Campus pesticide/insecticide use
Anonymous submitted on
Thursday 11th July 2019
Complete
Could SUSU please request information about what weedkillers, pesticides and fertilizers are used on university grounds and check that they are safe for pollinators like bees?
Answers
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Emily Harrison submitted on
Wednesday 23rd October 2019
Complete
Hi there,
Thank you for taking the time to put in a You Make Change submission.
After getting in touch with the University Estates and Facilities team, they provided me with the environmental impact assessment for the Roundup ProBio weed killer product used (Which you can find here:/content/Roundup ProBio - Environmental Impact Assessment .pdf) This specifically states “Roundup ProBio is of low toxicity to honeybees; there is no requirement to avoid application of the product when bees are foraging on flowering weeds in treated areas.”
They use a number of different turf fertilisers with the following N.P.K (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium content)
They are used sparingly and in small quantities, and generally are slow release. This helps prevent excessive leaching and allows for sustained growth.
As far as we are aware, they have no detrimental effects to pollinators.
If you have any further questions, please get in touch with my via president@soton.ac.uk
Kind regards,
Emily Harrison,
Union President 2019/20
