A buff-tailed bumble bee, Bombus terrestris. This image relates to the paper by Dr. Whitehorn and collegues.SCIENCE/AAAS
Two studies published online March 29 in Science hint that a specific class of pesticides, neonicotinoids, could be contributing to colony collapse disorder in bees. In one study, bumble bees exposed to a neonicotinoid produced fewer queens, while honey bees had trouble finding their way home, reported BBC News. These side effects of pesticide exposure could play a role in colony collapse disorder, the researchers say, and more thorough toxicity tests should be performed before new pesticides are approved for use.
Neonicotinoids, which began replacing more human-toxic pesticides in the 1990s, are applied to growing plants and become incorporated into pollen and nectar, where bees encounter them. A French study looked at the effect of the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam on honey bee navigation. The bees were ...
