Are honeybees safe with the use of endosulfan?

[victor meldrew]

Thank you Rosti .
That's all it needs .Clear, precise to the point
No padding ,sensationalism, Pseudo tech-speak .

John Wilkinson

 

[Brosville]

presumably my second post in this thread, (which said exactly the same thing in less words) wasn't?


I detect potshots at messengers rather than the message here..........

 

[chycarne]

Just to say I am not paid by anyone to like or dislike, but... you couldnt pay me enough to use this in a desert devoid of all other life and I would be wearing a full biohazard protection suite. I am a Biochemist by training, eclologist by belief and and environmentalist by interest. This stuff would be linked with joint problems, membrane issues, it will cross the blood brain barrier, it will get stored in body fats. I cant imagine anyone now wantign to use it, in fact it is the best anti advertising campaign I have ever seen, in fact is the chap a green activists cleverly disguising himself, perhaps we should aplaud his efforts.

 

[BKF Admin]

The only connection I can make chycarne is that the poster is from India and the Indian goverment are the makers of this nasty stuff.

From Wiki:
It is produced by Bayer CropScience, Makhteshim Agan, and Government-of-India–owned Hindustan Insecticides Limited.

I am shocked to see Bayers name involved. (NOT!!!)

 

[Skyhook]

I've just watched the video. Dear God! How do these people sleep at night! They say OC's have been used for 55 years with no ill effects- have they not heard of silent spring?

 

[chrismcd]

I used to use this stuff some 25 years ago!

Endosulfan is an old insecticide that was used for pests that were difficult to control with other insecticides, particularly those that had become resistant to OP's.

In the UK, AFAIK, it was used for really hard to control pests like 'big bud' mite in blackberries and damson hop aphid on hops - which does show just how broad it's spectrum was. Ribena anyone?

As has been pointed out earlier, it has toxic even by pesticide standards, has weird side effects and I have a feeling that it's residue implications were never really sorted out.

It has lasted as long as it has because it tended to be the product of last resort on a lot of crop pests.

Not a nice product, but effective and I suspect cheap and easy to make - hence its continued use.

And yes I am sure it kills bees as well as any other insect that it comes into contact with.

So, Greebee in answer to your question it is a cheap and nasty pesticide that is dangerous to just about everything.

 

[rowbow]

In the interest of making sure that spiders pick up this thread for the right reasons ... Was speaking with an ex-colleague who is also one of the most knowledgeable agronomists I have come across professionally. Once he stopped having a fit he summarised as follows and kindly sent as an email. I am adding a 'without prejudice' protective pre-statement as a precaution since third party references have not been given.

"Rosti

Endosulphan is a highly toxic organochlorine insecticide and acaricide. It is and endocrine disrupter that attacks the nervous system. It has been banned in many places such as the USA and Europe. It has a high environmental impact as it kills insects and mites indiscriminately, it is residual and can build up in animals.

I understand that it is still used extensively in places like India and China although a world wide ban in being considered. I also expect that it is being used in third world countries probably in Africa and South America.

This definitely not a good pesticide to have around."

Most probably being used as a varoa treatment in India

John