Neonicotinoids, which are believed to harm bees and songbirds, could soon face significant restrictions in California based on regulations proposed by the state’s pesticide agency. The new limits would be among the nation’s most extensive for the agricultural use of the potent neonicotinoids which have been shown to harm pollinators. California’s proposed rules would restrict imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin, and dinotefuran. The proposal has been more than a decade in the making, and public comment is still being evaluated. Primarily, the proposed regulations would impact when, how and how much of these crop chemicals are used. Additionally, a bill currently in the California Legislature would ban the use of these pesticides in homes, yards, and other non-agricultural settings. Other states, including Rhode Island, have either banned or severely restricted the use of neonicotinoids.

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Picture Credit Susanne Kuehne

Posted on 2 August 2022