WILSONVILLE, Ore. (KMTR) - Public and private partners are collaborating in response to this week’s die off of bees in Wilsonville by taking measures to prevent further insect loss.
Bee-proof netting is being placed on 55 European linden trees in the Target parking lot of Argyle Square at the site where an estimated 25,000 bumblebees were found dead or dying this week. Officials hope the netting will successfully keep additional bees away from blooms that have been attracting the pollinators.
Work crews are expected to complete the placement of nets on the trees as soon as possible.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA), City of Wilsonville, City of Sherwood, Xerces Society and Valent USA have been working together on prevention and recovery efforts in the wake of the bee death discovery.
Meanwhile, ODA has confirmed that the bee deaths are directly related to a pesticide application on the linden trees conducted last Saturday, June 15 to control aphids.
The pesticide product Safari was used in that application. Safari with active ingredient dinotefuran is part of a group of insecticides known as neonicotinoids that kill Valent USA is the distributor of Safari. ODA collected samples earlier this week of bees and foliage in the area and conducted laboratory analysis.
"They made a huge mistake, but unfortunately this is not that uncommon," said Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director of the Xerces Society. "Evidently they didn't follow the label instructions. This should not have been applied to the trees while they're in bloom."
The Xerces Society, known for its efforts in bee conservation, started getting calls about dead and dying bees in a Target parking lot on Monday. The numbers of dead bees have mounted to an estimated 25,000, according to the Xerces Society, and Black said more bees are still dying.
ODA continues its active investigation of the incident to determine if the pesticide application was in violation of state and federal pesticide regulations.
UPDATE: Cause of bee death determined
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Public and private partners are collaborating in response to this week’s die off of bees in Wilsonville by taking measures to prevent further beneficial insect loss.
/ Source: KMTR-TV
