Pesticides impair mobility and immune system of Brazilian native stingless bees, study shows

A study conducted by Brazilian researchers affiliated with São Paulo State University (UNESP), the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) and the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV) has shown how three pesticides widely used by farmers in Brazil—imidacloprid, pyraclostrobin and glyphosate—affect native stingless bees of the species Melipona scutellaris. Whether they are used singly or combined, the pesticides impaired the bees' ability to move about and weakened their defenses. The study is published in the journal Environmental Pollution.