I'm in a bit of a tough spot here. My father-in-law decided to spray our yard with Cutter Backyard mosquito control, even though the source of our mosquito problem is the neighbor's untreated pool. Unfortunately, the spray went all over my bee garden because his reasoning was that the bottle specified it was for mosquitoes, not bees. I'm really worried about the new blooms on my plants; will they harm the bees? I checked the garden and noticed there are no insects around it at the moment. Do I have to cut down the garden for this year, considering the Cutter spray lasts 12 weeks and my growing season ends in October? Any advice on how to handle this?
5 Answers
Unfortunately, yes, that pesticide will negatively impact your bees. Any pesticide is likely to harm them, not just specifically target mosquitoes. I’m sorry about the state of your garden; it's heartbreaking after all the effort you've put into it. I’d recommend cutting your losses for this year and replanting in the spring, as the chemical will linger for quite a while.
First off, you should definitely top any plants that are blooming or close to it. You can also give everything a good wash with the hose to get rid of as much of that pesticide as possible. Another option is to spray your plants with a natural soap solution – let it sit overnight, then rinse it off. This should help minimize any harm to your bees!
Thanks for the tips! I'm going to try this instead of cutting everything down. I’m starting to think of it as giving my garden a nice trim.
You're not wrong to be worried! That pesticide is known to be highly toxic to bees, and the company downplays it on the label. If you can’t reason with your neighbor, reporting their abandoned pool might be a good step. Alternatively, you might consider using mosquito dunks in their pool to directly target the mosquitoes without risking harm to your plants. Good luck!
There are definitely options. The Cutter spray can be tough, but focusing on cleaning your plants and removing any blooms should help mitigate some damage. And if you're concerned about using pesticides yourself, consider natural alternatives for mosquito control.
I'm no expert, but that really stinks. Maybe you could check with your local town about regulations on stagnant pools. They might have to take care of it if it’s considered a breeding ground for pests. Also, I would recommend just pulling up your garden and starting fresh next year.
It's really frustrating when people don't realize that pesticides can do widespread damage. I totally understand your devastation.