According to the CDFA, "Merit is a line of insecticidal products containing the active ingredient imidacloprid." This product contains a synthetically created chemical that has been classified as a systemic neonicotinoid which is highly toxic to aquatic life and pollinators. This will be applied as a soil drench to the host plant and surrounding areas. CoreTect has the same active neonicotinoid, but it is applied through tablets which are then watered to drench the soil and encourage plant uptake.
It binds to the nerve cells of insects and mammals. The CDFA claims that healthy mammals with properly functioning detoxification pathways excrete this poison faster than insects. Animal testing shows that this product affects the nervous, reproductive, and developmental systems.
It binds to the nerve cells of insects and mammals. The CDFA claims that healthy mammals with properly functioning detoxification pathways excrete this poison faster than insects. Animal testing shows that this product affects the nervous, reproductive, and developmental systems.
ANR scientists at UC Riverside are STILL studying the efficacy of the systemic pesticide imidacloprid, which (they claim) can protect young trees for up to three months. This means that the effectiveness has not been established, but that they estimate that the pesticide affects visiting insects for up to 3 months AFTER application! This means that pollinators are at risk for up to three months ... honey bees, native bees, or any other visiting pollinators according to the UCANR website.
However, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation brings out these facts:
The reality then is that neonicotinoids can actually remain a risk for up to SIX YEARS!
However, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation brings out these facts:
- Neonicotinoid residues are found in pollen and nectar consumed by pollinators such as bees and butterflies. The residues can reach lethal concentrations in some situations.
- Neonicotinoids can persist in soil for months or years after a single application. Measurable amounts of residues were found in woody plants up to six years after application.
- Untreated plants may absorb chemical residues left over in the soil from the previous year.
The reality then is that neonicotinoids can actually remain a risk for up to SIX YEARS!
According to the label: "HAZARDS TO HUMANS AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS...Harmful if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through skin....Avoid contact with skin, eyes, or clothing. Avoid breathing dust or vapor. This product is highly toxic to aquatic invertebrates....This product is highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment or residues on blooming crops/plants or weeds. Do not apply this product or allow it to drift to blooming crops/plants or weeds if bees are foraging the treatment area....Do not apply this product in a way that will contact workers or other persons, either directly or through drift.
RESTRICTION: Not for use in commercial greenhouses, nurseries, or on grasses grown for seed, or on commercial fruit and nut trees.
Do not enter or allow worker entry into treated areas during the restricted-entry interval (REI) of 12 hours."
In addition, the label has different dilutions for different plants including, but not limited to, specified trees, vines, turf, etc. Will they be changing the dilution for each species. Also, insects have been shown to develop resistance to this pesticide. Why take a chance in destroying our pollinators and wildlife food sources when the risk of damage to the ecosystem is higher than achieving a lower yield and an estimated loss of 20-30% of citrus? The risk of damaging the food chain and our children's health is much higher.
RESTRICTION: Not for use in commercial greenhouses, nurseries, or on grasses grown for seed, or on commercial fruit and nut trees.
Do not enter or allow worker entry into treated areas during the restricted-entry interval (REI) of 12 hours."
In addition, the label has different dilutions for different plants including, but not limited to, specified trees, vines, turf, etc. Will they be changing the dilution for each species. Also, insects have been shown to develop resistance to this pesticide. Why take a chance in destroying our pollinators and wildlife food sources when the risk of damage to the ecosystem is higher than achieving a lower yield and an estimated loss of 20-30% of citrus? The risk of damaging the food chain and our children's health is much higher.
This specific active ingredient, imidacloprid, has been banned by the European Union. They determined that there was a long term risk to bee colonies from the dust and nectar residues from this systemic pesticide that infiltrates plant tissues. They also determined that the "guttation fluid" brought back to the colony posed a risk to the bees that remain in the hive and damaged the colony. As a result, many beekeepers are fighting for its ban in the United States and refuse to keep their bees within the foraging zone where this pesticide is used.
"The Authority identified for certain crops high acute risks for bees from plant protection products containing the active substances clothianidin, thiamethoxam or imidacloprid. The Authority identified in particular high acute risks for bees from exposure via dust as regards several crops, from consumption of residues in contaminated pollen and nectar as regards some crops and from exposure via guttation fluid as regards maize. In addition, unacceptable risks due to acute or chronic effects on colony survival and development could not be excluded for several crops. Furthermore the Authority identified a number of data gaps for each of the evaluated crops. In particular as regards long term risk to honey bees from dust exposure, from residues in pollen and nectar and from exposure from guttation fluid."
Beyond Pesticides brings out this, "Although the use of imidacloprid has been gaining popularity in agricultural and residential settings, its human and environmental effects have not been fully evaluated, despite its registration over 10 years ago. While many in the industry consider imidacloprid to be a pesticide of relatively low toxicity, it has been found to be extremely toxic to non-target insects like bees, and recently has led to resistance in the Colorado potato beetle.... Imidacloprid belongs to the neonicotinoid chemical family, a family of chemicals similar to the tobacco chemical, nicotine. It works by interfering with the transmission of stimuli in the insect nervous system causing irreversible blockage of acetylcholine receptors, which are found in a type of neural pathway that is more abundant in insects than in warm-blooded animals....Imidacloprid may be weakly mutagenic. It has been determined that imidacloprid increased the frequency of genetic damage by chemically binding to DNA. It also tested positive for causing changes in human lymphocyte chromosomes and for genotoxicity in Chinese hamster ovary cells.4"
"The Authority identified for certain crops high acute risks for bees from plant protection products containing the active substances clothianidin, thiamethoxam or imidacloprid. The Authority identified in particular high acute risks for bees from exposure via dust as regards several crops, from consumption of residues in contaminated pollen and nectar as regards some crops and from exposure via guttation fluid as regards maize. In addition, unacceptable risks due to acute or chronic effects on colony survival and development could not be excluded for several crops. Furthermore the Authority identified a number of data gaps for each of the evaluated crops. In particular as regards long term risk to honey bees from dust exposure, from residues in pollen and nectar and from exposure from guttation fluid."
Beyond Pesticides brings out this, "Although the use of imidacloprid has been gaining popularity in agricultural and residential settings, its human and environmental effects have not been fully evaluated, despite its registration over 10 years ago. While many in the industry consider imidacloprid to be a pesticide of relatively low toxicity, it has been found to be extremely toxic to non-target insects like bees, and recently has led to resistance in the Colorado potato beetle.... Imidacloprid belongs to the neonicotinoid chemical family, a family of chemicals similar to the tobacco chemical, nicotine. It works by interfering with the transmission of stimuli in the insect nervous system causing irreversible blockage of acetylcholine receptors, which are found in a type of neural pathway that is more abundant in insects than in warm-blooded animals....Imidacloprid may be weakly mutagenic. It has been determined that imidacloprid increased the frequency of genetic damage by chemically binding to DNA. It also tested positive for causing changes in human lymphocyte chromosomes and for genotoxicity in Chinese hamster ovary cells.4"
Resources:
- Official Journal of the European Union: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2013:139:0012:0026:EN:PDF
- Beyond Pesticides research on imidacloprid with quoted resources: https://www.beyondpesticides.org/assets/media/documents/pesticides/factsheets/Imidacloprid.pdf
- Beyond Pesticides Link 2: http://www.beyondpesticides.org/resources/pesticide-gateway-test?pesticideid=39
- Beyond Pesticides Link 3: http://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/category/chemicals/imidacloprid/
- Label: https://www.backedbybayer.com/~/media/BackedByBayer/Product%20Labels%20-%20pdf/Merit%2075%20WSP.ashx
- CDFA Information Sheet on Merit: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/factsheets/Merit-QA.pdf
- Xerces.org http://www.xerces.org/neonicotinoids-and-bees/