May 2, 2014

Saving the Honey Bees

Greg Loarie

Attorney, Earthjustice

“At the end of the day, the honey bee crisis is a human health crisis. If we can’t save bees, we can kiss goodbye the most nutritious part of the food pyramid. That’s just not an outcome we at Earthjustice are willing to accept.”

Nearly 1/3 of honey bees have perished in just a few years, and honeybees pollinate 1/3 of all the food we eat. This is a closer look at a major cause of widespread bee die-offs, what it means to us, how we can help.

When the sweet life goes sour. Let's start with pesticides.

A picnic without bees. Bees are critical to U.S. food supplies. 1/3 of the foods we eat are pollinated by these creatures.

The big picture: Honey production is the best overall indicator of bees' health. That's because sick bees make less honey. Here's a look at U.S. honey production since the bee killing class of pesticides neonicotinoids came into the picture.

Sweet News for Bees

On Apr. 12, 2023, California adopted new regulations that restrict agricultural use of a class of insecticides called “neonicotinoids” that are especially toxic to honey bees and other pollinators.

The new regulations prohibit most agricultural use of neonicotinoids before and during bloom on most pollinator-attractive crops.

The new rules also cap the total amount of these insecticides that can be applied to a given crop each year.

Going into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, these changes mark a meaningful step in the right direction to protect honey bees, butterflies, and other pollinators from exposure to pollen and nectar contaminated by neonicotinoids.

California’s regulation of these types of insecticides is especially significant because nearly 90% of all honey bee colonies in the United States spend several months in the state each year pollinating crops ranging from almonds to zucchini.

These new regulations reflect more than a decade of sustained Earthjustice advocacy and litigation.

Learn

California Office

The California Regional Office fights for the rights of all to a healthy environment regardless of where in the state they live; we fight to protect the magnificent natural spaces and wildlife found in California; and we fight to transition California to a zero-emissions future where cars, trucks, buildings, and power plants run on clean energy, not fossil fuels.

The legal case: CA Neonicitinoid Reevaluation

The legal case: Sulfoxaflor EPA

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