Now that Lowe’s is making progress, we need to turn up the heat on their competitors to join them in protecting bees, not pesticide industry profits.
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Your Letter:* Dear John Venhuizen and John Hartmann, A growing body of science has implicated neonicotinoids (neonics), the world’s most widely used pesticide, as a key factor in recent global bee die-offs. Unfortunately, many of the “bee-friendly” seedlings and plants sold to unsuspecting consumers in your stores may have been pre-treated with neonicotinoids at much higher doses than are used on farms, where levels of neonicotinoid use are already raising concerns among beekeepers and scientists. Because there is no clear labeling to indicate the presence of neonics in nursery plants, customers like me may unknowingly purchase pre-treated “bee-friendly” plants with the intent of providing habitats for bees and other pollinators, but end up causing them harm. Obviously, this situation does not benefit bees, customers like me, or my trust in you as a retailer. The EU has suspended popular neonics and a majority of the UK’s largest home improvement retailers, including Homebase, B&Q and Wickes, have made public commitments to no longer sell products containing pesticides linked to declining bee populations. In the U.S., more than twenty nurseries, landscaping companies, and retailers -- including Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, Lowe’s, Whole Foods, and BJ’s Wholesale Club -- have taken steps to eliminate bee-killing pesticides from their stores. As a concerned customer I ask that you show similar leadership and commit to not sell neonicotinoid pesticides, as well as plants pre-treated with these pesticides, to protect honey bees and other pollinators essential to our food supply and the environment. Sincerely,
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