The common insecticide imidacloprid, and the related active ingredients acetamiprid, clothianidin, dinotefuran, and thiamethoxam, belong to the pesticide group neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids have been linked to the decline in honey bee and other pollinator populations. To address these concerns, the California legislature recently put into law AB 363.
Starting January 1, 2025, neonicotinoid pesticides in California for non-agricultural outdoor use will only be available for sale at licensed pest control dealers and limited for possession and use by certified pesticide applicators. Sale of neonicotinoids in retail nurseries and garden centers and the possession or use of these pesticides by unlicensed applicators will no...
- Author: Andrew M. Sutherland
[From March 2014 issue of the Retail Nursery and Garden Center IPM News.]
A massive killing of bumblebees in Oregon, concerns about impacts on honey bees, and tight new regulations imposed by the European Union have kept neonicotinoid insecticides in the news. The neonicotinoid group includes imidacloprid, one of the most popular garden insecticides sold in stores.
First developed in the late 1980s, neonicotinoids represented the first new class of insecticides in over 50 years. They are insect nervous system toxins widely used in horticulture, agriculture, and structural...
