A recent study (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/mar/27/pesticide-bees-scent-food-neocotinoid?INTCMP=SRCH) has suggested that worker Honey bees (Apis mellifera) and other pollinating insects exposed to neonicotinoid pesticides are slower to learn associations between floral scents and the presence of nectar. In some cases, neurons in their brain stopped firing with 20 minutes of exposure and they became unable to learn at all. This impairment would cause the bees to be of very limited utility to their hive (their efficient foraging is crucial to its survival) and would largely negate the role of the insects in pollination.
This blog may help people explore some of the 'hidden' issues involved in certain media treatments of environmental and scientific issues. Using personal digital images, it's also intended to emphasise seasonal (and other) changes in natural history of the Swansea (South Wales) area. The material should help participants in field-based modules and people generally interested in the natural world. The views are wholly those of the author.
Thursday 28 March 2013
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