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Sprig is upon us, warmer days, the joy of just being in the outdoors and mentally planning our flower and vegetable gardens. Soon we will be seeing those beautiful Monarch butterflies fluttering in our flowers and honey bees busy gathering nectar.... or will we?

I recently read in the "Farm Forum" a newspaper published in Aberdeen, SD, problems beekeepers are having from weed killers, particularly dicamba. Ray Nabors, a beekeeper in southeast Missouri, has been a beekeeper for 40 years and served 20 years as the state beekeeping or apiculture specialist through the University of Missouri's extension system. Nabors said, "This dicamba is the absolute worst problem we've ever had, it's going to kill everything that puts on a flower that bees can eat." Nabors states further that this chemical is notorious for vaporizing and moving off-target and could pose an even bigger threat to his hives and others.

Perhaps it is high time for us to become educated and more aware of the harmful effects of insecticides and pesticides, educate our neighbors and ask if these pesticides are wiping out our needed pollinators, what are they doing to us?

Barb Belchak

Remer Garden Club[[In-content Ad]]

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