The OSU Garden Ecology Lab studies the health of garden environments The Garden Ecology Lab at Oregon State University (OSU) studies the plants, insects, animals, people, decisions, and management practices that either improve or degrade a garden’s ability to promote environmental and human health. An underlying premise of our work is that gardens are important […]
Let it bee
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The Oregon Bee Project will help explore market opportunities for nurseries Oregon nursery operators play an important, but frequently overlooked, role in protecting pollinator health. They produce pollinator attractive plants that are destined to be planted in urban areas across the United States. These plants provide bees with pollen and nectar resources and contribute to […]
State officials find no evidence linking dead bees to pesticides
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A laboratory analysis of dead honeybee samples taken from hives in Clackamas County this summer showed no detection of pesticides, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Officials said that other factors are likely to be responsible for the death of thousands of bees from colonies owned by four local beekeepers. In addition, Oregon State […]
ODA issues emergency action on neonicotinoids
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The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) has instituted an emergency action regarding the use of two neonicotinoid pesticides. The mandate is in response to a rash of bumble bee die-offs that have been reported around the state over the past several weeks. The emergency action specifically prohibits the use of dinotefuran and imidacloprid on linden […]
Stone appointed to Task Force on Pollinator Health
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Gov. John Kitzhaber announced the appointment of OAN Executive Director Jeff Stone to serve on the Task Force on Pollinator Health. The task force was created as a provision of the “Save Oregon’s Pollinators Act” (House Bill 4139); its job is to bring to the 2015 session new legislation to address the threat that pesticides […]
House approves bill creating Pollinator Health Task Force
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As reported recently in the Capital Press (Salem, Ore.), a proposal to reclassify neonicotinoids as “restricted use pesticides” has been removed from a bill currently before the Oregon Legislature. The classification would have meant that only licensed applicators could use the class of chemicals. Instead, the bill calls for creation of a Pollinator Health Task […]
Conifers, health care and Coulter featured in December Digger
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The December issue of Digger has been mailed to subscribers, and the cover story this month is on ground-hugging conifers (PDF). Other articles in this issue include: • “Bee-ing aware of insecticides” (PDF) — Columnist Mike Darcy discusses insecticides containing neonicotinoids and ways garden centers can inform their customers.• “Meet the Leader: John Coulter” (PDF) — […]
ODA to lift temporary dinotefuran rule, replace with label restrictions
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The Oregon Department of Agriculture plans to lift temporary restrictions on the use of the insecticide dinotefuran, effective Dec. 24. These rules will be replaced with new, Oregon-specific label restrictions. The decision was announced on Thursday (Nov. 21) at a meeting of the House Interim Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources. At that meeting, OAN […]