We’ve suspected for a long time that the most widely used weedkiller in history might be harming our bees – and now we know its true…….the most widely used weedkiller in history harms a critical ability of bumblebees to regulate nest temperature, making it harder for them to survive.

Many of us will have a small amount of glyphosate on our plots – possibly for the dreaded bindweed. This tells us that we shouldn’t be using it. At all costs keep it away from insects. It’s our responsibility not to damage wildlife.

It will take years to determine whether using glyphosate, even under controlled circumstances, also affects the insect food chain and therefore other useful creatures. The statistics for beneficial insect decline are horrific – let’s not take chances. Don’t use weedkillers.

“Glyphosate is the most widely used pesticide in history, intended to kill only plants. The harm to bumblebees – vital pollinators – was not identified in regulatory risk assessments, which only test whether a pesticide rapidly kills healthy, individual bees. However, the collective failure to regulate colony temperature could have a massive impact on its ability to produce the next generation, the scientists said.”

The Guardian, June 2022

Read the full article in the Guardian here