Re: [CH]Monarch Butterflies
Harry Jiles (harryo@davesworld.net)
Wed, 1 Mar 2000 21:47:00 -0600
Well you guys have finally realized why this whole Bt corn, monarch
butterfly issue is pure nonsense. Let's forget about the questionable
methods used for the lab tests and assume, for the sake of argument, that
pollen from Bt corn, when eaten in large enough quantities by monarch
butterfly caterpillars, is indeed lethal to those caterpillars. Since corn
pollen is not a part of monarch caterpillars diet, those promoting this
nonsense are suggesting that pollen from Bt corn will be deposited onto
milkweeds in large enough quantities that the caterpillars will
accidentally ingest enough of it, as they feed on the milkweed leaves, to be
killed. They suggest that the common habitat for milkweeds is in and around
the borders of corn fields and therefore milkweeds present in fields of Bt
corn will deposit pollen on those milkweeds and the monarch caterpillars
will eat it.
There are a couple of big problems with this scenario. First, whether the
naysayers want to believe it or not, Bt corn is a small percentage of the
overall corn grown in the US. In 1998, Bt corn acres totaled about 2
million of the 80 million acres planted overall. This percentage does not
seem to be rising as the current low corn prices and two years of low
numbers of European corn borer have caused many farmers to decline to spend
the premium price for Bt corn seed and buy other non-Bt corn varieties that
have some natural resistance to European corn borer. These numbers might
change in the future if borer numbers are high for a couple of years but
right now most farmers are cutting back on Bt corn grown, not increasing it.
Most seed companies are now carrying large inventories of Bt corn seed
because sales of it are so slow.
The second problem, and perhaps the biggest, is the assumption that
milkweeds are mainly present in and around the borders of corn fields. This
is simply false. The farming practices of today make any milkweeds present
in corn fields themselves a rarity. They just are not there. Milkweeds
around field borders in really a non-issue, also. While their presence
around the borders is more likely than in the fields, it is still rather
rare. Farmers in many areas routinely mow roadsides or spray them once a
year to kill all weeds present. The vast majority of milkweeds grow in
fallow ground that is not in production, not in and around the borders of
corn fields. Those milkweeds are far removed from corn fields so chances of
any appreciable amount of Bt corn pollen being deposited on their leaves are
very slight.
These are the real facts. I didn't make them up or pull them out of thin
air. I am honestly stating them from the knowledge I have gained from 27
years as a corn producer in McLean County, Illinois, which is right smack
in the middle of the corn belt and produces more corn than any other county
in the United States. Now some would say that this makes me biased and I
have a vested interest in Bt corn but this would be utter hogwash. Because
of the economic reasons already stated above, my total acres of Bt corn this
year will be zero. I don't care whether I grow it or not and I won't argue
the morality of GMOs with anyone but one thing I am certain about is that Bt
corn is not killing off the monarch butterflies.
Harry
-----Original Message-----
From: Oatmeal Jack <oat@intrepid.net>
To: McWilliams, Dan <DMcWilliams@fendall.com>;
'Chile-Heads@globalgarden.com' <Chile-Heads@globalgarden.com>
Date: Wednesday, March 01, 2000 4:38 PM
Subject: Re: [CH]Monarch Butterflies
>
>> And I feel sorry for the Monarch Butterfly larvae that died after
>>eating the corn laced with BT but they probably died of STARVATION. We
>>raised Monarch Butterflies and all they eat here is milk weed. This is
>>essential to their survival because the larvae eat the bitter bitter
bitter
>>milkweed, Then very few things want to eat them and there are chemicals in
>>the milk weed that help them form their cocoons. Its quit a miracle to
watch
>>the process. But, even with all the corn we grow here I have never ever
seen
>>a Monarch eating corn. Be like putting me in a room with only Lima beans.
>>I'd starve. OPPS, I don't want to start a controversy about Lima beans.
>>The Chile Cheese Head,
>>Dan McWilliams
>
>That is a very interesting post Chile Cheese Head, everyone pointing to GM
>corn killing off the Monarchs and they dont even eat corn, wish I would
>have thought to look up what Monarchs ate.
>
>Papper Jack