Over the last few years there has been great debate on whether neonicotinoids are the main cause of bee decline in Europe. Currently there are only two neonicotinoids which can be used on indoor and outdoor flowering crops (as per label recommendations) in the UK: Thiacloprid and Acetamiprid. Three other neonicotinoids are restricted from being used on outdoor flowering crops: Imidacloprid, Clothianidin and Thiamethoxam.

Neonicotinoids were developed around thirty years ago by Shell and Bayer to help protect crops but without the damaging effects caused to birds and mammals by organophosphate and carbamate products. At the same time, pyrethroid and carbamate products were prone to resistance and aphid populations were proving difficult to control due to kdr and MACE resistance.

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In recent years neonicotinoids have been used as seed treatments, sprays and drenches along with granular products to control pests such as vine weevil.

With regard to bee health, it has been proven that thiacloprid and acetamiprid are less toxic to bees than the other neonicotinoids currently under restriction and compared to many other actives which are extremely toxic to bees. It is very important that growers obtain all the facts before making any rash decisions with regards to pesticide usage.

The best way to ascertain whether a product is toxic to bees is to consult the Environmental Information Sheet for each product (EIS). These can be found on the Voluntary Initiative website (www.voluntaryinitiative.org.uk). By doing this growers will be able to make informed decisions and limit the damage to bees going forward. The EIS sheet for Exemptor, which contains Thiacloprid, states that it is low in toxicity to bees and has no restrictions on the label in relation to use where bees may be foraging in or around flowering plants.

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It is now possible that bees could soon be at greater risk now than ever before, because of the possible reintroduction of damaging products as substitutes for neonicotinoids. It is important to remember that neonicotinoids were introduced to minimise the use of products such as pyrethroids which are very persistent and non IPM compatible.