This past Tuesday, the Ontario Supreme Court received a
class action lawsuit filed by Sun Parlor Honey LTD on behalf of Canadian beekeepers:
Clothianidin, its parent compound, thiamethoxam, and its predecessor, imidacloprid, are three widely-used insecticides in a class of insecticides known as neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids have been shown to adversely impact the survival, growth and health of Bees vital to Canada’s agriculture.
The details:
The chronic effects of the use of the Neonicotinoids are felt by Canada’s Beekeepers annually, and include: bee deaths; impaired reproduction; immune suppression; behavioral abnormalities resulting in hive loss; reduced honey production; impacts on the quality of honey; contamination of hive equipment; loss of Queen Bees; breeding stock; and difficulties fulfilling honey product or pollination contracts.
These pesticides are used throughout Canada to protect farm crop from all kinds of aphids. The problem is that
they seem to clearly be poisonous to bees.
Studies have shown that bees exposed to the pesticides have smaller colonies, fail to return to their hives, and may have trouble navigating. The pesticides were also found in 70 per cent of dead bees tested by Health Canada in 2013.
The European Commission restricted the use of the pesticides for two years and Ontario has indicated it will move toward regulating them, due to concerns over bee health.
Bayer has
previously responded that these pesticides cause a minimal toxic threat. When presented with evidence that the toxicity levels were indeed too high, they countered by saying they have been able to reduce the toxicity levels present in the pesticides
dust, with new technology.
Bayer told the CBC: "The new fluency agent has been shown to dramatically reduce dust when compared to the current industry standard lubricants."
But when the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food tested the new lubricant under field conditions, it found dust was still problematic. OMAF field crop entomologist Tracey Baute says, "the lubricant, the fluency agency, does reduce the amount of active ingredient in the dust by 21 per cent."
"We're still trying to determine if a balance can be made in the use of these products and protecting the pollinators," Baute adds.
Veteran Ontario beekeeper Tibor Szabo Jr. is not impressed. "A 21 per cent reduction of something that's very, very toxic isn't going to make me feel better," he says. "Do I think it's going to save the bees? Heck no.
Beekeepers hope this lawsuit can put enough pressure on Bayer and Syngenta to stop using these specific pesticides until more is known. As of yesterday, over
30 Beekeepers had signed up.