One Home Depot shopper is sharing a warning for fellow gardeners: Be wary of buying plants treated with the pesticides known as neonicotinoids.
In the post shared to X, the user shared a picture of flowers with a label alerting the buyer that they had been sprayed with the pesticides.
The post carried the following caption: "Do NOT, and I repeat, do not buy plants treated with Neonicotinoids. Bees take the pollen back to the hive and feed it to the brood. This is a number one cause of the colony collapse. It's important to NOT buy these plants."
Very Important Message!!
— Ben🕊️ (@2BJDJ) May 1, 2026
Do NOT, and I repeat do not buy plants treated with Neonicotinoids. Bees take the pollen back to the hive and feed it to the brood.
This is a number one cause of the colony collapse. It's important to NOT buy these plants!
Make sure to share this post! pic.twitter.com/r0io32T5Yn
While the tag did highlight the pesticide treatment, it also noted that the Environmental Protection Agency has approved the use of neonicotinoids. And although it is true that the EPA has OK'd the use of these pesticides, the agency is aware that they can negatively affect the pollinators that our food supply relies upon.
According to the Center for Biological Diversity, "Neonicotinoids, which are banned in the European Union, are the most popular insecticides in the United States. Hundreds of studies have shown they play a major role in population-level declines of bees, birds, butterflies, and freshwater invertebrates. More recent studies are showing they cause significant harm to mammals as well."
Even research funded by Big Ag found that these pesticides are a primary driver of pollinator deaths. In a blog post, one Center for Biological Diversity employee explained that despite their dangers, "Neonicotinoids are used on hundreds of millions of acres of agricultural lands across the country."
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The EPA has considered several actions related to neonicotinoids to protect pollinators like bees, but clearly more must be done as bee populations face significant declines.
On an individual level, opting to manage your yard without harmful pesticides is an excellent step toward protecting your local pollinators and ecosystem. Planting native plants, or even rewilding your yard, are also excellent steps to help keep bees around.
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