An insecticide you may have heard called ‘neonic’ is at the heart of a troubling trend in recent years.

Neonicotinoid insecticides, a chemical used extensively on corn and other crops in Ontario, is a key factor in the decline of bee populations. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) analysed over 800 research papers and concluded that neonics are killing bees in great numbers.

According to a recent poll, the decline of bees is not going unnoticed by Ontarians. A study by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Ontario Nature and the David Suzuki Foundation, showed that 87 percent of Ontarians are concerned about the threat posed by neonicotinoid insecticides and a whopping 92 percent would like the government to take action to protect bees.

Ontario Nature, an affiliate of Nature Canada, is urging the government of Ontario to ban neonicotinoid insecticides.