We Must Act Now!

This past July was the second time the EPA refused to act to help save honeybees. The controversial pesticide clothianidin (which is a neonicotinoid) has been linked to the global bee population decline. Reporting on two recent studies Science mentions that it appears to hurt the bees sense of direction. When they can't find their way home the hive is starved of foragers and pollen resulting in fewer queens and eventually collapse.

A comparison of bee queen production in colonies treated (middle, right) and untreated (left) with a neonicotinoid pesticide. Image: Whitehorn et. al/Science

In the mid 1990's Clothianidin was introduced as a safe alternative to other detrimental pesticides. Almost 9 years later there were reports of sharp and unexplainable declines, varying from 30 − 90%. Now almost 100 million crop acres and an unknown amount of home and urban gardens are using the chemical. Clothianidin is not the only thing causing Colony Collapse Disorder but along with the above recent studies have shown that bees exposed to the chemical are more vulnerable to a common bee parasite and that it dramatically increases the toxicity of fungicides. 

 Banning it may not be the only solution or feasible with the EPA being heavily influenced  by chemical companies. However why pretreat a pest threat you don’t know exists yet and when there are alternative pest management practices. 

If we don't act now the EPA won't review this again until 2018. Make your voice known to the EPA and protect bees and our food system! Submit your public comment today.