WIKIMEDIA, ZEYNEL CEBECIExposure to neonicotinoids, a type of pesticide widely used on crops, reduced the percentage of viable sperm in male honeybees (drones) and also shortened the insects’ lifespans, according to a study published today (July 27) in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
“Exposure to common pesticides leads to a decline in sperm quality in honeybees, even when the dose of pesticide provided is so small that it has no effect on growth and development,” Peter Dearden, a geneticist and bee researcher at New Zealand’s University of Otago who was not involved in the work, wrote in an email to The Scientist. The levels of pesticides used in these experiments were equivalent to those bees might encounter in a neonicotinoid-treated field. But even a small adverse effect from a low pesticide dose can have serious ramifications, said Dearden. “Because bee society relies on each caste and group of workers doing their job effectively, these sublethal effects, such as an effect on sperm quality may have very significant long-term ...
