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Bees are an incredibly important part of both the natural and human-built ecosystem. Not only do they help in the reproductive cycle of wild plants, but they also help pollinate crops such as blueberries, apples and onions.<\/a>\u00a0However, their importance isn’t changing the fact that bees are currently at risk. In the year previous to April 2016, as many as 44 percent of the commercial bee population died<\/a>, according to The New York Times.<\/p>\n Despite this, the EPA is allowing for the limited use of a pesticide linked to issues within the bee community.\u00a0 Called sulfoxaflor<\/a>, this chemical could pose a huge risk to future bee populations.<\/p>\n EPA relaxes rules\u00a0<\/strong> The EPA has issued an emergency exemption for sulfoxaflor<\/a>, which keeps up a four-year streak of similar decisions. The current exemption allows people to use the chemical on crops such as sorghum\u00a0and cotton, which are both known to attract bees. This flies in the face of everything scientists know about sulfoxaflor, and could have serious effects on bees.<\/p>\n Why is sulfoxaflor so dangerous?<\/strong> A study of sulfoxaflor’s effects <\/a>on bees lays out the main complaint researchers have with this chemical. The scientists behind the project found that bumble bees that were exposed to sulfoxaflor<\/a> were significantly less likely to produce reproductive offspring than those in the control group. So while the bees themselves weren’t dying or getting sick, the overall population of the hive suffered greatly as a result of this chemical.<\/p>\n Bees may not be the most dramatic insect\u00a0to be affected\u00a0by human development, but they very well could be the most important. The amount of crops they pollinate is enough to show their worth to both the agricultural industry and humanity at large. Hopefully, scientists can endeavor to find ways to produce the food society needs without risking the future of such an important creature.<\/p>\n
\nAs Quartz points out, sulfoxaflor<\/a>\u00a0was banned in 2015 as evidence mounted about the negative side effects of the chemical<\/a>. It was re-approved in 2016, but any application of the chemical was meant to follow extremely strict circumstances that would avoid any crops that attract bees. However, a rule is only useful if it is applied properly.<\/p>\n
\nInitially, sulfoxaflor<\/a> was designed as a pesticide that was supposed to not be harmful to bees. Sadly,\u00a0the exact opposite has happened<\/a>\u00a0, according to Quartz. Although the chemical itself isn’t exactly dangerous to bees, its effects could seriously alter the current makeup of the\u00a0bee population.<\/p>\n