Insecticides ban - Bees are in need of help

The EU decision to introduce a partial ban on three insecticides that have been having a devastating impact on the bee population should be welcomed, but it will be important to keep an eye on further developments.

The neonicotinoid insecticides, which are derived from nicotine, are powerful toxins that kill insects or impair their behaviour. This is desirable with insect pests, but it could have devastating consequence with useful insects like bees.

For months the EU had been arguing about the need for action to protect dwindling bee populations. Some producers of these insecticides have contended that they have no impact on bee populations.

Bees are important in the ecological chain because they provide an invaluable service in pollinating about a third of the world’s food. Hence their eradication would have disastrous ecological consequences.

The two-year ban on neonicotinoids came into effect over the weekend and is designed to facilitate scientists in determining their impact on the devastating drop in the global bee population. The moratorium is a start in facing up to what could become a serious bee problem.