Bee deaths linked to common pesticides |video| @GrrlScientist
Two recently published scientific studies show that bee populations are being ravaged by widespread use of a particular type of pesticide, the neonicotinoidsOur love of pesticides has been nothing short of disastrous for our insect friends, the honeybees along with the bumblebees and other wild native bee species. Two recent scientific studies point to modern pesticides as the main culprit for colony collapse disorder in domestic honeybees, Apis mellifera, as well as causing the dramatic decline in native wild bee populations. The pesticides in question are the neonicotinoids, a family of pesticides that are chemically related to nicotine. The neonicotinoids are the first new class of insecticides introduced in the last 50 years. Instead of coating the surfaces of a plant's leaves and stems, neonicotinoids are taken up by and circulated inside flowering plants. When a bee collects nectar and pollen, she also sips a dose of these pesticides. Neonicotinoids...
Read the whole article on The Guardian - Science
More from The Guardian - Science
Related
- Pesticides not yet proven guilty of causing honeybee declinesThu, 20 Sep 2012, 15:06:18 EDT
- Use of common pesticide linked to bee colony collapseFri, 6 Apr 2012, 0:32:52 EDT
- Even at sublethal levels, pesticides may slow the recovery of wild salmon populationsWed, 16 Dec 2009, 10:57:30 EST
- Organic pesticides not always 'greener' choice, study findsTue, 22 Jun 2010, 18:38:31 EDT
- Prenatal exposure to pesticides linked to attention problemsThu, 19 Aug 2010, 3:28:46 EDT