Neonicotinoid Insecticides: A Threat to Pollinators

Pollination is the fundamental requirement for healthier fruit set. More than 90% of flowering plant species in the hot and humid regions required pollination. Many plants species required animal pollination. Among these animals, insects play a vital role in pollination, and among the major insect pollinators, hymenopterans, honeybees, and bumblebees are regarded as the best pollinators of the crops around the world. Declining population of these important pollinators day by day is a major threat, and this declining is due to a variety of stressors. Among these possible reasons including environmental conditions, parasites, predators, malnutrition, and diseases, many researchers pointed finger at pesticides as playing a major role especially neonicotinoid. Neonicotinoids move in the environment and can be found throughout the areas where they are not applied. Neonicotinoids can drift offsite directly exposing bees and contaminate nontargeted areas when applied as spray. During plant uptake, neonicotinoid spreads through plant tissues and disrupts the physiology of pollen eaters, nectar feeders, and the insects that feed upon plant tissues. Therefore, the use of neonicotinoid is the major reason for the decline of bees in the world. So it is requested to all farmers and researchers to please find ways to kill pests not pollinators.