SALEM, Ore. — A new Oregon state rule bans the use of four types of bee-killing insecticides on certain trees.
The Oregonian reported that the rule enacted Friday at the state Agriculture Department’s request outlaws the spraying of lindens, basswood trees and their relatives with any product containing four chemicals that belong to a class of insecticides called neonicotinoids.
Such insecticides have been implicated in seven major bee die-offs in Oregon since June 2013.
Friends of bees praised the new rule. They say the chemicals affect the neurological functions of bees, including communication and navigation back to their hives.
Those who break the rules could lose their authority to apply pesticides. They could also face a civil penalty or other legal action.
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