Are your "bee-friendly"garden plants actually killing bees? [View all]

(cross-posting in case you didn't see this in Good Reads)

This is depressing and infuriating. I have been trying to plant my yard with wildlife-friendly choices, and now there's this:

http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/08/14/your-bee-friendly-garden-killing-bees

"Gardeners who thought they were giving a helpful boost to their local bee populations by planting “bee friendly” gardens may in fact be doing more harm than good, according to a new study released today.

Environmental groups Friends of the Earth-US and the Pesticide Research Institute tested a small sample of plants purchased from Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Orchard Supply Hardware (which is currently being acquired by Lowe’s), and found that just over half of the plants had been pre-treated with pesticides that they say are known to kill bees.

“The pilot study confirms that many of the plants sold in nurseries and garden stores across the U.S. have been pre-treated with systemic neonicotinoid insecticides, making them potentially toxic to pollinators,” said Timothy Brown, co-author of the study and associate scientist with the Pesticide Research Institute. ".......(more at link)