In a milestone victory for environmentalists and beekeepers, the EU has banned the use of neonicotinoids for the next two years. While still controversial, neonicotinoids are believed to be one of the links to CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) that is responsible for killing off almost half of the bees populations found in industrialized nations. While Bayer Pharmaceuticals still insists that more studies need to be done before its ban, the EU has decided to proactively ban its use while at the same time calling for more scientific studies.
CCD has been seen spreading across the globe since 2005, and in 2006 was first studied and classified as a condition in honey bee colonies. All industrial nations have CCD, but beekeepers in remote areas which are not exposed to crop chemicals are not reporting CCD at any relevant levels.
Whether neonicotinoids are the cause of CCD, or more probably one of several smoking guns, the EU’s ban and changes in their CCD reports will be carefully watched by beekeepers and scientists alike.
Full story at the BBC.