We are bringing a petition to your attention today. It is aimed at banning deadly (to bees) neonicotinoid pesticides in the State of Texas. The petition just needs a few thousand more signatures to hit the goal of 65,000 signatures.
If you aren’t sure why you might want to support this petition, read this blog post for some useful insights and seek more information on the internet or at your library.
Bees are the most impacted “friendly” insects when it comes to the use of pesticides, insecticides and herbicides. Yet bees are responsible for nearly 70% of the food we humans eat.
One of the most controversial types of pesticide that is deadly to bees is the neonicotinoid family of pesticides. These neurotoxins attack the nervous system and cause bees to suffer before the poison kills them.
Humans are ever more affected by pesticides. Organic food can be expensive, and beyond the reach of many people. Our fruits and vegetables are usually either treated by pesticides or contaminated by them as they escape into the air, water or earth. In addition, many countries have few or no restrictions on pesticide use. So, if you eat imported natural foods, you may want to find out the pesticide regulations—if any—in those areas before eating their local produce.
One billion pounds of pesticides are sprayed annually. Because herbicides can make their way into the air we breathe and the water we drink and bathe in, we should realize our exposure to them can be much broader then we think. Some herbicides are endocrine disruptors and have been linked to miscarriages, birth defects, cancer and Parkinson’s Disease as well as other serious health problems.
If we don’t become more conscious of what is going on in our environment for the sake of bees, one of the most spectacular and miraculous species on the planet, then perhaps human interest will be triggered by the fact that these damaging toxic substances are affecting us and our children. We need bees in order to survive as a species. If bees become extinct, many of us may not make it either.
Humanity needs to collectively bee more aware of how our actions, or lack of them, are causing the bee population to decline. Most of the hazards and crises bees face around the world are caused by humans on some level.
In Texas, bee loving environmentalists are asking lawmakers to ban bee-killing pesticides. Environment Texas claims that the US has lost more bees than in the past 13 years. One spokesperson indicates the populations are declining by 40% every winter. This organization has presented a petition to legislators for a statewide ban on neonicotinoid pesticides.
Our recent blog post about Erika Thompson, a Texas woman who tends to five million Texas bees around the Austin area, showcased a woman who is passionate about the welfare of bees. She is the founder and owner of Texas Beeworks. She agrees that neonicotinoid pesticides should be banned. They act as neurotoxins to bees, causing navigation and flying impairment as well as interfering with the ability of bees to forage for food. It also weakens their immune systems, making them susceptible to parasites and other illnesses. She believes that if neonicotinoids are banned, honeybees will regenerate and be healthier than ever.
According to Dr. Henk Tennekes, a toxicologist, insects die when they feed on crops treated by these pesticides, and if they collect nectar or pollen from the crop they are poisoned. These disruptive pesticides also get into our water sources.
In April 2018, the European Union banned three neonicotinoid pesticides that are poisonous to bees based on the harm they cause these beloved pollinators. Sixteen member countries voted for the ban, including Germany, The United Kingdom and France.
If you agree that these pesticides should be banned for the greater good of us all, including the bees that are unable to speak for themselves, you can sign the petition here.
We are not here to sway you, but to entertain you and share vital information we come across for the good of our beloved bees. If you are so inclined, sign the petition for the bees... do it for the bees, please.
If you'd like to discuss the pros and cons of neonicotinoids or of signing this petition, please hop on over to our Facebook page to discuss it, and remember to respect the opinions of your fellow bee lovers. We're all in this together. :)