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# Tell EPA to do its job and stop poisoning bees!
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/poisoning_bees_0521140301/
- Published: 2014-05-21T15:59:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:29:14.000Z
- Description: An action alert urges readers to press EPA over its proposal to expand use of thiamethoxam and sulfoxaflor, two insecticides it calls bee-toxic. The European Union has suspended thiamethoxam, and EPA itself called sulfoxaflor “very highly toxic” to bees.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Politics, #vivvo-import

## [Tell EPA to do its job and stop poisoning bees! ](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=dVhR7GP8OJ43RTu4nVgNZHfxoy8KLANq&ref=foodconsumer.org)

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As if the situation weren’t bad enough for the bees already, EPA is once again turning its back on protecting pollinators by proposing to expand the use of yet*more* bee-toxic pesticides.   

Bees are essential for one out of three bites of food we eat. But they are being wiped out by the widespread use of certain chemicals – specifically systemic insecticides, like neonicotinoids (“neonics” for short). Despite numerous scientific studies showing that these systemic insecticides are harmful to bees, **EPA is actually proposing to *expand* the use of two such bee-toxic pesticides** \- thiamethoxam and sulfoxaflor. 

[**When will EPA get the message that enough is enough? Bee-toxic pesticides are already used on over a hundred crops – and now EPA wants to approve more uses of these chemicals?**](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=alUIb7RtP7V08TtKueRUX3fxoy8KLANq&ref=foodconsumer.org) 

Unlike the U.S., **the European Union has already suspended the use of thiamethoxam** for its potential to harm honeybees. In the U.S., Center for Food Safety has sued the EPA to suspend the use of thiamethoxam \[1\], and some of the nation’s largest beekeeping associations have sued the EPA and Dow Chemical to remove sulfoxaflor from the market; in fact, **even EPA admitted that sulfoxaflor is “very highly toxic” to bees** \[2\].   

**EPA has dug itself into a dangerous hole, but instead of putting the shovel down, they seem intent on continuing to dig.** Beekeepers across the country continue to report record-high bee kills. Recently, over 80,000 bee hives were decimated in California almond orchards, and again the damage was linked to bee-toxic chemicals \[3\]. And **it’s not just honey bees suffering – native bees like bumblebees are also dying** as a result of pesticide poisoning. Nearly one year ago, the largest bumblebee kill ever recorded took place in Oregon after a pesticide application in a Target parking lot \[4\].  
  
**The EPA has a public comment period open until May 27th** – meaning we have less than one week left to make our voices heard.  
  
[**Tell EPA to do its job and stop poisoning bees!**](http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=l81BJGuxz3aIwwFUCvctWXfxoy8KLANq&ref=foodconsumer.org)

Thanks for everything you do,  
Center for Food Safety