but supermarkets can: people don’t want food that poisons the countryside.  Waitrose has just announced a precautionary ban on the three neonics mentioned in the EU proposals throughout their supply … Continue reading →

Posted in EFSA, EU, Natural Beekeeping, Pesticides, Precautionary Principle | 1 Comment

MP’s Support Ban of Neonics, but BBKA Shows Abject Failure

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Gareth John

The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee today published the two volume report of its investigation into Pollinators and Pesticides.  The report focussed on the so-called neonicotinoid group of insecticides and the conclusions are clear. The report recommends that that … Continue reading →

Posted in BBKA, EFSA, EU, Natural Beekeeping, Pesticides, Precautionary Principle | 7 Comments

Background to, and effects of, Neonicotinoids

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Gareth John

For those who are unaware of it, there is a long and interesting article that discusses the background to, and effects of,  neonicotinoid insecticides (now there’s a mouthful) here, on Mark Avery’s blog.  For many years Mark was the conservation … Continue reading →

Posted in Pesticides | 2 Comments