Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency released the findings of a new study looking at the impact a widely used pesticide has on bee populations. Imidacloprid is used on a variety of exterior products to combat termites. Now the EPA says that, even at low levels, imidacloprid kills honeybees. Now more than ever, alternative products like TruLog™ steel log siding ought to be chosen over products treated with harmful chemicals.
Commonly Used Building Materials May Be Adding To Honeybee Collapse
Honeybee populations are dwindling at an alarming rate. From April 2014 to April 2015, bee colony loss in the US was more than 40 percent. And experts say honeybee numbers continue to decrease as does the output of honey. Now, it appears that imidacloprid may be a major contributing factor.
Imidacloprid is one of five commonly used neonicotinoids, which is a class of insecticide that has been used widely since the 1990s. According to Mother Jones, environmentalists and beekeepers pressured the EPA to review the effect of neonicotinoids on bees. The EPA plans to release the risk assessments of three other neonicotinoids in December, but their assessment of imidacloprid has troubling implications.
The EPA has found that low level exposure to imidacloprid kills honeybees. Unfortunately, this pesticide is widely used not only in agriculture, but in the construction industry as well. The pesticide is used extensively in the following materials:
- Vinyl siding
- Pressure treated wood decking
- Sealants
- Adhesives
It’s a known and recognized fact that any pesticide applied to these construction products will leach into the soil and water. Then, traces of the pesticide are taken up by plants and flowers pollinated by the bees, often in levels high enough to kill them. Crops that attract these pollinators and contain high levels of imidacloprid are:
- Soybeans
- Cotton
- Citrus
- Corn
Bees can also be exposed to imidacloprid during the construction phase of a project. When treated wood produces sawdust, the honeybees may become exposed when they use this sawdust to build their hives. Beekeepers may be unknowingly exposing their bees to imidacloprid, as the materials used to construct beekeeping structures often contain traces of the pesticide as well.
TruLog™ Steel Log Siding Contains No Pesticides
With bee populations declining at a tragic rate, now is the time to make what accommodations we can to try to save the bees. Though most of us ordinary people wonder how we can possibly stop a problem so large and seemingly scientific, studies like the one released by the EPA last month give us the insight we need to make a difference: Building materials are one thing we can control. What we choose to build our homes with can make a difference to the success of honeybees.
TruLog™ steel log siding is not treated with imidacloprid or any other neonicotinoid. Our product provides you with a way to side your home with a material that won’t harm the bees, and that is also 100 percent recyclable and improves the energy efficiency of your home. Products like TruLog™ provide today’s homeowner with an affordable, practical and easy to install option that doesn’t harm the environment.
To learn more about TruLog™, and to get a free cost estimate, please call our experienced team in Loveland, Colorado at 970-646-4490 or contact us online.
Sources:
healthybuilding.net/news/2016/01/21/common-decking-and-insulation-pesticide-is-a-honeybee-killer
motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2016/01/epa-finds-major-pesticide-toxic-bees
yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/63E7FB0E47B1AA3685257F320050A7E3
