Scientists have developed a promising “vaccine” for bees to protect them from pesticides, according to a recent study.

The findings, published in Nature Sustainability, show that bumblebees fed sugar water containing hydrogel microparticles had a 30% higher survival rate when exposed to lethal doses of neonicotinoids.

The bees also experienced milder symptoms when exposed to lower, non-lethal doses, which can still cause harm.

Neonicotinoids, widely used pesticides, attack the nervous system of bees, paralysing and eventually killing them. These chemicals are commonly used to control pests like aphids and root-feeding grubs.

Scientists from Cornell University, New York, sought a solution to shield bees from this threat.

Although neonicotinoids were completely banned in the EU last year, they continue to be used in the UK and many U.S. states. The UK’s Labour government has pledged to end their use.

The Cornell researchers discovered that the microparticles bind to neonicotinoids in the bees’ digestive system. Once absorbed, the combination is excreted without causing severe harm. The treatment could potentially be adapted for other pesticides as well.

The benefits of the treatment were significant. Bees treated with the microparticles showed increased motivation to feed, and 44% more bees were able to complete a walking route mapped by scientists.

Neonicotinoid exposure usually impairs bees to the point where they can’t flap their wings, but high-speed cameras revealed that the treatment notably improved their wingbeat frequency, offering hope for better protection against pesticide exposure.

“Bees are crucial for crop pollination and agriculture and food security, so it’s important for people to take bee health seriously,” said the lead author, Julia Caserto.

She added that this could help mitigate the effects of pesticides, which are still widely used. “We want to try and overcome these pesticide exposures in managed bees so that we can still have sufficient crop pollination for us all to be sustainable,” she said.

Next, scientists hope to test the treatment on honeybees which are smaller than bumblebees.

 

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