25,000 bumblebees killed in Wilsonville

[Generic Other]

WILSONVILLE, OREGON -- June 18, 2013 -- A dead bumblebee clings to a linden tree in a Wilsonville parking lot. The Oregon Department of Agriculture suspects they were killed by improper application of pesticide.

An estimated 25,000 bumblebees were found dead beginning Saturday, the largest known incident in the United States. Motoya Nakamura/The Oregonian


A dead bumblebee clings to a linden tree.


http://photos.oregonlive.com/oregonian/2013/06/25000_bumblebees_killed_in_wil_3.html

[KT2000]

1. Any idiot is allowed

to use pesticides. A lot of people consider instructions and precautions on the packages to be government interference and a nuisance - something for babies.
Homeowners on average use 8 times the proper amount in their homes and yards - endangering their neighborhood.
I wonder if there were any humans affected by this improper application.

[Generic Other]

3. It just seems so appalling

like the bird falls and fish kills. All too common occurrences. The overkill on the pesticide theory makes sense.

[alittlelark]

2. Seriously bad Karma....

[avaistheone1]

4. Seriously bad karma for us. We need those bees in order for us humans to have adequate

food supplies.

[liberalla]

5. + 100

[MineralMan]

8. Are those oranges in the second photo?

If so, they would be gone, too. My parents have a citrus farm. They have multiple hives of bees brought in during the orange blooming season. Without the bees, there won't be any oranges. Same with avocados, which they also grow.

[avaistheone1]

7. k&r

[Liberal_in_LA]

9. kick

[factsarenotfair]

10. That's less than five miles from an OSU Ag Research Pesticide Registration Station

The North Willamette Research and Extension Center (NWREC) is Oregon State University's only agriculture field research station located in the northwestern part of the state.

We serve farmers in the seven county north valley area and focus our research and education on the region's most important crop systems: nurseries and greenhouses, fresh vegetables and specialty seed crops, berries and small fruit, Christmas trees, and small commercial farms. In addition, NWREC is the location for the state's only IR-4 Pesticide Registration program working with agricultural crops throughout Oregon.
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/NWREC/

I was wondering what was in the area surrounding the Target and found this. I also wonder if this is near where the rogue GMO wheat was found.

[Generic Other]

13. You are right! I had read about the rogue wheat

That's why this story got my attention. Well that and the image of all the bees raining down from the sky. Just too horrible to contemplate.

[kwolf68]

11. If Oregon can't get it right...

Then we're phucked.

[Quantess]

12. Tragic. (no text)