colony collapse disorder

According to a federal survey, more than two out of five American honeybee colonies died in the past year, marking the worst die off in almost a decade.

Lowe’s and Home Depot were recently targeted in a campaign by activists urging the stores to stop selling neonicotinoid pesticides, a likely culprit in the decimation of bee and butterfly colonies. It looks as if at least one of the mega retailers listened.

Portland, Oregon has joined at least seven other cities in banning the usage of neonicotinoids, a class of insecticides that many scientists think is behind colony collapse disorder and the premature death and dysfunction of many bees and other pollinating insects. The ban applies to all city lands and will be enforced despite the opposition of some nearby farmers who claim neonicotinoids are critical for producing their food crops.