Neonic pesticides harm Monarch Butterfly eggs.

[Catherine]

We already know that neonicotinoids do a lot of harm. Many insect species are declining because of them. This time a study was done to determine the effect of neonic pesticides on Monarch Butterfly eggs. The eggs exposed to the pesticide were less likely to hatch. Even it it is a percentage of the eggs that fail to hatch, given the large numbers of eggs, it can add up to many butterflies lost. It is not the whole picture, but it is part of the reason why  Monarch butterfly numbers are declining.

https://www.castanet.net/news/Canada/333830/Study-suggests-neonic-pesticides-harming-monarch-butterfly-eggs



Neonicotinoids have been linked to the decline of bees and other important pollinators. Now they are linked to declining Monarch Butterfly numbers.
I don't  think there is any doubt that the pesticide is dangerous and has serious consequences. Why do we hesitate to ban neonicotinoids. They are clearly harmful to life as we know it. If enough pollinators are lost, we will see declining crop yields anyhow. Perhaps wind pollinated crops would survive, but maybe not. Once the ecosystem is unbalanced who knows what will happen. We need to act and ban neonic pesticides while we still can make things right. The alternative might be worse than we think.