EPA says study of major pesticide finds chemical harms honeybees when used on some crops but not on others

WASHINGTON — A major pesticide harms honeybees when used on cotton and citrus but not on other big crops like corn, berries and tobacco, the Environmental Protection Agency found.

In its first scientific risk assessment of the much-debated class of pesticides called neonicotinoids and how they affect bees on a chronic long-term basis, the EPA found in some cases the chemical didn't harm bees or their hives but in other cases it posed a significant risk. It mostly depended on the crop, a nuanced answer that neither clears the way for an outright ban nor is a blanket go-ahead for continued use.

http://www.startribune.com/apnewsbreak-epa-says-pesticide-harms-bees-in-some-cases/364348501/