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Neonicotinoid pesticide reduces bumble bee colony growth and queen production

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 15:02 authored by Penelope R Whitehorn, Stephanie O'Connor, Felix L Wackers, Dave GoulsonDave Goulson
Growing evidence for declines in bee populations has caused great concern because of the valuable ecosystem services they provide. Neonicotinoid insecticides have been implicated in these declines because they occur at trace levels in the nectar and pollen of crop plants. We exposed colonies of the bumble bee Bombus terrestris in the laboratory to field-realistic levels of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid, then allowed them to develop naturally under field conditions. Treated colonies had a significantly reduced growth rate and suffered an 85% reduction in production of new queens compared with control colonies. Given the scale of use of neonicotinoids, we suggest that they may be having a considerable negative impact on wild bumble bee populations across the developed world.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Science

ISSN

0036-8075

Publisher

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Issue

6079

Volume

336

Page range

351-352

Department affiliated with

  • Biology and Environmental Science Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2013-05-23

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