Landmark Study Finds Queen Honeybees Harmed by Controversial Pesticides
The finding strengthens calls for more thorough environmental risk assessments of neonicotinoid pesticides to protect bees.
The first study to investigate the effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on honey bee queens finds that these chemicals may contribute to bee colony mortality by affecting queen health. It strengthens calls for more thorough environmental risk assessments of these widely used pesticides to protect bees.
A research team from Bern, Switzerland and Wolfville, Canada has found that honey bee queens, which are crucial to colony functioning, are severely affected by the two neonicotinoid insecticides thiamethoxam and clothianidin.
In 2013, governments in Europe moved to partially restrict the use of these neonicotinoids while further risk assessments were performed.
The province of Ontario, Canada followed suit in 2015.