A pollinator health bill that would place significant limitations on the use of neonicotinoids (neonics) was recently introduced in the Connecticut legislature. The proposal calls for a reclassification of neonics from general use to restricted use, meaning only certified operators and above would be allowed to use them. The bill would also institute an outright ban on the use of neonics during the “blooming season” (identified as being between March and November). Under the provisions of the bill, the only uses exempted from the seasonal ban are agricultural and horticultural. Finally, the bill calls for the establishment of a pollinator task force with a predefined emphasis on neonic restrictions.Under the provisions of the bill, a direct charge of the task force would be to “evaluate existing best management practices for applying neonicotinoids in a manner that avoids harming pollinating insects, and assess the implications and viability of prohibiting the sale of neonicotinoids in the state or establishing a moratorium on such sale.”
This is the latest in a series of state bills that call for neonic restrictions due to claims that they have a significant impact on pollinator health, even at sub lethal levels. However, despite these claims there is no clear scientific evidence that real world levels of neonic exposure have any impact on pollinator health. NALP and its industry partners will continue to oppose these short sighted proposals. We will also work to better educate decision makers on the issue so that they have a complete understanding of the science and are not just basing their decisions on activist rhetoric.
