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Pollinator Protection
Current as of June 22, 2009
Order the Pollination Equation poster *, which was sponsored in part by EPA. Poster credit: Steve Buchanan |
For many years, EPA's Pesticide Program has been working on multiple fronts with its national and international partners to protect pollinators through regulatory, voluntary, and research programs. With the publication of the National Research Council report on the Status of Pollinators in North America 
in 2007 and the advent of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in 2006, the Agency has undertaken steps to further advance a comprehensive approach for protecting pollinators from potential risks from pesticides. The advancement of pollinator protection approaches will be informed by on-going scientific research addressing the role that pesticides may play in pollinator declines and CCD.
EPA has established a multidisciplinary Pollinator Protection Team, which has developed a strategic plan that reflects the importance of pollinators to human health and the environment. The plan lays out EPA's goals to advance the science, policy, and outreach around pollinator protection.
This Web page introduces the Pollinator Protection Team and summarizes how EPA is working to ensure that pollinators are not subject to unreasonable adverse effects from exposure to pesticides.
On This Page:
- Pollinator Protection - Then & Now
- Pollinator Protection Strategic Plan
- International Issues Involving Pesticides and Pollinators
- For More Information
Pollinator Protection - Then & Now
EPA's conventional approach for protecting pollinators has been to:
- require studies to determine the toxicity of a compound, and
- use pesticide labeling to require measures to mitigate any risk.
Data required by EPA mostly looks at acute (short-term) effects of a pesticide on individual bees. Additional, long-term studies may be required if a pesticide appears to be very toxic to bees. EPA is re-examining its current testing requirements to determine if they provide the right kind of information to make regulatory decisions for the different ways bees may be exposed to pesticides.
Recently, global attention has focused on the decline of pollinator populations and the emergence of CCD a phenomenon where the worker bees, which comprise the majority of the hive, abruptly disappear and leave behind the queen bee, the brood, and a small number of nurse bees. A hive that has undergone CCD is also characterized by:
- very few bees found near the dead colony;
- several frames with healthy capped brood that show little evidence of parasitic mites;
- food reserves that had not been robbed by other bees; and,
- minimal evidence of wax moth or small hive beetle damage.
The Agency has joined with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other stakeholders to form the CCD Steering Committee. Initially, there were many wide-ranging theories about what was causing CCD. The list of potential factors has now narrowed to include:
- new and re-emerging pathogens,
- pesticides,
- habitat loss,
- pests that infest honey bee hives,
- commercial bee management practices, and
- nutritional stress.
EPA's re-examination of its testing requirements is part of its goal to protect pollinators, and is also a part of the USDA's Action Plan to investigate the causes of CCD. In reviewing current toxicity testing guidelines, the Agency is evaluating potential gaps in the current knowledge base, which if filled, could better inform our regulatory decisions. Since understanding of toxicity and potential exposure to pollinators from pesticides is not as advanced as it is for other wildlife species, one of the first priorities of the Pollinator Protection Team is to work with researchers, and other regulatory authorities to assess the state of regulatory testing requirements against the current state of knowledge. EPA is evaluating the state of the science for testing toxic effects of pesticides on honey bees at low levels of pesticide exposure. Development of methods to assess effects at low levels of exposure would complement toxicity information currently obtained from acute studies that use higher pesticide doses. Working with its partners and using the best available scientific methods, EPA will aim to advance testing requirements to support well-informed regulatory decisions.
To mitigate risks to bees, the Agency typically relies upon pesticide product labels to reduce risk by reducing potential exposure. For example, EPA may require that a pesticide label caution pesticide users against applying the products when crops, flowers, or weeds are in bloom and bees are in the area and/or to limit applications to early morning or evening when bees are not foraging.
A key element of the Pollinator Protection Team's focus is on examining risk management approaches to protect pollinators. The Pollinator Team has met and will continue to meet with key stakeholders - representatives of the American Beekeeping Federation and National Honey Board, researchers in academia, representatives of national and international government organizations, and other stakeholders - to better understand the challenges and potential approaches to managing risks to pollinators.
Pollinator Protection Strategic Plan
Because of the complexity and far-reaching implications of pollinator issues, EPA's Pollinator Protection Team has developed a strategic plan to help coordinate and organize our efforts. The pollinator protection strategic plan identifies three main goals for guiding the EPA's work and direction in protecting pollinators in the years ahead:
- advancing the Agency's scientific knowledge and assessment of potential pesticide risks to pollinator;
- improving risk management tools for mitigating potential risks to pollinators; and,
- increasing and broadening EPA's collaboration and communication with governmental and non-governmental organizations and the public in addressing pollinator issues.
Some of the activities that are currently being implemented under EPA's pollinator protection strategic plan include:
Science
- Developing more comprehensive testing protocols for evaluating potential sub-lethal and chronic effects of pesticides to brood and adult honey bees under both laboratory and field conditions.
- Participating in a USDA-sponsored meeting in July 2009 to develop options for additional toxicity testing protocols that examine the potential effects of pesticides on honey bees.
- Exploring the feasibility of sponsoring an international conference in 2010 designed to address risk assessment processes for evaluating the potential effects of systemic pesticides on bees and the data necessary to inform that process.
- Conducting a survey of member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to determine the extent to which CCD may be occurring globally, the extent to which these countries have information that pesticides may be related to these sudden declines, and what mitigation measures are being employed to reduce sudden pollinator losses.
- Establishing a process for beekeepers to report beekill incidents directly to EPA. Only through accurate reporting of field effects can the Agency assess the potential effects that pesticides may be having on beekeeping operations.
Risk Management
- Hosting the October 22- 23, 2009, International meeting of the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) at EPA's Headquarters in Washington DC.
- Participating in NAPPC's pesticide task force work to develop educational materials for pesticide applicators and facilitating NAPPC's participation in the August 11-13, 2009, annual conference of the North American Pesticide Safety Educators (NAPSE) in Charleston, SC.
- Developing a risk management tool box for pollinator protection.
Coordination and Outreach
- Enhancing communications with stakeholders, through meetings, conference calls, and other communication with beekeepers, environmental and public interest groups, and others.
- Working with the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (Cal DPR) on its re-evaluation of and data requirements for certain neonicotinoid insecticides. EPA, Cal DPR, and the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency will be working together to analyze the data provided in response to the California re-evaluation.
- Coordinating with USDA and others to explore habitat conservation for pollinators.
International Actions Involving Pesticides and Pollinators
Several European countries have suspended the use of certain pesticides in response to incidents involving acute poisoning of honey bees. To EPA's knowledge, none of the incidents that led to suspensions have been associated with CCD. The following are the countries in which pesticides have been suspended, the pesticides in question, and the current registration status for the pesticide:
France - Sunflower and corn seed treatments of the active ingredient imidacloprid are suspended in France; other imidacloprid seed treatments, such as for sugar beets and cereals, are allowed, as are foliar uses.
Germany - The use of a number of seed treatment pesticides was temporarily suspended following an incident in May 2008 in which many bees were inadvertently poisoned. However, after investigating the factors contributing to the situation, Germany lifted the suspensions with the exception of the neonicotinoid clothianidin, which remains suspended as a seed treatment for corn.
Italy - Certain imidacloprid and other neonicotinoid seed treatment uses were suspended temporarily, but foliar uses are allowed. This action was taken based on preliminary monitoring studies in northern and southern regions of Italy showing that bee losses were correlated with the application of seeds treated with these compounds; Italy also based its decision on the known acute toxicity of these compounds to pollinators.
Slovenia - Neonicotinoid seed treatments for maize and oil seed rape (canola) were temporarily suspended. The suspension was based on poor seed treatment methods resulting in release of dust during the seed sowing process. In August 2008, the suspension for oil seed rape seed treatments was lifted due to improved seed treatment methods and seed sowing equipment.
For More Information
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Pollinators Web site (includes links and information about The Pollination Equation poster).
- Find out more about colony collapse disorder from the USDA Agricultural Research Service.
- Additional information about EPA efforts to protect bees, including docket links.