If your school is involved in green living practices or a community gardening program, perhaps you’ve been following the headlines concerning the decline of our beloved and relied upon honey bee. If the honey bee continues to disappear, the future of our food may be in jeopardy—or at least, the future of our fruits and veggies naturally being pollinated may be in jeopardy.
As your school’s Risk Manager, you may also wear the hat of the Business Manager. Contracting landscaping companies and overseeing the care of your school’s grounds might fall in your list of responsibilities. Even if your Administrative Team includes a Facilities Manager who manages most of the details, the final approval of your outside vendors crosses your desk. No pressure, but new research is looking pretty convincing that the primary factor causing the honey bee’s decline is neonicotinoids—a poison commonly found in pesticides. Stop and ask yourself; do you know what pesticides are used on your school grounds?
A recent study from Harvard, published March 27, 2014, definitively confirmed neonicotinoids are the cause of colony collapse disorder (CCD). Fifty percent of the colonies exposed to pesticides containing neonicotinoids collapsed, in comparison to only one in six colonies that were not in contact.
The European Union has banned neonicotinoid poisons. However, American officials are not convinced and continued use is permitted. It’s up to individuals to boycott products containing these poisons.
What brands should you be wary of? According to Wikipedia, Bayer is the company that invented the most commonly used neonicotinoid insecticide, Imidacloprid. Bayer products seem to be the most likely to contain the poisonous class, followed by The Scotts Company. We found this 20-page list of pesticides containing neonicotinoids while researching. Agreed, it’s a lot to take in, but it makes for a handy reference link for when you’re reviewing your landscaping and outside vendor contracts.
A Little History
The neonicotiniod class of insecticides was developed throughout the 1980s and 1990s and showed reduced toxicity when compared to those previously used. The neonicotiniod family includes acetamiprid, clothianidin, imidacloprid, nitenpyram, nithiazine, thiacloprid, and thiamethoxam.
Last year, neonicotiniods were banned from seed treatments because of their toxicity to birds, aquatic invertebrates, and other wildlife.
Currently, virtually all corn and most soy plants planted in the Midwestern U.S. are treated with a class of neonicotiniod.
The EPA has announced a complete review of the class in 2018.
Making a Difference
It’s strange to think about reviewing your landscaping contract as summer is upon us. Those who will be seeing your campus are select and few, and at this date, it’s more than likely your contracts are finalized. However, the summer season allows for time to concentrate on contracts and tasks that aren’t considered high priority while school is in session. What better time to review your grounds maintenance plan(s) (landscaping, snow removal, etc.) than over the summer when you can dedicate some time to the fine print.
Check for a list of products your outdoor vendors are using. If they don’t disclose their products of choice in your contract(s), ask for a list, and if your school has green incentives and find they’re using neonicotinoid insecticides, ask if they provide alternative green services—or find a new contractor.
You can also make changes in your own backyard. Read the labels of your go-to products. It could be your summer of change!
And, if your school is involved in community gardening, make sure you communicate with the overseeing faculty or staff member about neonicotinoid insecticides. Of course, organic is always the safest way to avoid exposure; however, there are products available that don’t contain neonicotinoid insecticides.
Additional ISM articles of interest
Private School News Vol. 9 No. 5 Connecting Your School Garden With Others
Additional ISM articles of interest for Gold Consortium members
I&P Vol. 38 No. 4 Your School’s Summer Program and Risk Management
