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Pollinator Safe Plant Disease Management

Powdery mildew, rust and leaf spot can annoy the gardener, but spraying with fungicides can contribute to native and honeybee decline.

Bees depend on native yeast to ferment nectar they combine with pollen to create bee bread.  Bees depend on bee bread for survival.  So, when we spray our plants with fungicides we can kill the natural yeast, preventing bees from making bee bread, causing them to starve. 

Always think before you spray. Prevent problems by growing disease resistant varieties. Tolerate damage that is strictly cosmetic.

If you decide to spray, do so before or after plants flower.  Don’t apply systemic fungicides prior to flowering. These materials are absorbed into the plant and transported to the flowers where they can harm the bees. And never spray on windy days when pesticides can drift onto nearby plants.

A bit more information:  When weighing the need to treat plants for disease or insect problems we should all consider these words from Albert Einstein. “If bees disappear from the face of the earth, mankind would only have four years to live.”

Upcoming Live Events
& Webinars


May 17, 2025
Ask the Plant Doctor Q&A
Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI

May 18, 2025
Ask the Plant Doctor Q&A
Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI

June 1, 2025
Growing, Harvesting & Preserving Favorite Italian Herbs for Food and Drink Demos
Festa Italiana-Cucina Showcase 
Milwaukee, WI 

June 4, 2025
FREE WEBINAR:
Attracting Hummingbirds

Register here

June 8, 2025
Selecting the Right Hydrangea
for Your Landscape

Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI

June 14, 2025
Houseplants 101
Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI

June 20, 2025 (event 6/20-6/22)
Pollinator Celebration
Vino in the Valley
Maiden Rock, WI
Register here

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