Ch 15: Pollinators and Pesticides

Pesticides present us with a challenge. Most wild pollinators are insects, and pesticides are substances designed to kill or control insects. Pest control is important in small-scale, and commercial farming systems, yet insects are critical pollinators of our crops.

The application of pesticides must take into account potential negative effects on biodiversity, and especially avoid contact between pesticides, and insect pollinators.This first question to ask is:

Does my crop or plants require pollinators?

If the answer is yes, then there are steps that farmers and gardeners can take to minimize exposure of pollinators to pesticides:

• It is essential to read the label and follow instructions carefully.
• Find out what is the pesticide toxicity is to bees.
• Use the product in accordance with the label instructions— overuse, misuse, and poor disposal of pesticides pose threats to bees, and to human health.
• Identify the pollinators that visit your crops!
• DO NOT spray when the crop is in flower!
• DO NOT spray when insects are visiting the flowers!
• Avoid spraying crop field verges, compacted earth sites, sheltered banks!
• Know the location of colonies, and aggregated pollinator nest sites, and have a plan for protecting them!
• Carefully study pollinator activity throughout the day, from dawn to dusk, to help develop spraying regimes that avoid main foraging periods  of wild insect pollinators.

• Take into consideration potential exposure of pollinators through pesticide residues on foliage, and in the soil.

Consider reducing your reliance on pesticides, and incorporate other pollinator-friendly methods—often referred to as Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

 In IPM you use knowledge about the pest habits and activities, and an understanding of your farm or garden environment, to enable biological pest control.

There is need for more research and support for farmers for proper disposal of containers and unused chemicals.