PubMed · 2026-05-16
Pesticides applied to farm crops don't stay where they're put — they drift into nearby wildflowers and linger in pollen for weeks after application ends, exposing bees to a broader chemical cocktail than anyone intended. Weekly pollen analysis from five beehives over two growing seasons confirmed this contamination is widespread, persistent, and tied to specific crop-spraying events.
Pesticide residues were detected in pollen from untreated wildflowers near crop fields, confirming meaningful off-target drift beyond spray zones
The neonicotinoid insecticide acetamiprid persisted in pollen for weeks after the application period ended
The fungicide cyprodinil reached concentrations as high as 1,025 μg/kg in pollen samples collected from the study colonies