Winning the Battle Over Neonicotinoids

—Courtney Rothaus, Garden & Education Coordinator

Image: beneficialbugs.org

Two weeks ago, Maryland's House and Senate jointly passed legislation that would make it the first state in the country to ban neonicotinoids for consumer use under the Maryland Pollinator Protection Act.
Neonicotinoids are chemicals in commercial pesticides that have been shown to negatively impact honeybees. One of the ways that these chemicals harm honeybees is by blocking the part of the brain that bees use for learning, causing them to forget the scent of food. This makes it much harder for bees to forage among flowers for food.
According to the USDA, Maryland lost 61 percent of their honeybee population in 2014, while the country as a whole averaged a 42 percent loss in population. The significant die-off is costing farmers and beekeepers their livelihoods as well as putting ecosystems in peril.
In 2013, the European Union banned the use of neonicotinoids and it seems that there is some pressure in the United States to follow suit. Recently, Miracle-Gro announced that they would begin removing these chemicals from their products by 2025. Lowe's and Home Depot have also agreed to phase out neonicotinoid-based pesticides.
New York State is considering legislation similar to Maryland's Pollinator Protection Act, which would be great for our buzzing friends. To support this bill, tell your state senator!