A groundbreaking new study exposes a huge threat to the Great Lakes. Neonicotinoid insecticides (neonics) have been found year-round in major tributaries to the Great Lakes. Of great concern in New York is the Genesee River.

Neonics came on the market with great expectation that it caused less toxicity than previously used classes of insecticides. Unfortunately, there’s a dark side.

Neonics have already been been linked with bee die-offs and bird population decline. Why should we care? Losing these pollinators can have a tremendous impact on our food supply. Birds are natural predators of insects carrying disease. The entire ecosystem may be at risk.

Consider water fleas. Not something to chat about at the dinner table. Yet these small aquatic creatures are at risk from neonic exposure and they are an important part of the aquatic food chain.