Neonicotinoid Insecticides And Bee-Decline: Association Effort Addresses The Issues

To help you answer questions that will undoubtedly arise following the unfortunate and accidental bee-kill that happened in Oregon this past June, our floriculture industry associations have produced a letter and a frequently asked questions document you can use.

Some groups have called for the prohibition of neonicotinoid insecticides, and in many cases they are trying to identify the use of these insecticides as the sole cause for Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) of European honeybees.The phenomenon, sometimes referred to by the more general term, Bee Decline, occurs when worker bees do not return to their hive after foraging.

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Recent reports by the USDA and EPA suggest that the cause of CCD is likely much more complicated than any one factor. The new documents developed by ANLA, OFA and SAF attempt to shed additional light on this difficult issue by recognizing the importance of protecting our environment and our pollinator population, while fulfilling the need to protect our crops from damaging insect pests.

The letter and frequently asked questions will help growers, landscapers and retailers explain to customers why these chemicals are an important part of our industry’s toolbox, and the fact that current scientific evidence supports their responsible use as part of a pest management strategy.

For more information on CCD and neonicotinoids, contact ANLA’s Joe Bischoff at [email protected] or SAF’s Lin Schmale at [email protected].

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