Home Garden Centers selling bee killing plants

[Zulu]

I did some basic research after finding out about this via facebook, and it seems real.... the full report is linked below

If true, it has rather large implications for us urban beekeepers...


Bee-Toxic Pesticides Found in “Bee-Friendly” Plants Sold at Garden Centers Nationwide....

http://libcloud.s3.amazonaws.com/93/3c/e/3115/Gardeners_beware_report.pdf

[Zulu]

i found this online petition too, I signed it

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/home-depot-and-lowes.fb55?source=s.icn.fb&r_by=9784751

[Perry]

Wow, I wonder how many people even have the remotest idea of this?

[blueblood]

Thanks for posting.  I placed a link on my fb page.

[Bakersdozen]

This isn't the first time I have heard this recently.  I don't remember where I heard it though.  My brain must be frozen.

[riverbee]

thanks zulu, is true, we learned of this last year through a nursery we purchase seed from and from a friend who is a horticulturist.
scary stuff for urban keeps and also for those of us in rural areas who do a fair amount of planting.

[Bakersdozen]

We have no proof of this, just speculation.  We have tried several times to keep a hive at my sister's urban home.  3/4 of a mile away is a Lowe's with a garden center.  We have seen bees on the flowers there and thought it was a good thing.  There is also a small independent retailer that sets up a semi permanent flower center in a parking lot.  We never could get a hive to flourish at her house.  There was always a queen issue on everyone of those colonies.  We certainly never pulled any honey from any of those hives.  This is making me think about what the bees were bringing back to the hive.
The best luck I had was a split I made and moved to her house.  My sister kept sugar syrup on it the whole time it was there.