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The decline in bees has been linked to a number of causes, including insecticide use. One such insecticide, sulfoxaflor, was originally approved by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2013 “based on flawed and limited information,” L.A. Times reports. As it turns out, sulfoxaflor is extremely toxic to honeybees. Beekeeping organizations and beekeepers challenged the approval, which led the issue to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Dow Agrosciences makes the insecticide, citing it can be used for wheat, strawberries, soybeans, cotton, citrus and canola crops to get rid of insects that pierce or suck, according to L.A. Times. Because of its toxicity to honeybees, the appeals court overturned the EPA’s approval of the insecticide’s use.
“Given the precariousness of bee populations, leaving the EPA’s registration of sulfoxaflor in place risks more potential environmental harm than vacating it,” the appeals court concluded.
Closer and Transform are the brand names of sulfoxaflor.
