Bee-killing pesticides use banned

[nicholaskeene]

Yep. Just wait for everyone to realise that the seed treatment was the lesser of two evils... Spraying will be bad for so many insects and thus all the species which depend on them- birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, fish.

Surely it's spraying wirh neonics which is banned, not seed treatment or is wilco right?

 

[RJC]

both seed treatments and spraying with neonics is banned; Wilco was referring to spraying of other non-neonic insecticides I think.

 

[Wilco]

Surely it's spraying wirh neonics which is banned, not seed treatment or is wilco right?

Spraying with neonics fortunately banned, there used to be exemptions to use seed treatments which gives a much smaller usage in a very targeted way but these exemptions have now been ended. As a result, spraying of other pesticides will be used. Spraying means surface application of larger volumes of pesticide and will likely have more incidental kill of non target organisms than neonic seed treatments (not that much survives on monoculture anyway, it's horrendous for biodiversity).

 

[roche]

Spraying with neonics fortunately banned, there used to be exemptions to use seed treatments which gives a much smaller usage in a very targeted way but these exemptions have now been ended. As a result, spraying of other pesticides will be used. Spraying means surface application of larger volumes of pesticide and will likely have more incidental kill of non target organisms than neonic seed treatments (not that much survives on monoculture anyway, it's horrendous for biodiversity).

This is why the local estates policy of companion planting with OSR is interesting - it offers the hope of managing pests without the use pesticides and the consequencial loss of biodiversity.
Another local farm has just had a change of tenant and a change from organic to conventional arable. The loss of species has been dramatic, and horrid. Just one big, terrible act of vandalism. From vegetation, inspects birds, every part of the system (including waterways) has been damaged.