Save Bees
What's At Stake
One in every three bites of food we eat depends on bees and other pollinators.
From apples to zucchini, bees alone pollinate $15 billion worth of U.S. crops every year. But bees are dying—an alarming 40 percent of honeybee colonies collapsed from spring 2017 to 2018, and more and more of our 4,000-plus species of wild bees, like the rusty patched bumblebee, are edging toward extinction.
While climate change, habitat loss, and disease all play a role in the rate of colony collapse, mounting scientific evidence links the recent dramatic spike in bee deaths to the rise of neonic (short for neonicotinoid) pesticides—now the most heavily used insecticides in the United States. Neonics can kill bees on contact and at even very low exposures harm their ability to navigate, forage, and reproduce. These chemicals also easily spread through soil and water, and can be absorbed by wild plants, making the pollen and nectar poisonous to bees and other pollinators.
The world is taking notice: The European Union voted to ban outdoor uses of three major neonics, and Canada is also moving to significantly curtail its use of the chemicals. But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has so far failed to act. That’s why NRDC is putting pressure on the EPA, both in and out of court. We’re also working with states to promote smart pesticide policies and build pollinator habitat, while pushing major retailers to take neonic products and neonic-treated plants off their shelves. We must end the pollinator crisis before it’s too late.
You Can Help
Urge the EPA to save our bees—and food supply—from toxic pesticides
Tell Bayer-Monsanto to stop selling bee-killing neonic pesticides
Call on the Biden administration to take bold action for our environment
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New York state beekeepers have reported losing over 40% of their hives every year for nearly the last decade, a dramatic spike in deaths.
Some neonic uses may actually decrease crop yields by killing beneficial insects like pollinators and crop pest predators.
Neonics now saturate New York waterways.
By now, most of the world has caught on—with Europe recognizing the clear risks to bees and aquatic insects and Canada likewise finding many neonic uses endanger pollinators. More importantly, both have also taken protective action in response to the new science.
3.5M
The number of pounds of neonics that were applied to 127 million acres of crops as of 2011, double the amount of 2006
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