Canadian, British and German scientists in the first large-scale pan-European study confirmed that neonicotinoids negatively affect bee populations. Two related papers are published in Science.
In the first study, scientists observed three species of bees that lived in areas of oilseeds treated with neonicotinoids. It turned out that the number of insect populations dropped sharply in Hungary and the UK, but not in Germany (due to insect access to a wide range of flowering plants). In all three countries, there was a decrease in the reproductive capacity of bees.
In a second study, the researchers observed Canadian bees living near corn fields that were also treated with insecticides. It turned out that the average life expectancy of worker bees in these areas was below the norm, and the number of queen bees in families was also decreasing.
In total, scientists observed bees that live or are located near fields with a total area of two thousand hectares. Experts note that several factors are involved in the degradation of bee populations, and the use of neonicotinoids is one of them. It is noted that the study was funded by insecticide companies, but its results were interpreted by independent experts.
Bees are important primarily for plant pollination. In the United States alone, according to various estimates, insects pollinate up to a quarter of all crops. The corresponding service market in the country is estimated at $ 10-15 billion per year.
One of the reasons for the extinction of bees, scientists also call the world trade in insects, leading to the spread of the parasite mite Varroa destructor.