The NYS legislature has taken an important move to ban a dangerous pesticide that has been causing bee colony collapse by proposing the Birds and Bees Protection Act (S1856A). Neonicotinoids, called neonics for short, affects the nervous system of over 200 species including humans and can accumulate in water and soil. Honey bees are critical to the U.S. food supply, with over one third of our foods pollinated by honey bees. 

A study by Cornell University found that there are safer alternatives for use in farms, lawns and gardens. European regulators have already imposed a partial moratorium based on field studies done in the UK and Germany, where they found that when bee colonies were exposed to neonic-coated canola both wild bees and honey bees had trouble reproducing and surviving the winter. (Science,2017)  Researchers also point out that managing landscapes both agricultural and urban to support healthy biodiversity of pollinators must go hand in hand with banning neonics.

There is no easy fix for the environmental problems we now face, but supporting this bill would be a good start. Let’s hope Gov. Hochul signs it!