Published in "Science of the Total Environment" Pesticides Found in Pollen of Bumblebees and Honeybees.
Bee Conservation has been conducting environmental pollen tests for several years, but our approach differs significantly. Our test primarily presents an overall environment report.
The findings are quite compelling in this study, revealing distinct foraging patterns due to their physiological differences. For instance, bumblebees are efficient pollinators for tomatoes, while honeybees lack the necessary tongue length for this task. This is why the thriving commercial farming of bumblebees has been a trusted method for effective selective crop pollination for many years.
The study raises concerns about the potential widespread exposure of bees to multiple chemicals from two pesticide categories: fungicides and Neonicotinoid insecticides. Conducted by scientists from Trinity College Dublin and Dublin City University, the research involved analysing pesticide residues in crop pollen at 12 sites across Ireland. Additionally, they examined pollen collected from honeybees and bumblebees at the same locations. The results of their research have been published in the journal "Science of the Total Environment."
Key Findings:
Most of the detected pesticides had not been recently applied to the sampled fields, suggesting that some chemicals can persist in the soil.
Crop pollen exhibited contamination primarily by fungicides, while honeybee pollen was predominantly contaminated by fungicides, and bumblebee pollen mainly contained neonicotinoid insecticides.
The highest number of different compounds and the most pesticide detections were observed in bumblebee pollen.
Surprisingly, all five neonicotinoid insecticides assessed were found in bumblebee pollen, despite not having been recently applied to the sampled fields.
Collectively, these findings raise significant concerns regarding the potential widespread exposure of all “Pollinators”.
Furthermore, some previous studies have suggested that when insecticides and fungicides are combined, their toxicity may be greater than that of each category when considered separately.
Dr. Elena Zioga, a Ph.D. Candidate in Trinity's School of Natural Sciences, stated, "It is also alarming that the five neonicotinoids we investigated were detected in bumblebee pollen but not in crop pollen. Some of these pesticides, known for their high toxicity, had not been used in the fields we sampled for at least three years.