The GreenplanetFM Podcast with Tim Lynch

Neonicotinoids are often used as seed-dressing for maize, sunflower, canola and now many other seeds. However, as well as spreading throughout the entire plant and into the nectar and pollen, they also have a high leaching potential and seep into soils and groundwater.Even low concentrations of the pesticide may be more deadly then previously thought due to their high persistence in soil and water.Any insect that feeds on the crop dies. Any bee or butterfly that collects pollen or nectar from the crop is poisoned. Neonicotinoids behave like carcinogens, and easily contaminate ground and surface water.There could be dire long-term consequences of environmental pollution with these insecticides, and these fears are now being confirmed by extensive research.Even minute traces of these pesticides could be fatal to insects, as continued use affects food availability for birds, a lack of weeds resulting in a loss of insects, as well as seeds. This decline is also linked to a lack of larger insects upon which chicks