[View Point] ‘Bee’ the Solution

Despite what some of the pest management industry’s most rabid critics may say, love of nature and industry advocacy for the responsible use of pesticides are not mutually exclusive. In fact, for anyone working in the pest management industry, they are inexorably linked. That’s because PMPs are immersed in the natural world every day, inspecting complex micro-environments around homes and businesses; observing insect behavior prior to making treatment recommendations; and noting conducive conditions that contribute to a wide array of pest problems. While there are certainly exceptions to every rule, the vast majority of PMPs I’ve encountered in my 30-plus years covering the industry are passionate advocates for both their customers and the environment. That’s because they understand the potential consequences of a single misstep when applying professional-use pesticides.

Case in point, it’s been more than two years since a landscaper in Oregon applied a dinotefuran product to blooming European linden trees in a parking lot of a suburban shopping center that resulted in the death of 25,000 to 50,000 bumble bees, escalating the national debate about pollinator health that continues to this very day. Because it could put some of our industry’s most valuable and widely-used products in regulatory jeopardy, we have stayed on top of this important story for the past 24 months, with PCT contributing writer Anne Nagro providing regular updates on the pollinator health issue for our readers. In her most recent update (see story), Nagro reports on the industry’s reaction to the recommendations of the Pollinator Health Task Force, an interagency group created last year by the Obama Administration that is under the leadership of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Upon its formation, one of the Task Force’s key long-term objectives was to restore and enhance seven million acres of land for pollinators over the next five years through combined public and private action. GIE Media President and CEO Chris Foster took that ambitious goal to heart this past year when we moved our offices to a location bordering the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, establishing two honey bee hives on the roof of our new headquarters building across the street from the old Ohio and Erie Canal. In the four months since he started the colonies, the bees have flourished, taking instantly to their new home, visiting the flowering trees, wildflowers and other local fauna so attractive to these insects. “PMPs know better than most the sensitive balance between science and nature because they’re living it every day,” Foster said. “That’s why it’s so important for us to ensure that the industry’s voice is being heard on this important issue and each of us take concrete steps to protect and expand pollinator populations, whether that be through the responsible use of the products we use every day; planting pollinator-attractive plants; developing your own pollinator garden; or, in the case of GIE Media, starting a honey bee colony in its own little corner of the world.”

What are you doing to ensure the industry is being viewed as protectors of pollinator health and the broader environment in your corner of the world, serving as an important counterpoint to the way some in the the environmental community would like to portray us? Collectively, let’s continue to “bee the solution” and not the problem.

About the author: Dan Moreland is publisher of PCT.