Study: Pesticides Causing Large-Scale Extinctions of Bees
A major 18-year study has found evidence linking controversial "neonicotinoid" pesticides with “large-scale population extinctions” of wild bees for the first time.
The insecticides have been shown to have “sub-lethal” effects on bees, which are vital pollinators for many crops, in laboratory-style conditions and small-scale studies.
But their actual effect in the real world was not well understood – until now.
The use of neonicotinoids has been restricted by the European Union and banned in some places, such as the US state of Maryland, because of growing concern about their effects on bees.
Colin J