Farm pesticides make bees stupid and their use should be questioned because of the impact on the environment, according to Dundee University scientists.
The Dundee scientists have found that two pesticides target the same area of the bee brain while combined pesticides impact on bee brain function.
As a result bees become slower to learn and forget floral scents. The pesticides could interfere with the learning circuits in the bee’s brain.
They also found bees exposed to combined pesticides were slower to learn or completely forgot important associations between floral scent and food rewards.
Dr Christopher Connolly and his team investigated the impact on bees’ brains of two common pesticides one used on crops called neonicotinoid pesticides and another, coumaphos, used in honeybee hives to kill the parasitic Varroa mite.
It was discovered both types of pesticide target the same area of the bee brain involved in learning, causing a loss of function.
If both were used in combination, the effect was greater.
Agriculture depends greatly on honeybees as they account for 80% of all insect pollination.
Without such pollination, there would be a significant fall in the yield of fruits and vegetables.