The Environmental Protection Agency took a historic action Tuesday to protect bees by setting a limit on how much of one pesticide can be left on crops.
Honeybee populations have collapsed in recent years, and the EPA has identified pesticides as one of the many stressors contributing to the population decline.
The regulation announced Tuesday limits the amount of imidacloprid, a pesticide made by Bayer CropScience that is widely used in agriculture, allowed on crops to 25 parts per billion. The pesticide has been identified as posing a risk to hives, said Jim Jones, assistant administrator at the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.
The EPA will be examining three other pesticides that could be hurting honeybee populations this year, with the risk assessments scheduled to be released in December.
“Delivering on the president’s National Pollinator Strategy means EPA is committed not only to protecting bees and reversing bee loss, but for the first time assessing the health of the colony for the neonicotinoid pesticides,” he said. “Using science as our guide, this preliminary assessment reflects our collaboration with the state of California and Canada to assess the results of the most recent testing required by EPA.”
Bee colonies began collapsing in the middle of the last decade. While the tide has turned somewhat, the EPA reports the amount of lives lost in winter remains somewhat high. Whether hives survive winter is generally the overall indicator of bee health, according to the EPA.
The 25 parts per billion level was chosen because it is the maximum amount that won’t affect bees. Any amount above that can result in less honey being produced and even large numbers of deaths.
Some crops, such as citrus and cotton, have residue in their pollen or nectar above the 25 parts per billion level, according to the EPA. Corn and leafy vegetables are generally below that threshold.
