The Lives of Honeybees Shorten Due to Pesticides

Although developed with the aim of protecting bees, two pesticides—banned in France since January 2020 but widely used elsewhere—cause physiological stress in honeybees that shortens their lifespan.   In a new study, American researchers at Oregon State University have uncovered harmful effects of two commercially available pesticides, Transform and Sivanto, which were nevertheless developed with the aim of being less harmful to bee health. According to the researchers, this is the first study to examine the sublethal effects—that is, effects that do not cause immediate death but induce physiological stress significant enough to shorten lifespan—of sulfoxaflor, the active ingredient in Transform, and flupyradifurone, the active ingredient in Sivanto. When combined with other stressors, such as potential predators, viruses, or poor nutrition, pesticides can incapacitate bees and cause their premature death. And in the case of the pesticide Transform, the bees’ lifespan is significantly shortened. The vast majority die within six hours of direct exposure at the application rates recommended on the label. Exposure to Sivanto is not immediately lethal to bees, but it reduces the pollinators’ survival rate. The product causes an increase in oxidative stress and apoptosis in the bees’ tissues, resulting in premature death—a consequence that is not without repercussions. The average lifespan of a honeybee is 5 to 6 weeks. If this is reduced to 10 days, it has numerous consequences for the colony as well as for the environment, which depends on this crucial pollinator. The study’s authors call for further research into the sublethal effects of chronic exposure to pesticides on bee colonies. They also recommend that these effects be clearly labeled on product packaging to enable informed, conscious use.