Bees exposed to more toxic pesticides despite overall use falling

Honey bee

A Carniolan honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica) collecting nectar from a common sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

Frank Bienewald/Alamy

Bees and other pollinators in the US, and probably other countries, have been exposed to growing levels of toxicity from pesticides over 25 years, despite the amount used falling in the same period.

Countries should consider following Denmark’s lead with “toxicity taxes” on pesticides to encourage farmers to change which products they use, says one of the researchers behind the new findings.

In recent years, pesticides that precisely target crop pests have been linking to falling insect numbers, with the European Union …

source: newscientist.com