This Antidote Gives Bees Immunity To Pesticides
by Andrea D. SteffenJune 28, 2021
Bees are vital in the pollination of many of the plants that we eat. Therefore, they are critical to food security. But their populations continue to decline rapidly worldwide. Among the factors contributing to this are habitat loss, drought, and pesticides. Fortunately, scientists at Cornell University have developed a tiny ingestible particle that detoxifies the insects from deadly insecticides before the chemicals can do them harm.
The new technology essentially provides beekeepers, farmers, and consumers with an antidote for pesticides, which kill wild bees and lead to beekeepers losing about a third of their hives annually. An early version of the antidote delivery method successfully detoxified a widely-used group of insecticides called organophosphates. It has now been adopted by the New York-based startup Beemmunity to protect bees from all insecticides effectively.
* THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.