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More than 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the United States. [1] Suburban lawns and gardens actually receive more applications per acre than agriculture! [2] While it's important to protect our food supply and backyard gardens, today's widespread practices have catastrophic effects on bees, wildlife and our environment.

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By design, a pesticide is any substance used to kill, repel or control certain forms of plant or animal life considered to be pests. But it doesn’t stop there. These chemicals are also toxic to beneficial insects including bees and other pollinators — the very insects we need to keep our gardens and crops growing.

Numerous scientific studies have shown the effects of various pesticides on bees to include:

Neonicotinoid exposure disrupts bumblebee nest behavior, social networks, and thermoregulation

Pesticide exposure affects flight dynamics and reduces flight endurance in bumblebees

Wild ground-nesting bees might be exposed to lethal levels of neonics in soil

Insecticide exposure reduces brain growth and impairs adult learning in bumblebees

Carryover insecticide exposure reduces bee reproduction across years

Neonics hinder bees’ ability to fend off deadly mites

Glyphosate impairs collective thermoregulation in bumblebees

Glyphosate perturbs the gut microbiota of honeybees

Effects of sublethal doses of glyphosate on honeybee navigation

Also called neonics, these are a group of widely-used systemic pesticides that persist in the environment for months or year after application (through dust from coated seeds, as spray drift, by contaminating soil and leaching into ground water).

When plants absorb neonics, the chemical spreads throughout the plant’s tissue, as well as the pollen and nectar that bees collect when they visit the flowers. Exposure to neonic-contaminated soil is also a serious threat to the 70% of native bee species who make their nests in the ground.

Protect pollinators and the environment by making sure the seeds and mature plants you purchase haven’t been treated with neonicotinoids. Ask your local nursery or garden center, or look for a pesticide policy on the grower’s website. Also, avoid lawn and garden products containing these ingredients:

Neonics hinder bees' ability to fend off deadly mites

Glyphosate is the most heavily used herbicide in the United States. Each year, millions of pounds are applied to residential lawns and landscaping operations.

But in addition to killing weeds, glyphosate has harmful effects on non-target species too. Scientific studies on both honeybees and bumblebees have shown that its effects include diminished navigation skills, increased susceptibility to infection and decreased ability to regulate the temperature of their developing brood. If you have problem weeds in your yard, avoid spraying and use natural methods to manage them instead.

Glyphosate impairs collective thermoregulation in bumblebee

 (Journal of Experimental Biology, September 2015)

Society's conventional landscaping standards place high priority on maintaining a vast expanse of turfgrass lawn. This often requires frequent chemical treatments, mowing and other manicuring – but these practices don't support bees or the biodiversity needed for healthy ecosystems.

A flowering lawn is beautiful and bee-friendly. Convert a section of turf grass to white clover or creeping thyme; other ground cover options that are native to the U.S. include self-heal, ground plum, common blue violet or purple poppy mallow.

Certain “lawn weeds” like dandelions and henbit offer a source of pollen and/or nectar for bees in the springtime (though it’s still important to include other early-blooming flowers in your landscape). Wait to mow or pull them until the bees have had a chance to forage them.

Embracing garden imperfections allows for a deeper appreciation of the cycle of nature. Certain pests only cause minor cosmetic damage to plants, and they can serve as a food source to keep the beneficial predators in your yard!

A naturally healthy landscape that’s free of pesticides is better for bees, the environment and humans.

Spray on the leaves of the weeds. Minimize overspray to avoid damaging garden plants and soil. Best for small areas, sidewalks and driveway cracks.

Spread over area to eliminate weeds before they emerge. Best for large spaces.

Apply 3 inches of organic mulch such as bark, compost, well-rotted manure, shredded leaves or straw. Best for small to larger areas; garden and landscape beds.

Raise your mower blade to 3-4 inches, allowing the grass to crowd out the weeds and prevent them from getting sunlight. Best for turfgrass lawns.

Use a shovel to dig up, pull weeds by hand or with a tool to remove as much of the root system as possible. This method is easier on you and most effective after a rain — the softer soil allows the roots to come out with less resistance. Best for small areas, garden and landscape beds.

Learn more about pesticides, what they’re used for, their toxicity and how to avoid them by using natural alternatives

1. White vinegar
Spray on the leaves of the weeds. Minimize overspray to avoid damaging garden plants and soil. Best for small areas, sidewalks and driveway cracks.

Prioritize plants that are native to your region. Along with being adapted to your local environmental conditions and feeding native bees, they’ll also support more natural predators (like ladybugs, spiders, lacewings, various wasps and dragonflies) that can help keep pests at bay. Yarrow, asters and goldenrod in particular have been found to support a high number of natural enemies.

For almost every vegetable, there is a companion plant that will naturally increase soil nutrients and keep hungry pests from eating your crops. Companion planting has many other benefits too — check out this handy guide from Almanac.

Mosquitoes bugging you? Try growing aromatic plants like lemongrass, lavender, mint or marigolds near your porch or patio. Even something as simple as an outdoor fan to move the air around can keep mosquitoes away. It’s also important to eliminate any sources of stagnant water (aka their breeding ground).

Include a wide array of native flowers, shrubs, ornamental grasses and trees (if space allows) with varying bloom times. Herbs such as yarrow, dill and cilantro will also attract many desirable predators like lacewings. The goal is to promote a healthy balance of insect populations, birds and other beneficial visitors. We can coexist peacefully with most of them while allowing Mother Nature to keep things in check. No pesticide intervention required!

Just because it’s creepy, crawly, leaf-eating or tunnel-digging, doesn’t mean it’s bad to have around! Caterpillars munch on the leaves of their host plant, but this supports their life cycle so they can become butterflies or moths. Baby birds also rely on caterpillars as a vital food source. Spiders and wasps (many of which are solitary and generally docile) also have a place in a healthy garden — they prey on aphids, mosquitoes, earwigs, flies and other nuisance insects. Ants provide many important ecosystem services, and their nest tunnels help aerate the soil.

Learn more about common garden pests and how to fend them off

Xerces Society: Planting for helpful predators

1. Go Native
Prioritize plants that are native to your region. Along with being adapted to your local environmental conditions and feeding native bees, they’ll also support more natural predators (like ladybugs, spiders, lacewings, various wasps and dragonflies) that can help keep pests at bay. Yarrow, asters and goldenrod in particular have been found to support a high number of natural enemies.

National Center for Healthy Housing: Pesticides

Beyond Pesticides: Lawn Pesticides Facts and Figures

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