The brand recently announced that it would mail out free wildflower seeds as part of its "Save the Bees" campaign.
ADVERTISEMENT
Cheerios' attempt to save bees backfired massively
Cheerios cereal brand is under fire for sending out billions of potentially disease-spreading seeds in an attempt to help save bees from extinction.
ADVERTISEMENT
Recommended articles
As of Friday, Cheerios had sent out 1.5 billion seeds, according to General Mills, which owns the cereal brand.
There's one problem with Cheerios' charitable effort, however: some of the wildflower species included in the packet of seeds can do serious damage to various ecosystems across the US, reports Lifehacker.
The packets contain more than 15 species of seeds, including some that are banned in certain states because
ADVERTISEMENT
banned as a noxious weedCalifornia poppylisted as an "invasive exotic pest plants"
FOLLOW BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA
ADVERTISEMENT