Neonicotinoid Pesticides Are Wiping Out Bee Populations

Neonicotinoids are synthetic insecticides chemically related to nicotine that became the most widely used pesticides in the world after their introduction in the late 1980s. They are systemic, meaning they are absorbed by plants and present in every part including pollen and nectar. While effective against crop-destroying pests, they are also highly toxic to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. These chemicals have been linked to colony collapse disorder in honeybees. The irony is devastating: pesticides meant to protect crops are destroying the very pollinators that make those crops possible. About one-third of the worlds food supply depends on pollinators. Multiple countries have banned or restricted neonicotinoids, but they remain widely used in many regions.