Protecting honey bees from the adverse effect of pesticide use
Information for farmers and growers
Honey bees are important value creators for all farmers in that they pollinate many crops. This pollination can produce seed crops, some of which self-sow, perpetuating the crop’s value for the farmer e.g. clover in permanent pasture.
To ensure that this partnership prospers it is important to protect honey bees when using pesticides on the farm.
These steps should help farmers and growers protect honey bees when spraying any pesticide.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Pesticides – In New Zealand there is no definition for the word pesticide in any government statute.
The Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997 refers to agricultural compounds and defines them as follows:
- Agricultural compound means:
- any substance, mixture of substances, or biological compound, used or intended for use in the direct management of plants and animals, or to be applied to the land, place, or water on or in which the plants and animals are managed, for the purposes of—
- Managing or eradicating pests, including vertebrate pests; or
The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 does not define the word pesticide or use the ACVM Act definition of Agricultural Compounds. Instead it focuses on the ecotoxic properties of a substance and defines ecotoxic as follows:
- Ecotoxic means capable of causing ill health, injury, or death to any living organism
effect includes:
- any potential or probable effect; and
- any positive or adverse effect; and
- any temporary or permanent effect; and
- any past, present, or future effects; and
any acute or chronic effect; and
any cumulative effect which arises over time or in combination with other effects.