Insecticide seems to be harming the health of male honey bees and their sperm, say scientists from the University of Bern.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch
The two insecticides in question are partially banned in Europe. Researchers from Bern, together with partners from Thailand and Germany, are now calling for more thorough environmental risk assessments of these neonicotinoids – as well as other crop protection products.
The international research team – led by the University of BernExternal link and AgroscopeExternal link – has found that two neonicotinoids might reduce drone lifespan and sperm counts. As the study released on Wednesday points out, any drop in the number of living sperm will have an adverse effect on the queen’s ability to breed and the resulting health of the colony.
“We know multiple stressors can affect honey bee health, including parasites and poor nutrition. It is possible that agricultural chemicals may also play an important role,” says senior author Geoff Williams of the University of Bern and Agroscope.
Beekeepers throughout the northern hemisphere have been struggling to maintain healthy honey bee colonies in recent years.
This was the first study to investigate the effects of neonicotinoids on drones, and one of the first to study the effects of these agricultural chemicals on males in general. Previous research has identified risks to honey bee females from exposure.
“Most neonicotinoid studies that employ honey bees have focused on workers, which are typically the non-reproductive females of the colony. Male honey bees have really been neglected by honey bee health scientists,” says lead author and doctoral student Lars Straub from the University of Bern.
In 2013, the European Union and Switzerland took a precautionary approach by partially restricting the application of the widely used neonicotinoid insecticides thiamethoxam, clothianidin, and imidacloprid – with the mandate to perform further environmental risk assessments. A new inter-governmental review is currently taking place.
More
More
Syngenta pesticide, good or bad for bees?
This content was published on
The death of bees threatens the agricultural world. A possible cause is a neonicotinoid type of pesticide. It generate billions in worldwide sales for the chemical industry. It is also found in Thiamethoxam produced by the Basel-based agrochemical giant Syngenta. Its use is temporarily banned in Switzerland and in the EU. A year ago, Syngenta…
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Two insecticides found to harm honey bee queens
This content was published on
Throughout the northern hemisphere beekeepers have been struggling to maintain adequate numbers of honey bee colonies for crop pollination and honey production due to dramatic increases in colony deaths each year. “Alongside introduced parasites, it is believed that agricultural chemicals may play a role in these issues,” says lead author Geoffrey Williams of the University…
This content was published on
His film captures the breeding of queen bees in minute detail, ventures to a laboratory to witness a bee brain scan, and discovers the dangerous prospects of a hive facing an infection through mites. It explores issues facing bees today, from the manufacturing of artificial hives to the migration of killer bees from Brazil to…
This content was published on
The past few years have been tough for bee colonies almost everywhere. For example, colony collapse disorder was a massive problem in the United States in 2007. But this year has proven disastrous for honeybees and their keepers in Switzerland. A study of a thousand Swiss hives shows that 50 per cent of the bees…
This content was published on
The film More than Honey by Markus Imhof, a Swiss director, is about the disappearance of bees all over the world. But it’s also about the intelligent and social behaviour of bees. Its images are fascinating and shocking at the same time. It’s also thanks to the big success of this documentary that the number…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.