Bumblebees may be only about an inch long, but they help power the global food system. As they move from flower to flower collecting nectar and pollen, they help many wild plants and food crops reproduce. Their work supports healthy ecosystems and contributes to the production of many of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts people eat every day.
But these important insects face a growing number of threats, including habitat loss and climate change. While modern pesticides have helped boost crop yields, they can also harm the very insects that make those yields possible.
One pesticide getting a lot of attention is called sulfoxaflor. Introduced to control crop-damaging insects such as aphids, sulfoxaflor helps protect harvests of crops like soybeans and corn. But scientists have found that it can also affect bees.
In a study funded by the USDA, researchers at Georgia Tech exposed bumblebees to low levels of sulfoxaflor to examine its effects on their genes. The findings, which were published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, revealed changes in ovarian tissue, suggesting that the pesticide may interfere with reproduction.
If fewer bees produce healthy offspring, colonies could shrink over time. That would mean fewer pollinators available to help crops produce food.
The researchers say the study provides one of the clearest links yet between changes in bee genes and real-world impacts on colonies.
Farmers need effective ways to control destructive pests, but they also depend on healthy pollinator populations. Protecting bees while reducing pesticide impacts will be an important part of the future of agriculture.
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References:
Next-Generation Pesticide Disrupts Bumblebee Reproduction
