University of Dundee - Bee lines

Pesticides could be causing brain damage among bees, hastening the demise of the insect in the UK. Researchers at the University of Dundee are to examine whether the use of pesticides affects the cognitive function of bees. "Many insecticides work by interfering with information flow in the brains of insects, either increasing or decreasing their brain activity," said Chris Connolly, reader in neuroscience. "We will be looking at whether chronic exposure to chemicals used to control mites, combined with levels of agricultural pesticides, may act together to magnify their effects on bee brain function."