Beekeepers call for pesticide’s withdrawal
Urban beekeepers are demanding retailer Bunnings Warehouse remove all products containing the pesticide neonicotinoids, following the European Union’s decision to ban it a fortnight ago.
More than 16,000 people have signed an online petition calling on the hardware chain to pull popular Yates-brand pesticides off its shelves.
One brand sold by Bunnings – Yates’ Confidor Hose-On Lawn pesticide – carries the warning it ”will kill bees”.
Melbourne chairman of the Victorian Apiarists’ Association, Bernie Heinze, said research linked neonicotinoids with colony collapse disorder in Europe.