In a new endeavor by Obama administration which is trying to reverse dramatic declines in bee populations, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) steps forward to safeguard these species as it is now proposing to create temporary pesticide-free zones during blooming, on croplands where professional beekeeping is practiced.

May Berenbaum, University of Illinois entomologist asserted that it may not be ideal, but it is the best news for bee restoration in about 120 years!

The federal rule to be proposed on Thursday noted that the pesticide halt would only happen during the time when the flower is in bloom and the bees are present there. Also, the ban would only apply on professional beekeeping and does not apply to residential pesticide use or to home beekeeping.

Further, it was informed that the ban would apply only to spraying pesticides on leaves and not on seed or ground applications.

Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator for chemical safety and pollution prevention at EPA stated,” The idea is to create greater space between chemicals that are toxic to bees and the bees”. Jones estimates that at least 2 or 2.5 million acres of cropland will be affected by the new rule.

Jones informed that the rule would apply to virtually all insecticides including the much-debated class of pesticides called neonicotinoids. This means that more than 1,000 products involving 76 different chemical compounds would be encompassed under the rule.

It has been discovered that beekeepers had lost more than 40% of their colonies last year. Scientists have listed several factors like pesticides, parasites, pathogens and poor bee nutrition for the decline in bee population.

Although this new rule only deals with the pesticide part, the federal government’s efforts continue unabated as only last week it also planned to create more varied food for bees on federal land.