homeWelcome, sign in or click here to subscribe.login
     


 

 

Business


Subscriber content preview

April 23, 2015

Study: Popular pesticide hurts wild bees

  • But the study in Nature found honeybees didn't show the significant ill effects that wild bumblebees did.
    • By SETH BORENSTEIN
    AP Science Writer

    WASHINGTON — A common type of pesticide is dramatically harming wild bees, according to a new in-the-field study that outside experts say may help shift the way the U.S. government looks at a controversial class of chemicals.

    But in the study published by the journal Nature on Wednesday, honeybees — which get trucked from place to place to pollinate major crops like almonds — didn't show the significant ill effects that wild cousins like bumblebees did. This is a finding some experts found surprising. A second study published in the same journal showed that in lab tests bees are not repelled by the pesticides and in fact may even prefer pesticide coated crops, making the problem worse.


     
    . . .


    To read this story in full login or purchase a subscription.



    
    Email or user name:
    Password:
     
    Forgot password? Click here.