permaculture

[Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>]

Neonicotinoid exposure disrupts bumblebee nest behavior, social networks,
and thermoregulationhttp://science.sciencemag.org/content/362/6415/683

Trouble at the hive

Neonicotinoid pesticides cause mortality and decline in insect pollinators.
One repeatedly noted effect is a reduction in bee colony size. However, the
mechanism behind this reduction is unclear. Crall *et al.* performed
complex real-time monitoring of bumblebee behavior within their nests (see
the Perspective by Raine). Neonicotinoid exposure reduced nurse and
caretaking behaviors, which affected productivity and harmed colony
thermoregulation. These changes in behavior acted together to decrease
colony viability, even when exposure was nonlethal.

*Science*, this issue p. 683
<http://science.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aat1598>; see
also p. 643
<http://science.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aav5273>
Abstract

Neonicotinoid pesticides can negatively affect bee colonies, but the
behavioral mechanisms by which these compounds impair colony growth remain
unclear. Here, we investigate imidacloprid’s effects on bumblebee worker
behavior within the nest, using an automated, robotic platform for
continuous, multicolony monitoring of uniquely identified workers. We find
that exposure to field-realistic levels of imidacloprid impairs nursing and
alters social and spatial dynamics within nests, but that these effects
vary substantially with time of day. In the field, imidacloprid impairs
colony thermoregulation, including the construction of an insulating wax
canopy. Our results show that neonicotinoids induce widespread disruption
of within-nest worker behavior that may contribute to impaired growth,
highlighting the potential of automated techniques for characterizing the
multifaceted, dynamic impacts of stressors on behavior in bee colonies.


Scientists Spy On Bees, See Harmful Effects Of Common Insecticide : NPR
https://www.npr.org/2018/11/09/665634367/scientists-spy-on-bees-see-harmful-effects-of-common-insecticide