http://independentnewshub.com/?p=97715
Bad news, bees. Two new studies found that two separate pesticides adversely af the part of a bee’s brain that is responsibly for its ability to learn, and when used combination the effects are even worse. It turns out spraying things with poisonous chemicals might have side effects. Who knew? The pesticides in question are a type of chemical used on crops called neonicotinoids, another type used on beehives themselves to protect bees from the parasitic Varroa m called coumaphos. Besides showing the obvious disadvantage of a bunch of dumb bees flying around, th studies are also the first to show the direct affect of pesticides on pollinators like bees their brain physiology. The studies were done by exposing bees brains to the chemica way similar to how they are used in agricultural settings. As many as 30% of the expos bees showed a failure to learn, or under-performed at a memory test. The researchers behind the studies have expressed concern over the use of chemicals affect non-target species in a negative way. Besides failing memory tests, stupid bees forget things like where their hive is, or how to pollinate things, and that’s really the w point of bees in the first place. (via Phys.Org, image via @Doug88888)
Wonderful! And since we know so well that these insecticides just couldn’t affect the _human_ brain…
And since we also know so clearly how the chemicals break down in the environment and that a breakdown product of these chemicals couldn’t possibly have different bee vs human specificity we are all safe!
Don’t you feel good now.
Anybody read the story about how bees generate a positive electrostatic charge while they’re flying? The flowers have a negative charge! When the bee lands on the flower it neutralizes the 2 charges and the flower remains neutral to positive for 30 seconds or so. The Bees can see the charge and not revisit the same flower on their flight.
That is so cool! Bees can see an electrostatic charge!