Honeybees are essential to the survival of the ecosystem, and when the honeybees start to die it’s said that it’s a sign of the beginning of the end. Without these tiny yellow pests flowers would be pollinated, and the plant life on earth would slowly die out. It comes as no surprise that an organization like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), would seek to protect these valuable insects from harmful insecticides used by farmers.
On Thursday the EPA proposed that while Honeybees are near farms that have plants in bloom, the farms cannot use any type of insecticide during the time that the bees are feeding.
For Farmers this may big changes to the way they farm
A ban on pesticides means that farmers will by law not be allowed to use any type of pesticide when they are within a specific radius of the at risk honeybees. Thousands of different chemicals that farmers typically use, will all be off limits if the EPA is granted permission to enforce their policy. This is not the first time that the EPA has placed caveats on what farmers must do to prevent harm to the insects. In 2013 the EPA required specific labels for pesticides in order to prevent the use of more harmful choice in pesticide according to Jim Jones Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, “Multiple factors play a role in bee colony declines, including pesticides. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking action to protect bees from pesticide exposure, and these label changes will further our efforts.”
Not the first time that efforts have been made to protect the honeybees
For years the EPA has been making strides to protect these creatures, because they of all organizations understand how critical the insects are to the ecosystem. In 2014 the EPA awarded 500 million dollars to Penn State, Louisiana State, and the University of Vermont to find new ways to keep the Bees safe. Jim Jones explained the justification for spending so much to keep honeybees safe, “These collaborative projects can provide innovative solutions to reduce pesticide risks to pollinators and crops. Initiatives such as these will encourage others to adopt promising technologies and practices across the nation to reduce pesticide risk while maximizing crop production and protecting public health.”
The EPA understands the concerns that farmers have about reducing pesticide use, but more importantly know that the risk of losing swaths of honeybees trumps any other concerns.
