Stop bee-killing pesticides, Dutch parliament says

This video from the USA is called Tom Theobald looks at Neonicotinoid insecticides and the mass-death of bee colonies.

From Wildlife Extra:

Dutch Parliament calls for European suspension on dangerous pesticides

Neonicotinoid pesticide ban call from Dutch Parliament

January 2013. The Dutch Parliament has called for a complete suspension on the use of Neonicotinoids following a recent report by the European Food Safety Authority highlighting the insecticides as ‘high risk’ to honeybees and unknown risk to wild pollinators.

Matt Shardlow, Buglife CEO, said “Buglife welcomes this decision and urges the UK government to suspend Neonicotinoids and apply pressure on the European Union to follow suit. Action needs to be taken now to suspend Neonicotinoids in order to protect our wild bees, hoverflies, moths and other pollinators. The Department for Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has already committed to make a decision on the UK future of Neonicotinoids in January and Buglife is eagerly awaiting that decision.”

Wildlife charity, Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust has been campaigning to ban the use of Neonicotinoids since 2009. Numerous scientific studies have shown the harmful effects these insecticides have on pollinating insects such as bumblebees, flies and butterflies yet Defra has not taken preventative action.

New synthetic chemicals

Neonicotinoid pesticides are a comparatively new group of synthetic chemicals related to Nicotine that are highly toxic to insects. They are used as a coating for agricultural seeds and in pot plants. The chemicals spread throughout the plant and into the nectar and pollen that bees then eat. Scientific evidence presented in the new report shows that bees eating nectar and pollen contaminated with imidacloprid (the commonest neonicotinoid) then forage less and produce fewer offspring. Other research has shown that imidacloprid levels in rivers can cause deformities in growing mayflies.

Study Reveals Threats Posed by Common Pesticides: here.

Related articles

• Neonicotinoids threaten bees, new report (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
• EU Commission Takes Steps To Suspend Bee-Toxic Pesticides (prnewswire.com)
• EU proposes to ban insecticides linked to bee decline (guardian.co.uk)
• Pesticides used by British farmers could be restricted over concerns they are linked to decline of bees (dailymail.co.uk)
• Pro-honeybee Internet petition (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
• EU curbs pesticide to save bees (bbc.co.uk)
• Stores to remove products harmful to bees (guardian.co.uk)
• Death knell for nerve agent pesticides in move to save bees. (independent.co.uk)
• British home improvement giants to banish bee-harming products (mnn.com)