Pesticides Threaten Bee Populations

Neonicotinoids have greatly impacted the way we use pesticides to protect our crops. Instead of spraying fields with pesticides, seeds of crops are coated with chemicals and this protects the crops as they grow, from insect pests. However, recently, an extensive study on a vast scale spanning 2000 hectares reveals that neonic pesticides are harming bees. Researchers have found that exposure to the chemicals made honeybees less likely to survive over the winter, while solitary bees struggled to produce queens.

Because of concerns about the negative impact on bees, neonicotinoids have been under temporary ban in Europe since 2013. According to BBC, the European Commission is working on a new draft proposal to further restrict the use of neonicotinoids. But, scientists worry that such restrictions have left crops vulnerable to pests and the alternatives to neonicotinoids may be even more damaging to the bee populations. Prof Richard Pywell, from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Oxfordshire, said: "Our findings are a cause for serious concern. This is important because many crops globally are insect pollinated and without pollinators we would struggle to produce some foods."