Washington – According to a new in-the-field study, experts have established a common type of pesticide that is dramatically causing a lot of harm to wild bees. The relatively new class of insecticide chemicals is commonly known as neonicotinoids. It is a widely used insecticide in the United States for seed dressing of rapeseed while protecting the young plants against flea beetles.
The Center for Biological Diversity has confirmed that the product can dangerous particularly to the pollination of crops. It harms the density of bee populations. In fact, it had earlier been restricted by the EU for crops that are attractive to bees.
The study showed a reduction in the reproduction capabilities of the honey bees that visited the rapeseed fields. In addition, they were not maturing to full size. However, although it was notable that the number of bees that visited the treated fields had reduced significantly, it is still very unclear as to why and how the honeybee colonies remained unaffected.
Unlike what was previously thought, bees are essential for pollination despite the risk they are exposed to of neonicotinoids chemicals. As such many farms count on honeybee colonies hence their importance. Nevertheless, researchers are hopeful that their study findings will bring forth a new way of averting the risk.
“It is not enough to just investigate how a new pesticide affects honeybees. We also need to predict the consequences for wild bees in a real landscape,” Principal investigator for the field study Maj Rundlöf stated.
While there are many more reasons that have led to the decline of bees of all kinds, pesticide seems to be the main one. In recent years, the problem has been colony collapse disorder that devastated honeybee populations. However, experts say it has since declined.
The use of neonicotinoids has been suspended by the European Union. Reports have it that many other environmentalists are now pushing for the same in the United States.
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