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Insecticide causes danger to bees, report finds

January 16, 2013, UK - Researchers at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have determined that neonicotinoid, the world's most widely used insecticide causes "unacceptable" danger to bees on floweing crops.
 
According to The Guardian, the EFSA concluded that the risks posed to bee larvae, bee behaviour and the colony as a whole was unacceptable because of the large amount of nectar and pollen exposure possible. The crops affected by this recommendation range from oil seed rape, corn and sunflowers.
 
Professor David Goulson, at the University of Stirling and who led a key 2012 study on the effect of neonicotinoids on bees, said: "It is very pleasing that EFSA now acknowledge there are significant environmental risks associated with these chemicals. It begs the question of what was going on when these chemicals were first approved. Rachel Carson's Silent Spring was 50 years ago but we have not learned the lessons."

However, the company that manufactures the product, Bayer, said that they do not believe the new reports, but will work with the European commission to gather more data. The chemical industry also funded a report published on January 15, 2013 claiming that banning neonicotinoids could cost farmers over £600 million in lost production. But Goulson said the report contained "not a shred" of serious evidence.

For more information, please see the entire article at The Guardian website here.

January 16, 2013  By David Manly


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