Mixing two common pesticides makes them deadlier to honeybees
Lv L, Zhou G, Wang Y, Zhao Q, Lu P
Pollinators
If you plant a pollinator garden or grow fruit that depends on bees, this study shows the insecticide and fungicide many gardeners use on the same day can be far more lethal in combination than either product's label ever warns.
Scientists tested what happens when honeybees are exposed to an insecticide (imidacloprid) and a fungicide (epoxiconazole) at the same time instead of separately. The combo turned out to be a synergistic one-two punch: it disrupted the bees' detoxification enzymes, immune genes, and lifespan-related genes, and it wiped out the friendly gut bacteria bees rely on to digest food and fight off disease. In other words, two products that might each seem manageable alone become much riskier when applied together.
Key Findings
Imidacloprid alone was more acutely toxic to honeybees than epoxiconazole alone, but combining the two produced a synergistic (worse-than-additive) toxic effect.
The pesticide combo altered activity of five key enzymes (CAT, PPO, α-AMS, GST, CarE) and disrupted genes controlling apoptosis, detoxification, immune response, and lifespan.
After 14 days of exposure, gut microbiota diversity dropped significantly, with core beneficial bacteria Bifidobacterium, Apilactobacillus, and Lactobacillus notably depleted.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Two common pesticides, imidacloprid and epoxiconazole, are far more dangerous to honeybees together than either is alone, and the combination wipes out beneficial gut bacteria the bees need to stay healthy.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Combined toxic impacts of imidacloprid and epoxiconazole on Apis mellifera L. and the underlying mechanism.
The improper application of pesticides is a critical reason for the population decline of pollination insects. Despite decades of extensive ecotoxicological investigations into pollinators, the maj...
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