Honey bee visiting flowers on an Indian hawthorn shrub. Photo: AG Dale

Ortho, an over-the-counter insecticide brand that many of us know well, has announced that they will be taking all outdoor neonicotinoid products out of their production line. Neonicotinoid active ingredients include: Dinotefuran, imidicloprid, acetamiprid, thiamethoxam, and clothianidin.

Ortho Tree & Shrub Insect Control contains dinotefuran.

This is one of the most recent developments in the issues surrounding pollinators and neonicotinoids. Ortho has already begun the process and plans to phase out all outdoor neonic products by 2021. For a more complete story, visit the link below: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/04/12/473953151/home-and-garden-giant-ditches-class-of-pesticides-that-may-harm-bees

Also this week, Michigan State University, in collaboration with the University of Maryland and Ohio State University, published an extension document outlining many of the challenges associated with pesticides and pollinators. It contains information specific to the North Central United States, but has useful pesticide information relevant to Florida pest managers. Check it out here: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/resources/how_to_protect_and_increase_pollinators_in_your_landscape