National Pumpkin Day

Social Media Action Toolkit

October 26, 2023

Background

October 26th is National Pumpkin Day! Pumpkins rely on bees for pollination, without bees we wouldn’t have pumpkins. Unfortunately, bee populations have been declining at an alarming rate. This rise in bee deaths has largely been linked to the explosive increase and ubiquitous use of the systemic pesticide, neonicotinoids (“neonics”). To protect the bees, environment, and public health from this toxic pesticide, the NYS Legislature passed the Birds and Bees Protection Act which bans certain uses of neonics that provide no benefit to users but pose the highest risk to bees. Now the bill is waiting to be signed by NYS Governor Kathy Hochul. Join us on National Pumpkin Day in calling on Governor Hochul to sign the Birds and Bees Protection Act!

Take Action

• Post a photo of your own or use a graphic below to your social media. Engage with Governor Hochul by tagging her on social media platforms with a corresponding message about National Pumpkin Day, pollinators, and the Birds and Bees Protection Act.

• Share posts as often as you’d like on October 26th. The more posts we share, the more opportunity we have to reach Governor Hochul.

Target

• Governor Kathy Hochul

Sample Social Media Posts

Feel free to copy and post these samples to your social media pages. Pair them with an image or graphic for a more powerful post.

• .@GovKathyHochul, celebrate National Pumpkin Day by signing the Birds & Bees Protection Act! Pumpkins rely on bees for pollination, without them we will lose this seasonal crop! Neonics are responsible for bee die offs; it’s time NY bans them.  #SaveTheBees #NationalPumpkinDay

• Over 45% of NY honeybee colonies were lost last year alone. We need to protect bees from toxic neonics or risk losing a seasonal favorite, the pumpkin! Today is #NationalPumpkinDay & @GovKathyHochul it’s time to #SaveTheBees, sign the Birds & Bees Protection Act into law!

• Happy #NationalPumpkinDay! All pumpkins are highly dependent on bees and insects for pollination. But with bee populations declining we may see a future without pumpkins. @GovKathyHochul it's time to #SaveTheBees and our pumpkins, sign the Birds & Bees Protection Act into law!

• Today is #NationalPumpkinDay! @GovKathyHochul, if you enjoy pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, then you need to #SaveTheBees and sign the Birds & Bees Protection Act. Pumpkins are dependent on bees for pollination and neonics are killing bees at an alarming rate. NY must ban neonics!

• Our bees are dying because of neonics. Without bees we risk having a future without pumpkins, which depend on bees for pollination. Today is #NationalPumpkinDay and it’s time for @govkathyhochul to take action by signing the Birds and Bees Protection Act!

• Both honeybees & wild bees are essential for the pollination of pumpkins. Declining pollinator populations threaten food production, this is particularly true for pumpkins. For #NationalPumpkinDay, we are calling on @GovKathyHochul to #SaveTheBees by banning toxic neonics!

• It’s pumpkin season! Whether you’re carving them, roasting seeds, or cooking with them, remember we wouldn’t have pumpkins without bees. @GovKathyHochul must take to #SaveTheBees and sign the Birds and Bees Protection Act into law! #NationalPumpkinDay

• Happy #NationalPumpkinDay @GovKathyHochul! Please sign the Birds and Bees Protection Act. Bees are the most important species and are essential for pollinator limited crops such as pumpkins. #SaveTheBees

Tips and Tricks

• Make sure you tag Governor Hochul by mentioning her in your post or tagging her in your picture.

• Like, retweet and share other posts about National Pumpkin Day and the Birds and Bees Protection Act.

• You can use one of the sample posts above or graphics below!

• Post on as many social media platforms as you can - X, Facebook, Instagram, just to name a few.

Graphics

Feel free to download and use any of these linked graphics in your social media posts. You can also use your own photos to show support for the Birds and Bees Protection Act and your love of pumpkins and pollinators!

Industry Decisions Matter

Industry decisions matter.  So when Ortho, a division of Scotts, voluntarily decided to phase out the controversial class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids (a.k.a. neonics) in order to save bees, we were hopeful that other companies would follow their lead.   Neonicotinoids are a relatively new class of insecticides that affect the central nervous system of insects, resulting in paralysis and death. They include imidacloprid, which has been implicated in killing bees and pollinators.  But instead of other companies acting responsibly, they have gone into defense mode.   Bayer put out a blog mocking Ortho for their bold action.  Bayer stated “With hundreds of studies conducted, we know more about neonics and bees than any other pesticide, and new research continues to confirm their safe use around bees when used according to the label.”  Well, that’s simply a lie. Here’s a quote from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about their assessment released in January 2016, “EPA’s assessment, prepared in collaboration with California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation, indicates that imidacloprid potentially poses risk to hives when the pesticide comes in contact with certain crops that attract pollinators…The preliminary risk assessment identified a residue level for imidacloprid of 25 ppb, which sets a threshold above which effects on pollinator hives are likely to be seen, and at that level and below which effects are unlikely. These effects include decreases in pollinators as well as less honey produced.”

This means EPA’s analysis of detailed tests found that a specific concentration of the pesticide imidacloprid adversely impacts bees. If nectar brought back to the hive from worker bees had more than 25 parts per billion of the chemical, "there's a significant effect," namely fewer bees, less honey and "a less robust hive," said Jim Jones, EPA's assistant administrator for chemical safety and pollution prevention.

So here’s a radical idea, Bayer should stop lying and start phasing out neonics just like Scotts and Ortho did.  We need honey bees and pollinators, more than Bayer needs toxic pesticides to make money.  They can change their products.  We cannot change our global ecosystem and the role of bees in our food supply.