The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) on June 27 issued a temporary ruling prohibiting the use of 18 pesticide products containing the active ingredient dinotefuran on all plants for 180 days.
The move follows a kill-off of an estimated 50,000 bumble bees in Wilsonville, Ore., in a shopping center parking lot. A landscape contractor reportedly sprayed 55 flowering European linden trees with Safari pesticide on June 15.
ODA is investigating the incident, Director Katy Coba said in a news release.
Valent, the manufacturer of Safari, said in a statement that it does “not believe the scope of these measures is necessary with the information available, and we will work to get the restrictions lifted as soon as possible.” The manufacturer has notified its distributors in Oregon to ensure they’re aware of the temporary use restriction on dinotefuran applications and a has issued a temporary hold on product shipments to Oregon of Valent insecticides containing dinotefuran. The company also dispatched a company entomologist to Wilsonville to work with the ODA and made a donation to the city toward the purchase and installation of protective netting for the trees in question.
The Safari label includes language specifically directing applicators not to apply this product or allow it to drift to blooming crops or weeds if bees are present in the area, Valent’s statement said. According to the timeline of the application, the trees in question were in bloom.
