SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Agriculture is restricting the use of two pesticides implicated in bee die-offs this summer in Wilsonville and Hillsboro.
The Oregonian reports it’s only the second time in the past decade the agency has moved to restrict pesticides.
Products that contain the two ingredients will be required to carry Oregon-specific labels. Pesticides containing dinotefuran and imidacloprid can no longer be applied to linden and basswood trees.
The department also is asking the Environmental Protection Agency if national restrictions are needed.
More than 50,000 bumblebees died this summer in a Wilsonville parking lot. Hundreds of bees were found dead just days later in downtown Hillsboro.
