Page 6 - SC Gazette Garden Guide 2020.indd

By Cristina Goulart
One morning last summer, as I
Save Butterflies & Bees Our Favorite Pollinators are in Jeopardy
A Call to Action
- Help save the Monarchs and the bees. Go Organic!
watched a pair of butterflies flying from bloom to bloom on a butterfly bush, I realized I hadn’t seen a Monarch Butterfly in years. I did some research and learned some distressing news.
Don’t use pesticides in your gardens.
In January of 2019, the Xerces Society’s yearly census of the western monarch revealed that the numbers
of Western Monarchs were down a dramatic
86% from just one year before. Scientists
Pesticides include herbicides to kill weeds, insecticides to kill insects and fungicides as well.
studying the Western Monarch predict that if we don’t take drastic measures now, the species has a 72% chance of going extinct in less than 20 years.
Insecticides kill beneficial insects in addition to those that eat our crops. Beneficial insects
Monarchs are migratory wonders of
nature, migrating up to 3,000 miles to
their wintering grounds. Their miraculous migration occurs over generations, one generation communicating to the next the
route it must take. Like all butterflies, they are pollinators, drinking nectar from one flower, and depositing its pollen on the next.
insects that eat the plant-eating bugs, such as ladybugs and lacewings. Pesticides kill bees and
The honeybee pollinates about one-third of our food crops
free landscape plants and seeds. Please ask your nurseries if they can assure you that the plants and seeds they sell you
Honeybees have also been in decline for years with the current population of honeybees estimated at less than half what it was in the 1940s. In 2006, scientists discovered what they call Colony Collapse Disorder. Colony Collapse Disorder occurs when a colony’s worker bee population suddenly disappears. Hives cannot survive without their worker bees, so eventually, the entire hive dies.
are not treated with neonicotinoids. If they can’t, head over to a locally- owned, sustainability-minded nursery. Also, the RRWA program ‘Our Water, Our World’ (OWOW) helps residents manage their home and garden pests in a way that helps protect our watershed. More information on OWOW can be found at: rrwatershed.org/project/our-water-our-world.
The Causes: For Monarch butterflies, loss of habitat is a key cause for its population decline. For both the Monarchs and honeybees, the use of pesticides is another key factor.
Monarch waystations must include the native milkweed plant because this is the only plant where Monarchs will lay their eggs and the only plant that Monarch caterpillars eat. In our region, the best time to plant milkweed seeds is from November to early spring. A waystation must also include nectar plants on which the adult Monarchs can feed. Examples are the butterfly bush, salvias, and Ceonothus.
Pesticides in the neonicotinoid (a systemic agricultural insecticide resembling nicotine) category are thought to be a culprit in Colony Collapse Disorder. Studies have shown that in non-lethal doses, neonicotinoids cause navigation disruption and
memory loss in bees, even in low
concentrations. These pesticides are
found in our food sources and in our
home gardens.
Monarch Waystations also attract bees! Bees feed on nectar-bearing plants, just as butterflies do. For more information about creating a Monarch Waystation, please go to monarchwatch.org/waystations
Although some nursery chains have since reduced the numbers of plants on their shelves treated with neonicotinoids, plants containing neonicotinoid residue are still sold in retail nurseries. Typically, they do not come with a warning label.
This article was authored by Cristina Goulart for the Town of Windsor, on behalf of RRWA. RRWA (rrwatershed.org) is an association
of local public agencies in the Russian
Most pesticides are non-specific and kill a broad range of species in addition to the pest.
include those that pollinate our crops, such as bees and butterflies and predatory
butterflies as well as “bad” bugs.
Purchase neonicotinoid-free plants
and seeds. In Sonoma County, we have several nurseries that sell organic and neonicotinoid-
Build it and They Will Come. Create a Monarch Butterfly Waystation!
A demoralizing study conducted in 2014 found that 50% of nursery plants tested in the U.S. and Canada contained residue of neonicotinoids in concentrations as high as 748 parts per billion (ppb). A dose of 193 ppb can kill a honeybee. A dose of
30 ppb can cause impairments to a bee’s ability to forage and navigate. Plants and seeds purchased to attract butterflies and bees can harm these pollinators if they have been treated with neonicotinoids.
Proper Disposal of Pesticides
When you do go organic, remember to dispose of your unused pesticides through Sonoma County hazardous waste drop off locations.
Call (707) 795-2025 or visit www. sonomagarbage.com/hazardous- waste-disposal-drop-off-locations.html to find a drop-off near you.
River Watershed that have come together to coordinate regional programs for clean water, habitat restoration, and watershed enhancement.
Monarch photo by Candy Sarikinda
6 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 2020 Gardeners Resource Guide