Maryland To Be The First State To Ban Pesticides Harmful To Bees

Maryland is on its way to becoming the first state to pass legislature banning consumers from using pesticides that contain neonicotinoids, which are believed to harm bees.

The Pollinator Protection Act received a 98-39 vote in the House of Delegates, and the House and Senate have previously approved versions of this bill, reports The Baltimore Sun. The bill will become law if it is signed by Governor Larry Hogan.

If passed, the bill will ban consumers from buying pesticides containing neonicotinoids starting in 2018. Farmers, veterinarians, and certified pesticide applicators, however, will still be allowed to use neonicotinoids.

Tiffany Finck-Haynes, a campaigner at Friends of the Earth, tells ThinkProgress, that even a partial ban is an important step. "For someone that isn't certified and doesn't know how to use them, they might spray heavily," she says. "Making sure that we're eliminating that use is a significant step in getting them out of the environment and helping to protect bees. Different studies come out showing that for home garden use these products are used 120 times more."

Here are some more facts about pesticides that might convince you to go organic.