LOS ANGELES TIMES - “Neonics” is shorthand for neonicotinoids, said Jake Cecala, whose doctoral research at UC Riverside led to the new findings. Neonicotinoids are insecticides designed to kill a broad spectrum of chewing and sucking insects, from sap suckers like aphids to leaf-chomping beetles.
Problem is, neonics are so good at their job they wipe out all insects, good and bad, for weeks, months and sometimes up to a year, depending on the dosage and plant, said Cecala, who has since moved on to UC Davis, where he is continuing his research. Moreover, most neonics are designed to be systemic, meaning they are absorbed into the entire plant, from its roots and leaves to its flowers and the pollen bees collect and eat. And they are often used by non-organic wholesale growers to keep their young plants bug-free before they go to retail nurseries.
“Essentially, neonicotinoids turn the entire plant into a pesticide,” he said.