New research suggests honeybee queens have a survival strategy of their own when exposed to pesticides: they can shift some of the chemicals into their eggs, according to ScienceDaily and researchers at the University of California, Davis.
The study, published in Current Biology, describes the process as maternal offloading. Scientists found that pesticides can build up in queens over time, which may overwhelm the filtering work normally done by worker bees.
To test the effect, the researchers used small experimental “nanocolonies” containing one queen and 60 worker bees. The bees were given food contaminated with methyl parathion, a pesticide marked with a radioactive tracer so its movement could be tracked.
According to the study, worker bees filtered out 95% of the pesticide on the first day, but that dropped to 86% by day 10. Researchers say the result shows queens may use their own defense when contamination increases, though they do not yet know the long-term impact on colonies or how the process may vary by pesticide.
The team says the findings could matter for beekeepers, growers, and pest-management planning, especially because honeybees play a major role in pollinating crops.
