FACTSHEET: Neonics, Honey Bees and Food Security

This fact sheet from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment describes the nature of neonicotinoid pesticides, their impact on honey bee populations in Canada and globally, and the regulatory actions taken in Ontario and the European Union to mitigate these risks.

• Neonicotinoids, or "neonics", are systemic insecticides widely used globally, particularly on soybeans, canola, corn, and dry beans. They are typically applied to seeds and spread through all plant tissues, including nectar and pollen, exposing pollinators through these sources or via dust during planting.
• Honey bee colonies in Canada have experienced significant over-winter losses, with Ontario being the most affected region, reporting losses of nearly 60% in the winter of 2013 and nearly 40% in the winter of 2014. Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency determined that neonic pesticides were partially responsible for colony losses investigated in 2012 and 2013, alongside other factors such as climate change, weather, habitat loss, diminished food supplies, and parasites.
• An international Task Force on Systematic Pesticides reviewed over 800 peer-reviewed studies over four years. Their Worldwide Integrated Assessment found that neonics and Fipronil are extremely toxic to crustaceans, spiders, and most insects, and moderately toxic to birds and fish. These pesticides persist in soil, can leach into groundwater and surface water, and harm bees at low exposure levels by reducing fertility, increasing deaths, impairing learning, and increasing disease susceptibility.
• Various jurisdictions have implemented restrictions on neonics. The European Union enacted a two-year ban on agricultural neonic use in January 2013, and the European Food Safety Authority recommended lower acceptable exposure levels for imidacloprid and acetamiprid due to potential brain development harm. In July 2014, Ontario passed legislation to reduce the acreage of neonic-treated soybean and corn seed by 80% by 2017, specifically targeting clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and imidacloprid, with a goal of reducing honey bee hive mortality to 15% by 2020.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2015). FACTSHEET: Neonics, Honey Bees and Food Security. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2.CAPE-Factsheet-Neonics-Honey-Bees-and-Food-Security.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. FACTSHEET: Neonics, Honey Bees and Food Security. 2015. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2.CAPE-Factsheet-Neonics-Honey-Bees-and-Food-Security.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=FACTSHEET: Neonics, Honey Bees and Food Security |date=October 2015 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2.CAPE-Factsheet-Neonics-Honey-Bees-and-Food-Security.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2015factsheet, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{FACTSHEET: Neonics, Honey Bees and Food Security}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2015}, month = oct, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2.CAPE-Factsheet-Neonics-Honey-Bees-and-Food-Security.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }