[TN-Bird] Re: It's easy to take action to help our birds.
- From: Dan Ellsworth <ellsy10@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "weltonmj@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <weltonmj@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, tnbird <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 12:50:27 -0500
Hello all,
In addition to the below I would like to share some information from the East
TN pest control company that treats my neighborhood. Many of us and our
neighbors have someone come a couple times a year for termite inspections and
for treating insects that impact our homes. I encourage you all to talk to
your local pest control companies if they treat your home and ask them to avoid
spraying flower gardens and shrubs near your home with dangerous pesticides.
With out asking me I caught our pest control company attempting to spray my
hummingbird garden in late spring. I stopped him in time and asked why he was
going to spray that area when he was supposed to be restricted to the house
itself. He said most people do not like bees so he automatically sprays every
home's flower beds unless specifically instructed not to. Not only did I say I
liked bees, but also asked about the impact on butterflies and of course our
favorite hummingbirds. He said the spray would definitely kill all insects
that feed and would also poison and most likely kill hummingbirds that
continually feed on the treated plants. Not to mention the possible impact on
other birds that feed on the poisoned insects.
He had been treating many of my neighbors gardens as well which means at least
half the homes were inadvertently hurting the hummingbirds when they would
visit the flower beds near my neighbors feeders. The scary part is most people
did not even realize this was happening. After speaking with them and the pest
control companies treating our area we all eliminated any spraying of flower
gardens / shrubs in our neighborhood. This is an easy opportunity for us all
to have a positive impact on our local wildlife. Sorry for the long story but
I hope this at least helps one other person who may unknowingly be hurting the
hummingbirds they are trying so hard to attract in the warmer months.
Dan Ellsworth
Farragut, TN
> Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 11:43:41 -0500
> Subject: [TN-Bird] It's easy to take action to help our birds.
> From: weltonmj@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> CC: adelleintn@xxxxxxxxxxx; sheila.shay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx; gb1nature@xxxxxxx;
> bfcantwell@xxxxxxxxx; cdblum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; dickpreston@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> Dear all,
> Neonicotinoids insecticides are having impacts to the survival of
> Tennessee's birds.
>
> TOS has already signed onto to an American Bird Conservancy letter to the
> EPA about the harmful effects of these insecticides. Individual letters,
> however can have an equal impact!
>
> Ask your Reprehensive to support and to co-sponsor H.R. 2692, the Save
> America¹s Pollinators Act of 2013.
>
> By going to:
> <http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/5400/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=14
> 827> , you'll find everything you need to write your letter - background on
> neonicotinoids insecticides and the way to easily find and write to your
> Representative.
>
> Below is the letter I just sent my Representative. Please customize your
> letter (or use my letter but modify the first sentences), or customize the
> letter on the ABC website as soon as possible.
>
> It's fine to love birds, but if we don't take action, we can't restore
> declining bird populations!!
>
> Thank you for taking the time to do this.
>
> Melinda Welton
> Birdworks Consulting
> Franklin, TN
>
> ----------------------------------------------
>
> Dear Representative ____
>
> Neonicotinoid insecticides are known to be toxic to pollinators like
> honeybee in Tennessee, but they also have profound impacts on the birds that
> grace our state, as well as our nation. Many of these bird species are
> already suffering steep declines and neonicotinoids are contributing to
> these declines.
>
> The American Bird Conservancy has just released a report on research that
> provides the evidence that neonicotinoids are profoundly impacting birds.
>
> http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/toxins/Neonic_FINAL.pdf
> This report focuses on the effects these insecticides have on avian species
> and concludes that neonicotinoids are lethal to birds as well as to the
> aquatic systems on which they depend. A single corn kernel coated with a
> neonicotinoid can kill a songbird. Even a tiny grain of wheat or canola
> treated with the oldest neonicotinoid, imidacloprid, can poison a bird. As
> little as one tenth of a corn seed per day during egg-laying season is all
> that is needed to affect reproduction with any of the neonicotinoids
> registered to date.
>
> Please support H.R. 2692, the Save America¹s Pollinators Act of 2013 that
> will direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to suspend
> registration for neonicotinoid insecticides, or "neonics," which are causing
> serious harm to birds, bees, and aquatic life.
>
> Sincerely,
> Melinda Welton
>
>
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