Neonicotinoids: The Pollinator-Killing Insecticide
Neonicotinoids are a class of insecticides that are known to specifically harm pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies. Two 2017 studies found that the levels of neonicotinoids typically used in industrial agriculture won’t kill a hive right away, but will wipe them out slowly over time.
The new studies say neonicotinoids do not obliterate bee colonies outright, but instead kill them over extended periods of time. The pesticides also threaten bee queens in particular — which means colonies have lower reproductive rates.
Neonicotinoid pesticides are slowly killing bees, PBS Newshour, June 29, 2017
Neonicotinoids & Your Bee Yard
While it’s true that the studies referenced above were focusing on bees located near corn crops, that does not mean that neonicotinoids are only found in industrial agriculture. They can also be found in for-sale plants and sprayed on urban, suburban, and municipal land, such as on your town’s medians, schools, libraries, governmental buildings, apartment complexes, condominium or townhome communities, and other government and commercial landscaping.
In 2014, Home Depot, Lowes, and Walmart were found to be selling “bee-friendly” plants that were actually covered in neonicotinoids. Unwittingly, gardeners who were otherwise careful were bringing this chemical into direct contact with the pollinators in their gardens.
In March 2019, Snopes reported that 98% of Home Depot’s plants are now neonicotinoid-free. The remaining 2% are, according to Home Depot, regulated by specific state laws that require neonic pesticide application and are appropriately labeled. During the backlash, Lowes also committed to eradicating neonicotinoids from their shelves and their plants by 2019. In 2017, Walmart confirmed via email to the nonprofit, Friends of the Earth, that it had eradicated approximately 80% of neonicotinoids from its garden plants selection.
How to Avoid Neonicotinoids
While you cannot control everything your bees come in contact with, keeping neonicotinoids out of your bee yard is a good first step. The Xerces Society, a non-profit dedicated to protecting pollinators, identifies the following active ingrediants to look out for and avoid in your insecticide labels:
- Imidacloprid
- Acetamiprid
- Dinotefuran
- Clothianidin
- Thiamethoxam
Other ways to keep neonicotinoids out of contact with your bees:
- When buying plants, make sure to ask someone knowledgeable in the garden department or nursery if they’ve been treated with neonicotinoids.
- Reach out to your local city, town, or government parks and grounds / maintenance departments and ask what chemicals they are using. If they are using neonicotinoids (or other chemicals that are harmful to bees), ask them to use bee-friendly alternatives and not spray within 5 miles of your bee yard.
Learn More about Neonicotinoids & Bees
- Chronic exposure to neonicotinoids reduces honey bee health near corn crops, Science, 2017
- Protecting Bees and Pollinators from Pesticides in Home Gardens and Landscapes, Resources, University of Massachusetts-Amherst