Amazing that the US has reversed its decision on Neonicotinoids, considering the state of Bee hives and colonies in the US in recent days.
“Bayer fundamentally disagrees with EFSA’s updated risk assessment conclusions for the active substances imidacloprid and clothianidin,” the company said in a statement. “EFSA’s findings place it outside the current mainstream science on bee health, as represented by recent similar assessments done by agencies such as the US EPA and Canadian PMRA.”
It appears Bayer ( the chemical Producer) does not agree with Europe or the previous ban on its products in the US.
While here is Australia we have not made any concrete moves in banning any of the products, I recently attended a national Bee conference where some of the guest speakers from the US told of how,
Neonicotinoids can collect in the wax of bee hives to the detriment of the bees in their production.
The Trump administration has overturned bans on the use of pesticides linked to declining bee populations and the cultivation of genetically modified crops in US national wildlife refuges.
The move, reversing a policy adopted in 2014, has attracted heavy criticism from environmentalists.
It was announced in a memo by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Europe
By Helen BriggsBBC
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-43226205
Most uses of insecticides known as neonicotinoids represent a risk to wild bees and honeybees, the European Food Safety Authority has confirmed.
The use of neonicotinoids has been restricted in the European Union since 2013, following earlier risk assessments.
“There is variability in the conclusions, due to factors such as the bee species, the intended use of the pesticide and the route of exposure,” said Jose Tarazona, head of the European Food Safety Authority’s pesticides unit. “Some low risks have been identified, but overall the risk to the three types of bees we have assessed is confirmed.”
