When you were last outside, did you happen to notice how there aren’t as many bugs as there used to be? Rarer butterfly sightings, fewer honey bees buzzing around — the disappearance of our insects is becoming more noticeable. And it’s not just a suspicion; a shocking 2017 study revealed that insect populations have decreased by 75% within the last three decades.
Although some of you may be celebrating the thought of fewer flies buzzing around the house, it’s important to keep in mind that we need our bugs. The pollination from our honey bees alone is responsible for 80% of crops grown in the United States, valued at nearly $14 billion. All of these stats beg the question: What’s happening to our insects?
The decline of insects is linked to many human-related environmental impacts such as habitat disruption, climate change and, most significantly, pesticide usage. Although synthetic insecticides have been in use since World War II, a catastrophic group of pesticides reached commercial markets in the 1990s — neonicotinoids [pronounced NEE-OH-NICK-OH-TIN-OID], or “neonics” for short.
Why are neonics bad?
Neonics are “systemic” insecticides, meaning that after application — which typically results in chemicals leaching into surrounding soils and waterways — the plant soaks up the toxin and distributes it into all tissues. This is what makes neonics so effective — nearly the entire plant contains the insecticide. Yes, even the parts you are eating.
There is no such thing as a “safe” pesticide. A chemical designed to kill cannot tell a “good” bug from a “bad” bug, and will treat each one aggressively. Neonics are a group of pesticides with highly neurotoxic active ingredients. Chemically like nicotine, they disrupt the nervous system of insects, inducing paralysis and ultimately death. For those who remember the era of DDT, the insecticide that nearly caused the extinction of bald eagles and other raptors, neonics are estimated to be 6,000 times more toxic to insects than DDT. In addition to its toxicity, the catastrophic effects of neonics on the environment are heavily amplified by prophylactic, or “just in case” use. These chemicals are used to treat plants even when there are no pests present, meaning toxic chemicals with known negative consequences are being used simply as a pest preventative on our food. So, when your local honey bees come across a soybean farm that’s been treated with neonics, they’ll encounter these chemicals or their toxic residues in the pollen they collect, oftentimes even bringing it back to their hives and causing the death of entire colonies.
Although our community’s bugs are taking the most damage, the biological effects of neonics are not limited to insects. According to a groundbreaking 2014 survey, these chemicals were found in 90% of honey, 72% of fruits and 45% of vegetables that were commonly available on the market, meaning we often eat food items that contain one or more neonics. And questions about the consequences of consuming neonic residues have only increased as new studies are being published, with results showing increased risk of various cancers, issues in fertility and fetal development, hindered neurological development and functioning. With the effects of consuming these chemicals beginning to show, the public health implications of neonics could be formidable.
Neonic regulation and what you can do to help save the bees
Many European countries have banned the use and import of neonics due to their harmful effects. France, for example, began placing restrictions on neonics in 2018 and has become a global leader in limiting its utilization. The United States, however, is not as motivated to put restrictions on these hazardous pesticides. Despite the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizing that neonics have significant negative effects on pollinators, there are few regulations on its usage.
The Ohio EPA currently has some neonics on the Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) list. While this is a great success for Ohio, the RUP list only controls who can use the pesticides with no other regulations on usage. With the harmful consequences of neonics, action needs to be taken to protect not just our pollinators but also our community.
You can help protect Ohio pollinators by signing the petition to ban neonics here, and sharing it with others by posting on social media. Other ways you could get involved include expressing your opinion about neonics to the offices of Ohio lawmakers via email or over the phone, supporting crucial pollinators by planting native plants in your garden, or informing others about neonics and their impact on our community. To save our bees and pollinators, we need to act for those that can’t — let’s save the bees!
Michelle Baker is a Biology and Environmental Science undergraduate at Miami University in Oxford, OH. She is working with StudentPIRGs to promote their Save the Bees campaign, addressing the need for action to be taken to protect honey bees and other pollinators.
This article appears in Jul 23 – Aug 5, 2025.