Thank you, kimmsr, for that info. regarding pesticides hurting children. I grow lots of roses 55+, no spray whatsoever. I re-post what I posted in Organic Rose forum:

The definition of pesticides includes fungicides, see below link: 1) insecticide 2) fungicide 3) miticide 4) herbicide. Below link also considers harms to insects with organic pesticides.

http://scvrs.homestead.com/KnowPesticides.html

Someone in Canadian rose forum wrote, "Bayer Advanced products NOT available NOR can be imported" in Canada. So Robert in English Rose forum is right about Canadian and European Union ban.

According to Wikipedia: "In Canada as of December 31, 2010, 171 municipalities have now placed restrictions on pesticides". European Union already banned neonicotinoids.

Many of the pesticides (includes fungicides) have health risks that are not known until later. May 13, 2013 was the news on Parkinson's disease "Researchers found exposure to pesticides increased the risk of developing the disease by 33 percent to 80 percent. Some pesticides were considered to be of higher risk than others, with weed killers like paraquat and FUNGICIDES MANEB AND MANCOZEB causing twice the risk for development of ParkinsonâÂÂs disease ... Another recent publication found that rural residents who drank contaminated well water had an increased risk��"up to 90 percent��"of developing ParkinsonâÂÂs." See link below:

From WebMD "The four main symptoms of ParkinsonâÂÂs are:
Tremor, which means shaking or trembling. Tremor may affect your hands, arms, or legs.
Stiff muscles.
Slow movement.
Problems with balance or walking."

*** From Straw: I used to work in a nursing home .. Parkinson's victims also have a stiff & frozen almost mask-like face. Walking itself was difficult for them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pesticides and Parkinson Disease

My minor in college was chemistry, so I posted a thread in Organic Rose entitled, "Woodash for blackspots and mildew, for acidic soil only". I'll re-post the info. I wrote on woodash as a natural pesticide:

Woodash can also be used as insecticides ... see this excerpt from eHow: "Wood ash is a safe alternative to insecticide use in the garden. Wood ash repels insects, slugs and snails by drawing water from their bodies until they are dehydrated. Sprinkling ashes around the base of plants will control surface feeding insects."

Wood ash has high pH above 11, caustic to my skin when I took wood ash from the neighbor's fire place. Its causticity kills insects on contact. Here's another excerpt from link below: "Abstract: Laboratory assays demonstrated that wood ash is toxic to adult and larval stages of the Colorado potato beetle. Insect mortality reached 100% among larvae and beetles continuously exposed to wood ash for periods of up to 10 days ... "

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12230-012-9234-7

**** From Straw: Wood ash is a better alternative than chemical insecticides, considering the following news: "Use of Common Pesticide, Imidacloprid, Linked to Bee Colony Collapse.
Apr. 5, 2012 ��" The likely culprit in sharp worldwide declines in honeybee colonies since 2006 is imidacloprid, one of the most widely used pesticides, according to a new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)."

Imidacloprid is manufactured by Bayer Corp. Here's the info. from Wikipedia "Recent research suggests that widespread agricultural use of imidacloprid and other pesticides may be contributing to honey bee colony collapse disorder, the decline of honey bee colonies in Europe and North America observed since 2006.[8][9][10]

As a result, several countries have restricted use of imidacloprid and other neonicotinoids.[8] In January 2013, the European Food Safety Authority stated that neonicotinoids pose an unacceptably high risk to bees."

Here is a link that might be useful: Science Daily news on Imidacloprid and Bee Collapse

Ever wonder why produce's prices shot up? Particularly with nuts like almond. We paid $7 for a tiny jar of almond butter. Bayer and pesticides mean bad-news for the bees and our food prices. See below:

"Clothianidin, a synthetic pesticide marketed by corporate chemical giant Bayer, has been banned in several European countries, including Bayer's home country of Germany, due to its toxic effects on honeybees.

Honeybees do far more than produce honey. A vital part of the world ecosystem, they currently pollinate over a third of the food crops grown in the United States, and as such are vital to the stability of U.S. food production. Many of America's favorite foods, such as almonds and watermelon, will become scarce if honeybee populations continue to decline."

"neonicotinoids are lethal to bees and weaken their immune systems, making them more susceptible to pathogens. They say it could contribute to colony collapse disorder, in which all the adult honey bees in a colony suddenly disappear or die.

The disorder continues to decimate hives in the U.S. and overseas. Since it was recognized in 2006, the disease has destroyed colonies at a rate of about 30 percent a year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture." See link below:

Here is a link that might be useful: Pesticide and decline in bee population

Thank you, Strawberryhill, for posting these materials and links. And for defending Henry K.

This article may interest some.

Here is a link that might be useful: pesticides and IQ