Bee populations have been declining at drastic rates over the past few decades. American beekeepers lose around 30% of their colonies every year and the American Bumblebee population has dropped by 90% in the last two decades. There are a number of different factors contributing to their population decline, but pesticides called Neonicotinoids are one of the biggest reasons why our bees are dying. Neonicotinoids are so prevalent because they’re an extremely effective pesticide when it comes to killing insects. But the problem is that they kill indiscriminately, leaving our bumblebees and other pollinators to suffer.
The legal spraying of neonicotinoids has been restricted to state use, meaning that individuals interested in using these pesticides must have a license to do so. However, seed companies can coat their seeds with neonicotinoids, leaving our bees exposed to a chemical that paralyzes and kills them. While treated seeds are mostly used in the agricultural industry, there are still neonics found on household gardening seeds for flowers and vegetables.
What can Lexington do to save the bees?
As a Certified Bee City, Lexington has done an excellent job promoting pollinator gardens and encouraging biodiversity by specifying which plants are best for our bees. But to take the town’s efforts a step further, residents can help Environment Massachusetts urge Governor Healy to support a ban on these seeds coated in bee-killing pesticides. There are many active ingredients in pesticides that contain neonicotinoids, and people have the right to know that the products they’re able to purchase are harming the very ecosystems they wish to help flourish.