Saving bees with science: Continued focus on neonicotinoids is distracting from real threat
August 9, 2016
From: Financial Post | FP Comment
Bill Crabtree and Robert Wager, Special to Financial Post
The “Bee-pocalypse” has been cancelled. Global bee populations are rising and are now near historic highs. In Canada, the bee populations are up 13 per cent since 2011. While there are serious threats to bees, neonicotinoid pesticides (or neonics) in agriculture is not one of them. Continued focus on neonics by environmental groups detracts from and potentially worsens real threats to bees.
***
Such restrictions are highly contested. The U.S. EPA, which just released its first of four reports on neonic use, concluded there is minimal risk to honey bees from the neonic seed treatments for tuber, bulb, brassica (including canola) vegetables and corn.
Leave a Comment