Provado Lawn Grub Killer may be withdrawn following EU ruling
Bayer Garden have this week admitted that one of their products – Provado Lawn Grub Killer – could be withdrawn from sale following an EU ruling.
The company said it will work with retailers to withdraw the product in line with the EC’s timetable, which is yet to be confirmed.
The European Commission will restrict the use of three neonicotinoids from December 1 this year. The ban will apply to clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiametoxam for seed treatment, soil application (granules) and foliar treatment on bee attractive plants and cereals. The restrictions will not apply to crops non-attractive to bees, or to winter cereals, and there will be potential exemptions for professional use to treat bee-attractive crops in greenhouses and in open-air fields after flowering.
The Commission will review the conditions of approval of the pesticides as soon as new information is available or at the latest within two years.
Both the UK’s number one bug control product, Provado Ultimate Bug Killer, and Provado Vine Weevil Killer contain an entirely new generation insecticide, thiacloprid, and will not be affected by the ban. Provado Ultimate Bug Killer saw good sales this week and was placed No 34 in the GTN Bestsellers chart.
“We believe that this decision has been taken without the support of clear scientific evidence and that it will not result in any environmental gain,” said a Bayer Garden spokesperson.
“It may even harm the bee population as farmers and others turn to insecticides already proven to have a detrimental effect on bees in ‘real world’ rather than laboratory conditions.
“The contribution of bees as pollinators of both crops and wildflowers is essential to the ecosystem and we take their health very seriously. This is why we invest heavily to address the real problems facing the bee population and have already moved from the old to the new generation neonicotinoids for all but this one product, where the new active ingredient is not effective against chafer grubs and leatherjackets and there are no chemical alternatives available.”
For nearly 30 years Bayer has invested heavily to create its Bee Care Centre in Monheim, Germany, the aim of which is to minimise the impact of crop protection products on bees and continually improve stewardship measures. The centre brings the company’s extensive experience and knowledge under one roof, consolidates existing and future bee health projects from Bayer companies and serves as a platform for scientific discussion and joint projects with external partners.
Bayer Garden also provides alternative pest control products that do not contain a neonicotinoid active ingredient. Provado Ultimate Fruit & Vegetable Bug Killer contains deltamethrin, an active ingredient previously only available to the professional market. It kills most common insect pests and can be used on a very wide range of fruit and vegetable plants including peas and brassicas.
Meanwhile, HTA Director of Business Development Tim Briercliffe said: “It is disappointing that the Commission has failed to take into account Defra’s latest research on the impact of neonicotinoids on bumble bees in the field which concluded that there is minimal risk under existing conditions of regulated use.
"Furthermore, we believe the level of exposure is of a magnitude lower for bees in gardens, and there is no scientific justification for the removal of these products from amateur garden use.”
He adds: “We congratulate the UK Government in voting against the ban until the scientific evidence justifies it, and we are disappointed that the European Commission is pushing through with it in the absence of such evidence. In our view this is an unwarranted attack on gardeners leaving garden plants even more open to pest infestation.
"It is worrying to see the Commission capitulating to an irrational debate that doesn’t take account of the evidence. This is a worrying precedent for the future of European decision making on pesticide issues.”
