the European Union agreed upon a total ban on neonicotinoid insecticide use, except within closed greenhouses. The vote on the proposed ban followed a February 2018 report from the EFSA which concluded that neonicotinoids posed a high risk to both domestic and wild bees. The ban had strong public support, but faced criticism from the agrochemical industry, and from certain farmers' groups. In 2020, the EPA supplemented its policy with a proposal to restrict the use of neonicotinoids on residential lawns and turf, but otherwise confirmed that they would remain in use in the US. General measures to prevent pesticide bee kills Application of pesticides at evening or night Avoiding the application of pesticides directly to blooming flowers can help limit the exposure of honeybees to toxic materials. If blooming flowers must be sprayed with pesticides for any reason, they should be sprayed in the evening or night hours when bees are not in the field. The usual foraging hours of honeybees are during the daytime when the temperature is above . See also Bees and toxic chemicals Colony Collapse Disorder Neonicotinoids United States Environmental Protection Agency Pollination Endangered arthropod Pesticide misuse Pesticides Pollinator decline Fipronil Imidacloprid effects on bees Honey bee starvation References External links US EPA Pesticide Registration (PR) Notice 2001-5 Bee Health: Background and Issues for Congress Congressional Research Service Bee Health: The Role of Pesticides Congressional Research Service Bee ecology Beekeeping Bees, Toxicity