grounds has been piling upthat neonicotinoids , a class of ubiquitous pesticides , act a role the late decline of bee . A new report sum worrying and unexpected evidence : Bees actually choose food for thought contaminated with neonicotinoids — probably because it ’s getting them high-pitched .
This new study is significant because a lot of controversy over the neonicotinoids has revolve about on exactly how much of the pesticide a bee is naturally disclose to . Pesticide companies , for example , have look for to downplay the exposure — one possibility being that bee will avoid neonicotinoid - laced food because it try out bad . The survey published in Nature show that is not unfeigned .
When scientists in the UK recorded from the gustatory modality sensory receptor neurons of bumblebees and honeybees , they found the bees could not taste the neonicotinoids at all . But both types of bee still prefer drunkenness neonicotinoid - entwine carbohydrate water . What ’s start on ? Well , neonicotinoids are like to nicotine , so it ’s likely that the pesticide is giving them some kind of high .
That ’s all very troubling because it means bees may be let out to higher stratum of neonicotinoids than thinking . Europe has already banned neonicotinoids , and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently reviewing the data on bee . There ’s sure been a lot of evidence against neonicotinoids late — but is it enough ?
[ NatureviaNew York Times ]
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