Readers respond: Restrict bee-killing pesticides

My birth year was 2006. The Franklin sbumblebee from Oregon disappeared that same year and is currently thought to be extinct. I discovered in Girl Scouts when I was ten that if the ten-year-olds didn’t save the bees, they may perish. I didn’t give a damn about why bees would go extinct at the time because my greatest worry was bee stings.

By the time I was twelve, I sat in the clover and held Mason bees during every recess. The compassion of these bees captivated me, and they are reluctant to sting. I became concerned.

I’m eighteen now, and 2025 is already the year with the highest bee drop in history. A primary cause?Neonicotinoids: a pesticide made from nicotine that is widely available in garden stores throughout Oregon. These substances destroy bees’ neurological systems and cause colonies to collapse.

Of the 4,000 bee species, 25% are currently in danger of going extinct. We run the risk of losing 80% of our food supply without these pollinators, including anything from apples for snacks to our daily cup of coffee.

Although bee populations are declining, I hope to be 21 and still be sitting in a clover patch with mason bees. I want upcoming Girl Scouts to understand the importance of bees, not simply their historical significance.

Oregon needs to limit neonics in residential gardens, just like the other twelve states. Our future and the bees depend on it. These pesticides must be taken off the market, and appropriate warning labels must be created.