Yes. Keith, please everyone...do not buy any plants from Home Depot. Lowes or Ace Hardware as the plants can and do kill bees - honeybees and others.

There may be other stores, different stores in your local area, but the growers/wholesalers are still delivering these plants. Each store has promised to phase out the neonic-containing plants but that could take years.

Good point this time of year! I posted a notice on my facebook page about this last year and have really watched for treated plants for a few years now.

Well, I must be living under a rock.

I have not been aware of a tag I should be watching for, but I certainly will. I will ask from now on. Thank you for the important post Keith.

Thanks Keith, I'm posting this on my face book page

FYI


Home Depot to Phase Out Bee-Killing Pesticides!
"Home Depot (NYSE: HD), the world's largest home-improvement chain, has announced that it has removed neonicotinoid pesticides, a leading driver of global bee declines, from 80 percent of its flowering plants and that it will complete its phase-out in plants by 2018."


GOOD!!

"Do not buy any plants from Home Depot, Lowes, or Ace hardware" ???
While I understand the enthusiasm to jump on this anti-pesticide bandwaggon, and certainly count myself in that crowd, one can't just make a "blanket ban" on buying "any plants" from the above-cited retailers. They buy from "growers", as do most retailers/garden centres nationally, offering live plants. Only a few that grow their own, and thus can if they wish, control what pesticides they use. Although I have been very good, in fact, excellent at being "apolitical" in any posting on this great site, I'm going to break my abstinence now: Your present EPA Director (regardless of what Party he belongs to) is hell-bent on tearing away "every environmental law and eco-concern," as fast as he can, and as such, there is a good probability that you will see restrictions drastically lifted on "available pesticides", let alone lifted on water and air quality. Just sayin!

So unfortunate for us.

If I see something I like, I'll still buy it. No sense in consumer shaming other people. Make your own decisions about plants and bees, but you have no right to instruct others how to shop (or not).

I don't see it as trying to shame anyone. The more info a consumer has about any given product, the better. I know I was very glad to know about neonics when I first heard about them.

Granted, shaming people like this is usually not deliberate or even conscious.

There are a number of "shoulds" and "do nots" in the above messages that come laden with a value system not everyone shares. As gardeners we do all sorts of things VERY differently. This even includes using pesticides somebody else may think of the worst thing ever. This is subtle way to divide people, but it is literally telling others to do X, Y, or Z.

A better tactic is explanation without deliberate, direct, telling people what to do. Gentle persuasion is usually more effective in the long-run anyway.

Jai_Ganesha said:If I see something I like, I'll still buy it. No sense in consumer shaming other people. Make your own decisions about plants and bees, but you have no right to instruct others how to shop (or not).

Wouldn't you rather they don't sell harmful plants sprayed to begin with? Sure, you can buy what you like, but i don't see why anyone would want to purposely buy these knowing the consequences. If bees die we all are affected and id rather have food to eat than buy pesticide ridden plants

for the information. Our efforts seems small when compared to big business, but if this is an environmental issue with our precious pollinators I can buy elsewhere. (I never heard of this before!)

@Jai_Ganesha I'm afraid I have to disagree with your "consumer shaming" comment. Sometimes you have to hit someone over the head to get their attention. This is one of those times when that's necessary. Many people are unaware of neonicotinoids and the damage they do. I think the comment initially posted by @keithp2012 was right on target. Your mileage may vary.

You have the right to be wrong.

You don't have the right to hit anyone over the head, either physically or with argument. It doesn't work.

Welcome to NGA FrugalGramma!
I noticed a definite increase in the number of pollinators on my lot last year! I would not purchase plants that I know have been exposed to neoniconoids, however i know I have purchased them in the past. I was made aware of them about 3 years ago now. I am not sure how long they have been in use. I need to educate myself about things like "once a plant has been treated with them is it forever in them?" The big box stores have been among the best sources for plant materials in my area. Most pesticides are indiscriminate, so one should always use them with caution. Most responsible garden centers have sold plants which contained them.

FYI.
Here is a partial listing of some of the products offered in North America, which I pulled off the "Net" containing "neonicotinoids." Important to note, that there are at least three more derivatives of neonicotinoids, none of which use the word "neonicotinoids" on the label, and the brands listed below, contain either neonicotinoids and/or one of the three derivatives: Pretty scary, if I were a bee!

Bayer Advanced 3-in-1 Insect, Disease, & Mite Control
Bayer Advanced 12 Month Tree & Shrub Insect Control
Bayer Advanced 12 Month Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed
Bayer Advanced Fruit, Citrus & Vegetable Insect Control
Bayer Advanced All-in-One Rose & Flower Care concentrate
DIY Tree Care Products Multi-Insect Killer
Ferti-lome 2-N-1 Systemic
Hi-Yield Systemic Insect Spray
Knockout Ready-To-Use Grub Killer
Monterey Once a Year Insect Control II
Ortho Bug B Gon Year-Long Tree & Shrub Insect Control
Ortho MAX Tree & Shrub Insect
Bayer Advanced All-in-One Rose & Flower Care granules
Green Light Grub Control with Arena
Amdro Quick Kill Lawn & Landscape Insect Killer
Amdro Rose & Flower Care
Maxide Dual Action Insect Killer
Ortho Bug B Gon Garden Insect Killer
Ortho Bug B Gon for Lawns
Ortho Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Insect Killer
Green Light Tree & Shrub Insect Control with Safari 2 G
Safari
Ortho Tree & Shrub Insect Control Plus Miracle Gro Plant Food
Ortho Rose and Flower Insect Killer
Ortho Rose Pride Insect Killer
Note: The Ortho Tree & Shrub Control Plus, has Miracle-Gro Plant Food added to it. Miracle Grow does not contain neonicotinoids or derivatives.

Very extensive list Frank. Thanks for posting that .

I think the point was that there's a difference between saying:

"I'm making this decision, here's why, and I encourage you to do likewise..."

--and--

"You should or must or cannot do this or that..."


One is laden with humanity and persuasion...while the other is coercive and controlling.

We'll all do what we do and choose what we choose. The better tack to take might be to persuade others to make better choices...rather than demand that they do - or do what we tell them to do.

That is a long list, Frank!