Scottish scientists examine whether pesticides reduces the population of bees

The population of bees and other pollinating insects has been reduced because of the confusion that seems to produce in them the use of pesticides, according to the hypothesis of the experts of the Center for Neuroscience at the University of Dundee (Scotland).

To test the hypothesis, scientists will study over the next four years the movements of bumblebees and honeybees to 2500 which contain a microchip in the head, the newspaper reported Sunday The Times.

    Insects play a very important task as a means of pollination in more than one third of the world's crops

Scanners located at the entrance of six hives identify each of the bees that live in and be weighed on arrival to find out how much pollen and nectar carried to the hive.

The vicinity of three of these hives are treated with pesticides and the other three will be free of these substances.

The experts attempt to determine whether the bees subjected to the effects of pesticides are more disoriented, ie whether these substances adversely affect your memory, your ability to communicate in the hive and even their sense of direction.

When a queen bee is a food source, they return to the hive and fly in a manner determined by the vertical walls of the hive and the direction and duration of the "dance" that makes queen bees to other states where the food is .
Combination of pesticides

The researchers believe the bees living in hives with pesticides may not make the "dance" correctly, which means that the rest of bees shall also not able to find food.

The sight and smell of the youngest populations of bees could also be affected by pesticides, making the new generation of bees less intelligent than their predecessors.

The bees are usually subject to different types of pesticides, intended to limit possible illnesses and prevent the occurrence of mites in the colonies, in addition to regularly come into contact with agricultural pesticides.

Although the case of pesticides that have proven safe for insect populations, scientists are investigating whether the combination of several of them may be detrimental to the survival of these animals.

Insects play a very important task as a means of pollination in more than one third of the world's crops, and in the UK, the disappearance of these insects would cost over 500 million per year.