What is all this about neonicotinoids and why are they such a worry? Neonicotinoids, sometimes called neonics, are the most widely used insecticides in the world, though banned in the European Union and Canada.
A single seed coated with a neonic can kill a field sparrow, and a 1/10th of a treated coated seed can impair a bird’s reproduction. Sometimes called the ‘bee killing pesticide’, neonics are often cited as one of the main causes of declining bee populations.
Neonics are applied as an insecticidal seed coating on millions of acres of field crops, including virtually all commercial corn and half of soybeans grown in the United States. It is also applied to turf grass, ornamental plants and nursery trees. The coating renders plants – including their roots, leaves, stem, flowers, nectar, and pollen - toxic to insects. But the toxin also contaminates surface and ground water, killing aquatic life, denying forage for birds and other wildlife, and even causing fishery collapse. Even mammals such as fawns and mice experience the toxic effects. How long it stays toxic depends on how much pesticide was applied. A 2016 Xerces Society study reports that neonics can persist in woody plants up to six years.
The problem reaches our homes as well: a recent study found more than half of seedlings purchased at Lowe's and other retailers contain neonics.
What can you do?
Buy organic produce when available and affordable.
Stop using insecticides in your garden. Plant extra plants to offset the overall loss to your harvest. If beetles or caterpillars appear, think of them as more food for nestlings. Most nestlings eat a diet largely consisting of insects.
If you must kill bugs, consider using soapy water with a little oil added, which will smother most insects. Read more suggestions here.
If you shop for insecticides, look for organic solutions and do not buy products containing the neonic active ingredients acetamiprid, clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid, thiacloprid, or thiamethoxam. Here is a list of popular brand names to avoid.
Do not buy pet collars or flea treatments with these chemicals.
When you buy plants, patronize nurseries that ensure none of the plants they sell have been treated with neonics. Many nurseries avoid neonics on native species, but do not ensure that cultivars or non-natives are neonic-free. Encourage nurseries to determine that their growers avoid neonics. Some sources:
Look for native plant sales, such as from Chicago Audubon, Openlands, or West Cook Wild Ones
Native plant nurseries that avoid neonics: City Grange (Chicago), Possibility Place (online and Monee, IL) and PizzoGroup (Leland, IL). Online: ColdStreamFarm.Net, Izelplants.com, PrairieMoon.Com, PrairieNursery.Com, Sheffields.Com (only seeds) and Toadshade.Com.
Advocate! Join Chicago Audubon and other nonprofits pushing for reform. For example, support the Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act.