(NaturalPath) According to an article published online by EcoWatch, The state of Maryland is on its way to passing a bill to save bees and other pollinators from neonicotinoids, which are a potent class of pesticides used on many crops in the U.S. that have been linked to the widespread decline of pollinator species.
The law, which will go into effect in 2018 will restrict consumers from buying products (Knockout Ready-to-Use Grub Killer, Ortho Bug B Gon, All-In-One Rose & Flower Care, Lesco Bandit Insecticide) as they will be off the shelves of hardware stores, garden centers, nurseries and the like. Farmers and professional gardeners, who better understand how to apply the chemicals, are exempt from the law.
Maryland’s bees are dwindling at a rate of 60 percent on average in the last year, which is faster than the national average rate of 42.1 percent, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) survey.
Razi Berry, Founder and Publisher of Naturopathic Doctor News & Review (ndnr.com) and NaturalPath (thenatpath.com), has spent the last decade as a natural medicine advocate and marketing whiz. She has galvanized and supported the naturopathic community, bringing a higher quality of healthcare to millions of North Americans through her publications. A self-proclaimed health-food junkie and mother of two; she loves all things nature, is obsessed with organic gardening, growing fruit trees (not easy in Phoenix), laughing until she snorts, and homeschooling. She is a little bit crunchy and yes, that is her real name.