CABOT, Vt. (WCAX) – A dangerous, popular group of insecticides is one step closer to leaving the Green Mountains.
As of July 1, it’s illegal to spray neonicotinoids – or neonics – on a host of plants.
It’s the first step in a multi-year phase-out that has farmers talking.
When Greg Burtt started his apple orchard, he tried avoiding chemicals. It didn’t last long.
“I was trying to use just solely biological controls, and I couldn’t lose ten trees a year and continue to make it work,” said Burtt.
Today, he uses a pesticide called Assail, which contains a neonicotinoid insecticide.
He sprays as little as possible to ward off apple maggots and tree borers.
“We just apply it directly to the bottom two feet of the trunk to minimize how much is going on the trees,” he said.
Assail and other neonic-containing sprays are largely banned across Vermont as of July 1.
It’s the first phase of a 2024 law with a ban on neonic-treated seeds coming in 2029.
Restricted uses include outdoor applications to crops during bloom, soybeans, cereal grains, leafy vegetables, and ornamental plants.
State officials say many farmers use neonic sprays outdoors to mitigate pests.
“These are pesticides that you most likely would be either hiring out for somebody to be making the applications on your property, or you would have to be a certified licensed applicator in order to purchase this,” said David Huber of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture.
Many environmentalists celebrate the ban as a key protection for vulnerable wildlife.
Still, some farmers and arborists worry there aren’t enough effective alternatives and their plants will take a hit.
“We have been receiving plenty of calls from those in the tree industry wanting to make sure that they can use the products that they have been using,” said Huber.
Because Burtt already sprays after bloom to avoid harming pollinators, he can continue to use Assail.
He has his sights set on 2029, when his neonic-treated pumpkin and corn seeds will be banned.
“The answer isn’t as clear and easy as it might appear. ‘We’ll just stop using treated seed.’ Well, it’s like, there’s a reason why there is treated seed in the first place,” said Burtt.
Farmers can apply for exemptions for things like emergency situations or lack of alternatives.
While this ban seems fairly straightforward, there’s a lot of nuance to this first phase.
Burtt can spray his apple trees as long as they’re not in bloom, but he needs to make sure no surrounding plants are in bloom, too. If even ground clovers are blooming when he sprays, it’s against the law.
