Europe to protect bees against pesticide prohibition

2013/05/07 Lakar Iraizoz, Oihane - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Zoologia
• Nekazaritza

On 29 April the European Union approved a two-year ban on the use of three neonicotinoid pesticides in the belief that bees are being destroyed. Health Commissioner Tony Borg said in connection with this decision: “Bees are fundamental in our ecosystems and we must protect them, among other things because they contribute 22,000 euros per year to European agriculture”.

Specifically, clotianidine, imidacloprid, and tiametoxam are the names of prohibited compounds that are added to corn, rapeseed, sunny, and soy crops to protect them from insects. Specifically, in bees pesticides affect nervous system receptors and have difficulty collecting pollen, returning to hive and reproducing.

The ban will enter into force on 1 December. However, the use of these products will not be completely prohibited. For example, they can be used in indoor greenhouse crops as well as in outdoor crops after flowering.