Pesticides Linked to Fewer Queen Bees and Deaths Away From Hives
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Bee colonies exposed to a common class of pesticides may produce fewer queens and the chemicals may lead to insects’ deaths by impairing homing abilities, according to two studies in the journal Science.
Bumblebee colonies fed doses of imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide routinely used on crops including corn and rapeseed, produced about 85 percent fewer queen bees than unexposed colonies, researchers found in a study led by Penelope Whitehorn of Scotland’s University of Stirling that was published today.