The US has approved the first ever vaccine for declining honeybees. It’s been five year since the EU and UK banned farmers from using neonicotinoids unless they were in a closed greenhouse. In 2016, Ontario was the first region of North America to ban neonics pesticides. Several US states have restricted their use, and companies such as Lowes Costco Walmart and Ortho have committed to phase them out. “I’m delighted Governor Newsom signed AB 363, to eliminate harmful pesticides without limiting farmers,” stated Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan. Once in the environment, neonics are toxic to bees, and other insects. They can persist in soil and water for years, and are easily transported long distances. “Public health and ecological well-being in California are better protected because of this law,” says Lucas Rhoads with the Pollinator Initiative, NRDC. “California has joined nine other states in reducing neonic pollution where people live and have fun, and taking steps to protect the communities and species.” While DPR recently completed an evaluation of agricultural uses, it neglected to address the non-agricultural use of neonics happening right in Californians’ backyards that contribute to contamination of California’s urban and suburb waters. Bumblebees Are Using Top-Tier Combat Skill to Fight Asian Hornets, Reveals New ResearchAB 363 will require DPR now to perform a more thorough review of remaining neonic use and provide additional mitigation when needed. This is especially important for California’s 1,600 indigenous bee species.
California has passed a new law that will outlaw over-the-counter sales of lawn and garden neonicotinoid pesticides by 2025, restricting their use to trained professionals in the intensely agricultural state, thanks to the persistence of state legislators and Governor Gavin Newsom’s change of heart. The sale of the pesticide class is constrained by AB 363.
The first article to appear on Good News Network was” Good News for California Bees: Governor Signs Law to Help Protect Pollinators From Dangerous Pesticides.”
