Dear Editor:
Do you realize that the plants and seeds you buy could be killing monarch butterflies and bees?
Pollinating insects, such as butterflies, moths and bees make it possible for us to enjoy one-third of the food we eat by providing the free service of pollinating. (Next time you eat an apple, strawberry or an almond you can thank an insect.)
Recent research has shown that populations of pollinating insects are severely threatened when exposed to neonicotinoid pesticides. Many seeds that are labeled “bee-friendly” have been treated with these chemicals, often called “neonics.”
Buy seeds and plants only from nurseries that do not treat seeds and plants with neonicotinoid pesticides. These poisons permeate the entire plant and remain active for as much as years in woody plants.
Not all retailers reveal pesticide treatments on plant labels; sometimes a plant may be labeled “bee-friendly” even though it was treated with a neonicotinoid-(systemic) pesticide. Be sure to ask your seed supplier for non-neonic seeds. And if they don’t have them, request they get them or look elsewhere.
For more good information on planting a small to large pollinator garden stop by the Chisago County Soil and Water Conservation District office in North Branch.
Tom Anderson
North Branch Township
