> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # National Honey Bee Day - 3 steps to save bees - URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/national_honey_bee_day_0822161212/ - Published: 2016-08-22T13:11:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-22T16:31:02.000Z - Description: The Center for Food Safety says neonicotinoid seed coatings are among the biggest threats to bees: only about 5 percent of the chemical enters the plant, leaving 95 percent for dust, soil and runoff. Nearly all US corn and much popcorn grows from coated seed. - Author: Food Consumer - Tags: Environment, Health News, #vivvo-import [Get Your Guide to Bee-Friendly Popcorn >>](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=jg1oYDE2%2FZ3dom6kD43HeGmHI4%2FF7oKJ&ref=foodconsumer.org) **Today is National Honey Bee Day, but the bees are not celebrating.** It’s no secret that bees and other pollinators are facing a crisis – the ‘bee-pocalypse’ and ‘the plight of the honey bee’ headlines are hard to miss these days. This awareness is a good thing, because pollinator declines are a real problem. What is less talked about is the fact that **one of the biggest threats to bees right now is pesticides coated onto seeds.** The **largest single use of neonics (a group of bee-toxic insecticides) is as pesticide seed coatings for field crops, like corn.**The scale and rate at which we’re using these chemical seed coatings is unprecedented – **virtually all of the corn grown in the United States comes from seeds coated with neonic chemicals**, and the total acreage of corn treated with insecticides is now *three times higher* than it was prior to seed coatings being used. **But bees don’t pollinate corn, so why does this matter?** A huge problem with neonic seed coatings is that **only a small fraction—roughly 5%--of the neonic chemical that is coated onto the seed is actually absorbed into the plant**, delivering enough of a dose to still make the plant highly toxic to bees, while **leaving the remaining 95% to enter the environment through seed dust or soil contamination and water runoff**. This widespread contamination makes it very easy for bees and other pollinators to continually come into contact with these toxic chemicals. **While corn dominates the neonic seed coating market, popcorn also has a big stake in the game, as a large percentage of popcorn seeds are coated with neonics.** That’s why **CFS** [**launched a new campaign**](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=pYylYU2e3%2B4YDR%2BTShMlpGmHI4%2FF7oKJ&ref=foodconsumer.org) **last year urging popcorn companies to stand up for bees** and stop sourcing their popcorn from seeds that are coated in harmful neonic chemicals. Several of the leading companies saw value in the idea—within just a couple of months, **two of the largest popcorn companies, Pop Weaver and Pop Secret, agreed to** [**phase out their use of neonics**](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ExaXnweMGw4lMkNM%2BZcSXGmHI4%2FF7oKJ&ref=foodconsumer.org) as a commitment to helping conserve bees, other pollinators, and the environment. **But there is one company – the biggest in the popcorn industry – that is still refusing to stand up for bees and phase out uses of neonic seed coatings: Orville Redenbacher’s.** Thankfully, there are plenty of healthy, bee-friendly popcorn choices to enjoy while we wait for Orville Redenbacher’s to step up and protect bees and other pollinators. **You can check out some of these popcorn brands doing the right thing for bees in our** [**popcorn guide**](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=zg3v7lj7ldbuKQX1SZpw%2BWmHI4%2FF7oKJ&ref=foodconsumer.org)**:** [**Download the Guide**](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=b%2Fsmul4kYsinNf6mKetzJmmHI4%2FF7oKJ&ref=foodconsumer.org) **|** [**Sign the Petition**](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=H6fqQtbSqUH2J4Vicv18SGmHI4%2FF7oKJ&ref=foodconsumer.org) **Still want to do more for bees?** 1. [**Visit our popcorn campaign website**](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=rZhTrO%2Fe9q4D3h%2Ffv6kByQVZq4uci9%2Fi&ref=foodconsumer.org) to learn more about the issues 2. [**Sign the petition**](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=X%2FD86AJUlNT69rJ3Q8pU5WmHI4%2FF7oKJ&ref=foodconsumer.org) urging Orville Redenbacher’s to do the right thing for bees. 3. There are also numerous other ways to help pollinators, **starting in your homes and backyards** – [here are a few easy options to consider](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=fSKKeRsD%2FE515Gj8oZTDu2mHI4%2FF7oKJ&ref=foodconsumer.org). Thanks for standing up for the bees, The Center for Food Safety team | | | | | | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | **Contact Us** CFS welcomes your questions and comments. Please contact us at [office@centerforfoodsafety.org](mailto:office@centerforfoodsafety.org), or at one of our offices. [DONATE](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=5dWcJ%2BPyQcSEYsEymTRXSGmHI4%2FF7oKJ&ref=foodconsumer.org) | | National Headquarters660 Pennsylvania Ave, SE, #302Washington, DC 20003phone [(202) 547-9359](tel:%28202%29%20547-9359) \| fax[(202) 547-9429](tel:%28202%29%20547-9429) [www.centerforfoodsafety.org](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=wFv7e56NPX8PYjL1UVcibGmHI4%2FF7oKJ&ref=foodconsumer.org) | |