Bees (and Other Pollinators) and Pesticides Don’t Mix

By Laudato Si | August 2, 2023

America’s bees are dying at an alarming rate. Some of us may see that as a good thing; the fewer bees (and wasps, and other stinging insects), the fewer stings. But bees are pollinators of about 70 to 100 major crops, ranging from apples and blueberries to watermelon and zucchini. There’s a simple equation: the fewer the bees, the less food. There is a work-around: hand-pollination, which relies on human labor rather than on bees and other pollinators, There’s also a simple equation for that as well: the more hand-pollination, the less and more expensive the food.  For more information on the decline of bee populations and the threat that it poses, see our previous post, Bee Populations and the Looming Catastrophe.

One of the significant factors linked to the decline of bee populations is the use of neonicotinoids (or neonics in its abbreviated name), a class of pesticides that includes Imidacloprid (which is the world’s most widely used pesticide), Clothianidin, Thiamethoxam, Dinotefuran, and Acetamiprid, and others. The pesticide can be applied in a variety of ways (to seed, in soil, or to the plant itself). Since it is water-soluble, it spreads throughout the tissue of the plant as the plant absorbs water, including in its nectar and pollen, where it is then consumed by pollinators.

As a pesticide, neonicotinoids are indiscriminate: they affect both targeted insect populations (the insects we don’t want) as well as non-targeted ones (the insects we either want or don’t mind having around). They bind to and disrupt an insect’s central nervous system, typically causing uncontrollable shaking and twitching followed by death. Either in non-lethal doses or before death, they can disrupt the insect’s immune system, navigation, stamina, memory, and fertility. Recent studies have also shown that affected bumblebees become inefficient foragers, while affected mason bees will fail to differentiate between contaminated and uncontaminated soil in building their nests.

We like to think that, once an insecticide has “protected” a plant, its effect eventually “wears off,” or its useful life ends with the harvesting or the death of that plant. That, however, is not the case. Remember that neonicotinoids are water-soluble. Since they are absorbed into the water, they penetrate groundwater and eventually find their way into the world’s streams, rivers, seas, and oceans. In a 2015 study, at least one neonicotinoid was detected in 53% of the streams sampled in the United States. In other words, long after the targeted plant no longer exists, the pesticide continues its work. The world’s most lethal pesticide, it remains effective at a concentration of just a few parts per billion.

In 2018, the European Union approved a near-total ban on the use of neonicotinoids in its member states. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned the use of 12 neonicotinoid-based products while allowing 47 other products to remain on the market. Rather than banning their use, the EPA has instead focused on providing guidance for labelling as well as for the (supposedly) safe application and use of neonicotinoids. That said, the use of neonicotinoids continues to be under review by the EPA. Many of the EPA’s decisions regarding neonicotinoids have been attacked by environmental groups as relying on studies based on defective scientific methodology and on undue influence from chemical manufacturers and agricultural interests who claim, often without compelling evidence, that the benefits of using neonicotinoids outweighs its risks.

The are some practical actions that we can take to reduce or stop the use of neonicotinoids:

  • Buy organic produce, including frozen organic fruits and vegetables. This has a two-fold effect. First, it ensures that the food you are eating is less tainted by neonicotinoids. (Less, because once they seep into the groundwater, pesticides will be absorbed by all plants, including untreated ones.) For example, 95% of corn grown in the U.S. is treated with neonicotinoids. Second, it reduces demand for products treated with neonicotinoids, which ultimately can result in reduced pesticide use.
  • Do not use any neonicotinoid-based products in your yard or garden. The following are some of the products that you may find in stores:
  • Avoid the use of pesticides if possible. If not possible, use a natural or organic pesticide. You may also be able to purchase insects that prey on the target insect; for example, ladybugs eat aphids.
  • When buying plants from nurseries, check whether they have been treated with pesticides. Many nurseries, including those at Home Depot and Lowe’s, label plants that have been treated with neonicotinoids.
  • Support a non-profit organization that works to ban the use of neonicotinoids and to support bee populations. These include:
Posted in Laudato Si, Practical Actions