Tag Archives: arthropod

Neonic makers might pay for research about neonics on the land

Posted on July 28, 2014 by argylesock

Here in Europe, three insect-killing neonicotinoids are under a temporary ban. During the ban our UK Government is welcoming new research. It’s now become known that pesticide manufacturers might fund some of this research. Vested interests! Last year my fellow … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, ecology, horticulture, knowledge transfer | Tagged arthropod, Bayer, brassica, bumblebee, Europe, finance, Heath_David, honeybee, hymenopteran, insect, insecticide, law, neonicotinoid, oilseed, Paterson_Owen, pesticide, plant_dicot, pollination, rapeseed, research, seed dressing, Syngenta, Truss_Elizabeth, wild bee, wild pollinator | 7 Comments

A neonic that’s bad news for birds

Posted on July 25, 2014 by argylesock

Here in Europe, three insect-killing neonicotinoids are under a temporary ban. One of the banned neonics is called imidacloprid. Six months into the neonic ban, here’s new science about imidacloprid and insect-eating birds in the Netherlands. The chemical and biotech … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, ecology, horticulture, knowledge transfer | Tagged apple, arthropod, Bayer, bird, crop, DDT, ecosystem, Europe, European Food Safety Authority, history, imidacloprid, insect, insecticide, insectivore, invertebrate, knowledge, law, pest control, pesticide, plant_dicot, poison, pollution, research, seed, seedling, soil, sugar beet, tomato, vertebrate, water, wildlife | 2 Comments

Syngenta withdraws application to use banned pesticide linked to bee harm

Posted on July 7, 2014 by argylesock

argylesock says… I’m not sure which neonic Syngenta wants to bring back here in Europe. Maybe all of the three which are temporarily banned: clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam. [Edit] Soon after this story broke, I’m feeling cynical about it. Maybe … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, ecology, horticulture | Tagged arthropod, Bayer, brassica, bumblebee, canola, clothianidin, commodity crop, conservation, crop, Europe, honeybee, hymenopteran, imidacloprid, insect, insecticide, law, National Farmers Union, neonicotinoid, oilseed, pesticide, plant_dicot, politics, pollination, rapeseed, seed dressing, sowing, Syngenta, thiamethoxam, trade, Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, wild bee | Leave a comment

Genetic control mechanism developed to deal with major livestock pest

Posted on June 21, 2014 by argylesock

Originally posted on AgScience:
Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a technique to control populations of the Australian sheep blowfly – a major livestock pest in Australia and New Zealand – by making female flies dependent on a…

Posted in agriculture, horticulture, knowledge transfer | Tagged America, antibiotic, antibiotic dependence, arboriculture, arthropod, Asia, Australian sheep blowfly, biotechnology, blowfly, dipteran, Drosophila melanogaster, fruit, fruitfly, genetic modification, insect, invertebrate, lab animal, livestock, mammal, New World screwworm, pest, pest control, plant_dicot, research, sheep, tetracycline, tree, vertebrate | Leave a comment

Gardens for wildlife

Posted on June 1, 2014 by argylesock

Here in Britain the gardening season looks good so far. Here’s an article about gardening for bees and other wildlife. Untidy gardeners like me are good gardeners for wildlife. It’s now a year since hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) bred in my … Continue reading →

Posted in ecology, horticulture, miniculture | Tagged apiculture, arthropod, breeding, bumblebee, clover, conservation, ecosystem, Europe, flower, foraging, fruit, garden, gardener, green manure, hedgehog, herb, hibernation, honeybee, hymenopteran, insect, invertebrate, leaf, mammal, nest, plant_dicot, rat, salad, vegetable, vertebrate, weed, wild bee, wild food, wild pollinator, wildlife | Leave a comment

TTIP: Syngenta calls for harmonized safety standards

Posted on May 15, 2014 by argylesock

John Atkin is the Chief Operating Officer at the chemical and biotech giant Syngenta. Here’s a report showing an interview with Mr Atkin, in which he tells us how the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is great news. One … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, food, knowledge transfer, miniculture | Tagged America, arthropod, Bayer, development, Europe, farmer, food, food safety, honeybee, hymenopteran, insect, insecticide, law, neonicotinoid, pesticide, pollination, research, seed, sustainable, Syngenta, thiamethoxam, trade, Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, wild bee, yield | 3 Comments

Real impact of neonicotinoid seed dressings stays buried

Posted on May 14, 2014 by argylesock

A temporary European ban on three insect-killing chemicals called neonicotinoids has been in force since December 2013. These neonics are called clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam. They’re used as seed dressings and soil treatments, among other things. Just after this ban … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, ecology | Tagged arthropod, barley, clothianidin, crop, Europe, flower, grain, honeybee, hymenopteran, imidacloprid, insect, insecticide, law, millet, neonicotinoid, oats, plant_monocot, pollination, pollution, rice, rye, seed, seed dressing, soil, sorghum, sowing, staple food, thiamethoxam, triticale, waterway, wheat, wild bee | 8 Comments

Harvard study links pesticides to bee deaths

Posted on May 13, 2014 by argylesock

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in honeybees (Apis mellifera) can be linked with low-dose insecticides. Philip Case at the UK magazine Farmers Weekly tells us about research in the States, where CCD is a huge problem. This is a serious matter … Continue reading →

Posted in knowledge transfer, miniculture | Tagged academia, America, apiculture, arthropod, Bayer, behaviour, clothianidin, colony collapse disorder, Europe, honeybee, hymenopteran, imidacloprid, insect, insecticide, law, microsporidian, neonicotinoid, Nosema ceranae, parasite, pesticide, pollination, research, Syngenta, thiamethoxam | 7 Comments

Killing bees in Oregon

Posted on May 12, 2014 by argylesock

Oregon may not be the best place to be a bee. Last year, 50 000 bumblebees (Bombus sp.) died there in a parking lot. Trees had been sprayed with pesticide. It turned out that the spray was dinotefuran, one of … Continue reading →

Posted in ecology, miniculture | Tagged America, apiculture, arthropod, bumblebee, car, dinotefuran, Europe, honeybee, hymenopteran, insecticide, law, neonicotinoid, pesticide, plant_gymnosperm, roadside | 2 Comments

Image of the Week: Varroa Parasitic Mite

Posted on April 21, 2014 by argylesock

argylesock says… Varroa mites are bad news for bees. This is the third of three articles about pollinators, from the Wellcome Trust blog, which I’m passing on today.

Posted in agriculture, ecology, food, miniculture | Tagged apiculture, arachnid, arthropod, conservation, crop, disease, emerging disease, farmer, honeybee, hymenopteran, insect, mite, parasite, pesticide, plant_dicot, pollination, research, Varroa destructor | Leave a comment