Posted November 6, 2013
A bill which would put a moratorium on the use of a certain type of pesticide that causes death and paralysis to bees will be considered by the Maine Legislature when it reconvenes in January, according to an article by Maine Insights available here.
Representative Brian Jones, sponsor of the bill, said “The security of our food supply depends on the health of our pollinators…We need to study what effects and potentially damages our bees.” The Legislative Council voted 6-4 to consider the measure during the second regular session of the 136th Legislature.
The bill places a moratorium on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides for two years. Neonicotinoids are a relatively new type of insecticide which affects the central nervous system of insects, resulting in paralysis and death.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released new pesticide labels in an effort to protect bees and other pollinators by prohibiting the use of some neonicotinoid pesticide products where bees are present. A post on the subject from this blog is available here. The new labels have a “bee advisory box and icon with information on routes of exposure and spray drift precautions.”
In May, the EPA and USDA issued a report on honey bee health “showing scientific consensus that there are a complex set of stressors associated with honey bee declines including loss of habitat, parasites and disease, genetics, poor nutrition, and pesticide exposure.” The “Report on the National Stakeholders Conference on Honey Bee Health” is available here.
For more information on pesticides, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
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