In January, the New Jersey legislature enacted restrictions on most uses of neonicotinoids. The bill effectively bans about 70 percent of neonic uses, though it allows for seed treatments, termite control, and flea collars.
It’s all in a misguided attempt to “save the bees,” despite the fact that bee populations are flourishing and there’s no good scientific data that neonics play a major role in previous population declines.
For context, New York legislators considered similar legislation last summer, which I wrote about as well. Thankfully, that bill seems stalled, though it did ban glyphosate use on state land.
Instead, politicians should leave the pesticide regulation to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The agency follows standards set forth in the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, which has been in place since 1947. It’s a scientific approach that allows us to know how to use pesticides effectively and safely.
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In a time when people are struggling to make ends meet, including at the grocery store, we don’t need politicians catering to activists. We need them to work on quashing inflation and opening up markets to reduce our rising input costs, not playing games with pesticides.
