How to Become an Insecticide Labelling Ninja

Become a Label Ninja Today – Labelling Insecticides to inform the consumer.

This is an idea inspired by Simon Mitchell’s Blog Post This Product Kills Bees . I loved the idea but adapted it to avoid being labeled as a vandal. It’s been my experience that the consumer buying public don’t realise that Insecticides bought at the supermarket or hardware store could be harming Honey Bees and other Pollinators in their gardens. These are probably the same Gardeners that complain that they never see bees anymore. Who do you know who researches a Insecticide before buying it? Or even reads the label. Well other than us beekeepers that is 🙂 Help consumers out, and Save the Bees, Label those Insecticides!!!! Well here is an idea that is set to help this problem and how you help to make it happen, a bit of crafty work and some ninja shopping to make it all come together. I propose we label all bottles of Insecticides we find, not with a sticker but a tag that can be removed. We don’t want to be accursed or detained by vandalising products do we? My hope is that this idea will spread and we will see these little labels on all Insecticides linked to bee and pollinator deaths. [clickToTweet tweet=”Bee the change you want to see in the world…Become a Label Ninja Today…Ghandi http://kiwi.bz/ninja #LabelNinja” quote=”Bee the change you want to see in the world…Become a Label Ninja Today…Ghandi”]

Stage 1 – What do you need to get started

• A Computer with a printer
• A PDF file of the labels, you will find it HERE
• Some String
• Paper
• A Hole Punch or something to make a hole in your labels
• Some Scissors (To cut the Labels out)

Stage 2 – Here’s how you make the labels

1. Print out the labels on paper
2. Cut the Labels out
3. Put a hole in the top left of the label
4. Put the string through the hold and tie the string with a loop.

Now put some labels in your wallet or purse for stage 3. [clickToTweet tweet=”Beeks, ask not what your Bees can do for U, ask what you can do for your Bees…Beennedy #LabNinja http://kiwi.bz/ninja” quote=”My fellow Beekeepers, ask not what your Bees can do for you, ask what you can do for your Bees. John F. Beennedy #LabNinja”]

Stage 3 – How do you add them to Insecticides bottles

• Find a retailer that sells Neonicotinoids or Glosphate based pesticide *** See Below for New Zealand stores

Finding Retailers that sell Neonicotinoids or Glosphate products

Look out for any product that contains Acetamiprid, Glosphate, Imidacloprid, Thiacloprid or Thiamethoxam In 2013 with the help of Green MP Steffan Browning. The Warehouse and Placemakers agreed to stop carrying the bee-killing neonicotinoids. Other stores like Mitre10, Bunnings still carry this class of insecticide.

Some commercial products that contain Neonicotinoids or Glyphosate in New Zealand:-

• Yates Confidor Garden Insecticide – Imidacloprid
• Yates Rose Gun Advanced – Imidacloprid
• Confidor Insecticide Ready To Use – Imidacloprid
• Roundup – Glyphosate
• Yates Zero – Glyphosate
• Kiwicare Weed Weapon Extra Strength – Glyphosate
• Kiwicare Rose Force & Insect Hit – Thiacloprid
• Number 8 Weed killing range – Glyphosate

Shops that carry these

Hardware stores

• Bunnings
• Hammer Hardware
• Mitre 10
• Placemakers * Still selling Glyphosate products
• The Warehouse * Still selling Glyphosate products

Super Markets

• Countdown
• New World
• Pak’n’Save

Garden Centres

• Decor Gardenworld
• Oderings Nurseries
• Springvale Garden Centre
• Kings Plant Barn
• Palmers
• Garden Depot
• Southside Garden Centre

*** Ninja’s if you find any of these stores no longer sell these products, please let us know and we will remove them from this list ***

Ninja Skills needed

1. Find the aisle that says insecticides or Pesticides, put a label in your hand.
2. Casually grab the bottle read the ingredients, check what’s in it.
3. Place the label on the bottle, watch out for shelve stackers or Bayer Sales Reps.
4. Walk away and smile, you may have just saved a colony of bees.

Conclusion

Have some fun with this, but check your local laws. I’m sure your ninja skills will help you get away with your labelling. If your efforts save one colony of bees or pollinators then your effort will be well worth it. Go forth and become a label Ninja today!!!! Email us some photos of your efforts, we will create a gallery here for others to enjoy.

Some Reader Photos

None Yet

References and Further Reader

• Effects of sublethal doses of glyphosate on honeybee navigation
• Is Roundup the Toxic Chemical That’s Making Us All Sick?
• Bee Decline factsheet
• Controversial pesticides can decimate honey bees, large study finds
• Popular Pesticides Keep Bumblebees From Laying Eggs

Media Credits

• SuperMarket photo credit: Nicholas Eckhart Fresh Pwwroduce… via photopin (license)