One of the most economical tools for controlling many common turf pests is officially on the clock in New York.
Proposed legislation in New York, known as the Birds and Bees Protection Act, would all but eliminate the sale and use of neonicotinoids on turf. The measure passed the New York Assembly in April and early last month was approved by the Senate. It currently awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature when it would become law. Use of some neonics would be prohibited almost right away, while others would be banned within two years. The pending legislation is sponsored by Assemblywoman Deborah Glick and Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, both of Manhattan.
The proposed bill reads: "No person shall apply or treat outdoor ornamental plants and turf, except for the production of agricultural commodities, with a pesticide containing the active ingredients imidacloprid, thiamethoxam or acetamiprid on or after July first, two thousand twenty-five; the active ingredients clothianidin or dinotefuran effective immediately."
Although neonicotinoids are among the most effective and economical options for controlling a variety of pests in their larval stage, such as annual bluegrass weevil, billbugs, beetles, chafers, black turfgrass ataenius, cutworms, chinch bugs and mole crickets, research shows they also are lethal to many non-target species, including birds and pollinating insects — most notably bees.
The relationship between pollinators and neonics has been well chronicled.
Bee populations throughout the U.S. have been in decline for more than 40 years. Although there are other contributing factors, such as the invasive Varroa mite, neonicotinoids have been linked as contributors to bee decline for decades. The case against neonics shifted gears 10 years ago when pesticide applicators in Oregon treated flowering Linden trees for an aphid infestation on a late spring day. The trees, which are a favorite stopover for bumblebees, surrounded a local shopping center, so when the ground became carpeted with dead bees, during National Pollinator Week no less, the incident became news in a hurry.
Initial reports put the count of dead bees at 25,000-50,000. Researchers went back into the story two years ago, and now estimate the carnage at about 100,000 dead bees — from nearly 600 colonies, according to research from the USDA and the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
Bees are responsible, through pollination, for helping create much of the world's food supply of fruits, nuts and vegetables. According to research, they pollinate 35 percent of the world's food supply.
Although the applicators in Oregon made a critical error by treating a flowering plant, which was a use violation even then, the outrage that followed was warranted, and, given the reliance on pollinators, it is understandable when politicians come down on one side or the other of such an issue.
The pending New York bill was approved by the Assembly by a vote of 100-49 and by the Senate by a vote of 45-16.
The proposed measure does not just single out T&O. It would affect the agriculture industry, targeting seeds coated with pesticides.
The bill also reads: "Beginning January first, two thousand twenty-seven, for any person to sell, offer for sale or use, or distribute within the state any corn, soybean or wheat seeds coated or treated with pesticides with the active ingredients clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran, or acetamiprid."
Critics of the bill say the bill will have a disastrous outcome for New York's agriculture industry, and point to Europe, where a ban on neonicotinoids has resulted in burgeoning populations of pests such as aphids and beet weevils and causing vast losses of many varieties of crops.
Critics also point to research that says honeybee populations have grown by 51,000 colonies in America, and say there are nearly 21 million more beehives in the world now than in 2000.
The governor's office has not indicated whether Hochul will sign the bill. Similar legislation proposed in California was vetoed last year by Gov. Gavin Newsom.