A study has shown that exposure to a recently-banned neonicotinoid insecticide affects honey bee genes.
Even tiny amounts of the poison increased the activity of genes in charge of breaking down toxins and regulating cell energy. It particularly affected bee larvae.
This change of pace has been associated with shorter lifespans and a smaller chance of larvae maturing to adulthood in the study of fruit flies. Researchers say the study confirms that the ban on neonicotinoids is a step in the right direction for bee conservation.
Read more at University of Nottingham