No More Room for Doubt About Impact of Pesticides on Birds, Bees, Says Scientists

Beekeepers with the Olympia Beekeepers Association install hives on the lawn of the Governor's mansion in Olympia, Washington, on April 20, 2016, to raise awareness about the decline in bee populations. A group of scientists met with MPs in Ottawa this week to make the case for an immediate ban on neonicotinoid pesticides. AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

OTTAWA—A group of international scientists met in the national capital on Sept. 19 to try to convince parliamentarians there is no longer any doubt that common agricultural pesticides are proving toxic to ordinary honey bees.

In fact, says Jean-Marc Bonmatin of the French National Centre for Scientific Research, neonicotinoid pesticides kill a lot more than just bees, posing a deadly risk to frogs, common birds, fish, and earthworms.