Double Trouble for Bees

Previously it was confirmed that most uses of neonicotinoid pesticides are a risk to wild bees and honey bees. This was confirmed by the European Food Safety Authority through an assessment and the conclusions were published in 2013. They named three neonicotinoids – clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam – and these were subject to restrictions in the EU because of the threat they pose to bees.

A new class of pesticides, which is positioned to replace the neonicotinoids, is the Sulfoximine based insecticides. However, during experiments it was found that this new class of pesticides is also as harmful as the neonicotinoids that this is supposed to replace.

The experiment result show that "sulfoxaflor" the new class of insecticide could result in negatively impacting the reproductive output of the bumblebee colonies. During the experiment it was evident that it hampered the ability of the bumblebees to reproduce as the rate at which their colonies grow were both compromised with the use of new Sulfoximine based insecticides?  However, unlike neonicotinoids, sulfoxaflor does not kill the bees directly but it does affect their immune system and their reproduction.

Sulfoximine based insecticides are likely to replace neonicotinoids and are being registered for use globally in countries like  Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, India, Mexico and many other countries.

It has been a cause of concern globally over the health of bees across the globe. Pesticides have been a major factor for causing collapse of bee colonies along with other disorder like mites, virus and fungus. The United Nation had warned that 40 percent of the invertebrate pollinators especially Bees and Butterflies are at risk of global extinction.

By: Madhuchanda Saxena

Content: https://phys.org/news/2018-08-pesticide-bees.html