The Environmental Protection Agency has officially stated that imidacloprid, one of the classes of pesticides known as neonicotinoids, is harmful to bees. An EPA assessment found that bees are exposed to the pesticide in sufficient quantities to harm them when pollinating cotton and citrus crops.
EPA's statement, "Preliminary Pollinator Assessment Supporting Registration Review of Imidacloprid," can be viewed here. Estimation methods are discussed here.
Pesticide maker Bayer criticized the assessment when it was published but changed tack just a week later, saying it would work with the Environmental Protection Agency. The company, while noting that the report says the harm is to bees and not colonies, continues to argue that the pesticide is not the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder.
Bayer spent $12 million in '2014, a pittance compared with profits of more than $3.6 billion but still a large sum, to counter suggestions that the chemicals kill bees, reports Emery P. Dalecio of the Associated Press. Their goal was to shift attention to the varroa mite as the cause of bee deaths.
Some reports claimed that bees absorbed less harmful levels of pesticides when pollinating tobacco, corn and other crops. An EPA spokesman said more data needs to be collected to assess the effects on soybeans, grapes and other crops on which imidacloprid is used.
The importance of honeybees and other pollinators to food production, both large and small, cannot be overstated, not to mention the environment as a whole.
The Environmental Protection Agency said it would seek public input before considering action to impose specific bans on imidacloprid. Here is the EPA comment website (link no longer available). They need to hear from citizens as well as experts, especially since some of these experts are in the pocket of the pesticide industry. We suggest that the EPA consider the effects of imidacloprid on humans as well as bees. (Comments will be accepted until March 14, 2016)
