Neonicotinoids is an insecticide created to control sucking and chewing insects and beetles. This insecticide affects the central nervous system of insects, resulting in paralysis and death. While there are many target insects, such as whitefly, Japanese beetles, emerald ash borer, some of the insects they destroy are important pollinators such as honeybees, bumble bees and solitary bees.
Bees can obtain neonics by eating nectar from treated flowering plants or by transferring pollen to the hive where pollen is fed to other bees.
Home Depot, one of the largest retail chains that sells a great deal of flower and plants in the marketplace are selling plants treated with a neonicotinoid insecticide. They do label their plants as being treated with neonicotinoids, and that it is a "pesticide" that is approved by the EPA.
We can either stop buying their plant products or ask them to stop supplying plants that have been treated. Most people don't know what neonicotinoids are and to be aware that the flowers they are purchasing to put in their gardens will kill bees. I ask that this petition informs Home Depot that they need to stop selling flowers and plants treated with neonicotinoids.
