There’s less buzzing in our world—about 40% fewer bees due to various challenges like habitat loss, parasites, and poor management practices. One of the significant threats? Pesticides, specifically a particular class of insecticides called neonicotinoids, or neonics. These synthetic neurotoxic chemicals, developed in the 1990s, have become the most widely used insecticides globally. While they are effective in controlling pests, neonics have far-reaching consequences for bees, pollinators, and the environment.
How Do Neonicotinoids Work?
Neonics are water-soluble and can be applied to the soil or seeds, allowing plants to absorb them. This ensures that every part of the plant—from stem to nectar—becomes toxic to sap-feeding pests, beetles, and other harmful insects. However, this systemic approach doesn’t discriminate. Beneficial insects, such as honeybees and native pollinators, are also affected. Neonics bind to insect nerve cells, impairing their ability to forage and navigate, ultimately causing paralysis and death. For bees, this can lead to starvation, colony collapse, and population decline.
Why Does This Matter?
Pollinators are vital to our ecosystems and food supply. About one in three bites of food we consume relies on pollination, including staples like coffee and chocolate. Managed by beekeepers, commercial honeybee colonies are critical in pollinating half of U.S. crops, traveling coast-to-coast to bolster agricultural production. Native bees and wild pollinators take care of the rest. The decline of pollinators threatens not only biodiversity but also food security.
To compound the problem, neonics persist in the soil for years, spreading through rain and irrigation to contaminate ecosystems far beyond their initial application. This results in a ripple effect that impacts insects, animals, and humans.
What Can You Do?
Despite these challenges, there is hope. You can take action to support and protect pollinators and reduce the damage caused by neonics:
- Choose Native Plants
Native plants provide vital nectar and pollen for pollinators. Forrest Keeling Nursery, a leader in native plant production, offers hundreds of neonic-free species, including Prairie Dock, Turtlehead, and Orange Coneflower. Their RPM technology ensures robust and sustainable plant options for conservation and personal landscaping.
“Forrest Keeling is proud to say we’re ‘neonic free’ throughout our Nursery,” shared Kim Lovelace, Nursery president. “It’s part of our vision to restore the earth’s ecosystems… clean air, pure water, and renewed earth… one tree at a time. Sustainability and resilient landscapes are trends today. But they’ve been our way of life at Forrest Keeling since the Nursery’s founding in 1948.”
- Use Pesticides Responsibly
Reduce personal use of neonics whenever possible. If needed, follow label directions carefully and apply when pollinators are less active in the evening. - Support Sustainable Practices
Forrest Keeling Nursery exemplifies sustainable landscaping with its commitment to being neonic-free and growing resilient native plants since 1948. By prioritizing clean air, pure water, and renewed earth, they embody their mission to restore ecosystems one tree at a time.
Join the Movement
You can make a difference by planting native species, supporting local pollinators, and reducing pesticide use. For more information and to explore native plant options, visit Forrest Keeling Nursery’s website. Wholesale clients can access real-time inventory at ForrestKeeling.com. Retail customers can preorder plants for pickup at our Elsberry location through our Garden Store. Together, we can “bee the change” and protect the vital pollinators that sustain our world.