Legislation has been introduced in Massachusetts

http://capecod.wickedlocal.com/article/20160602/NEWS/160608618

    State Rep. Carolyn Dykema, D-Holliston, has sponsored a bill that would only permit neonicotinoids to be applied by people who have completed a certification program. Additionally, the proposal, known as “An Act Protecting Massachusetts Pollinators,” would require that stores label plants that have been treated with neonicotinoids.

    Dykema said that while neonicotinoids are useful in combating destructive pests such as Asian longhorn beetles, she fears misuse or overuse of the pesticides can have unintended detrimental consequences.

    “To have them in the hands of general public who don’t have knowledge of how to use them or the immediate consequences of overuse is an area where we can make a difference,” she said.

    In April, Maryland adopted a law to eliminate consumer use of neonicotinoid products and Connecticut passed similar legislation weeks later. The European Union has also banned the use of certain neonicotinoids.

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture has not recommended a similar ban. A USDA-sponsored study in 2015 concluded neonicotinoids are not likely the sole cause of bee colony collapses and some other studies have reached mixed conclusions.

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