NO EASY FIX.

Abstract

Pesticides Evidence has mounted over the years that neonicotinoid insecticides used for crop protection have dangerous sublethal effects. Continued used of the chemicals has led to beneficial insect decline, and many governments have taken action to ban their use. However, bans have not come with systemic changes in agricultural practices, but rather they have prompted replacement by different types of pesticides, including flupyradifurone and sulfoxaflor. Across published studies, Siviter and Muth found that these compounds have similar modes of action as neonicotinoids and similar sublethal impacts on beneficial insects. The authors argue that sublethal effects should be measured not just for pollinators but also for non-bee beneficial insects, and wider environmental interactions for any proposed pesticides must be assessed during the approval processes. Proc. Biol. Sci. 10.1098/rspb.2020.1265 (2020).