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.
