SB0187 Summary

• Prohibits use of neonicotinoid-containing pesticides outdoors on State-owned or State-maintained land beginning January 1, 2024, except for structural pest control or abatement of non-native insect borers.

• Restricts neonicotinoid use for insect borer abatement to specific application methods: basal bark spray, basal drench at tree base, soil injection at tree base, or systemic root flare/trunk injection, with prohibitions on broadcast soil treatment, foliar spraying, or dusting.

• Requires that neonicotinoid abatement applications to insect-pollinated plants occur after blooming ends and allow sufficient time for chemical decomposition before the next bloom season.

• Exempts from the prohibition: pretreated seeds on public State lands, neonicotinoid use on public higher education institution property, and neonicotinoids used for wood preservation.

• Defines "neonicotinoid" to include clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran, acetamiprid, thiacloprid, nithiazine, nitenpyram, and other neonicotinoids identified by Department of Agriculture rules.