{"id":21145,"date":"2024-08-27T08:05:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-27T15:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=21145"},"modified":"2024-08-28T18:22:17","modified_gmt":"2024-08-29T01:22:17","slug":"wild-native-bees-see-lower-counts-where-pesticides-are-used","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/wild-native-bees-see-lower-counts-where-pesticides-are-used\/","title":{"rendered":"Keeping native bees buzzing requires rethinking pest control"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                          \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/guzman_bee_v3_hero_dornsife-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/guzman_bee_v3_hero_dornsife-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/guzman_bee_v3_hero_dornsife-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/guzman_bee_v3_hero_dornsife-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  role=\"none\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Wild bees play a crucial ecological and agricultural role, but pesticide use is making sightings of wild species increasingly rare. (Composite: Rhiannon Montelius. Image sources: Wikimedia Commons; Unsplash.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=sustainability\">Sustainability<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Keeping native bees buzzing requires rethinking pest control<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  New research adds solid evidence to the suspicion that steep declines in America\u2019s wild bee populations stem in large part from pesticide use. Saving the crucial pollinators requires new approaches to managing pesky insects, say USC Dornsife researchers.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Darrin S. Joy<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">August 27, 2024<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 4.0350275 0 1.5167124.60096154 2.9475732 1.68841575 4.0350274 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\n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Key points:\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n      <ul>\n              <li><p>New research shows a strong correlation between pesticide use and declining sightings of wild bees, with pesticide use causing appearances of some species to drop as much as 56%.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n              <li><p>The loss of wild bees could disrupt ecosystems, affecting plant survival and the wildlife dependent on those plants, while also posing a significant risk to agricultural productivity.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n              <li><p>Researchers advocate for integrated pest management strategies and more long-term studies to better understand and mitigate the impact of pesticides on wild bees and other pollinators.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n          <\/ul>\n  <\/div>\n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Whether you\u2019re strolling through a garden, wandering a park, or simply enjoying an open space in the United States, you\u2019re likely to notice bees buzzing about the flowers. While honeybees, imported from Europe in the 17th century to produce honey, are the most recognizable, they aren\u2019t the only bees at work. If you\u2019re a keen observer, you might spot some of the thousands of less familiar, native bee species that call these spaces home.<a href=\"https:\/\/sustainability.usc.edu\/assignment-earth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-169\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/AE_News_Rubric-150x150.png\" alt=\"On a gold background, &quot;Asgmt Earth&quot; appears inside a black circle and &quot;USC&quot; inside a small, white circle that slightly overlaps the black circle.\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/AE_News_Rubric-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/AE_News_Rubric-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/AE_News_Rubric-320x320.png 320w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/AE_News_Rubric-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/03\/AE_News_Rubric.png 1250w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Native wild bees play a crucial ecological role, ensuring the survival and reproduction of countless plant species \u2014 including many agricultural crops \u2014 by spreading pollen as they forage for food. Unfortunately, their numbers seem to be declining, and despite experts suggesting multiple causes, the exact reason remains a mystery.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41893-024-01413-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">new study<\/a> published in <em>Nature Sustainability<\/em> sheds light on one potential cause: pesticide use. The research reveals a stark decline in the number of wild bee sightings, with appearances of some species dropping as much as 56% in areas of high pesticide use compared to areas with no pesticide use.<\/p>\n<p>The study points to pesticides as a significant factor in wild bee decline and suggests that alternative pest control methods, such as those proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, could reduce the damage.<\/p>\n<h2>Pesticide effects on wild bee populations scrutinized<\/h2>\n<p>Loss of wild bees could disrupt entire ecosystems, affecting not just plants but also the wildlife that depend on those plants for food and habitat. The multibillion-dollar agricultural industry could also suffer; wild bees, alongside honeybees, play a crucial role in pollinating three-quarters of food crops and nearly 90% of flowering plant species.<\/p>\n<p>Recognizing the urgent threat posed by bee population declines, <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/laura-melissa-guzman\/\">Laura Melissa Guzman<\/a> of the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, along with an international team of researchers, set out to investigate the impact of pesticides on wild bees. They also examined the effects of agricultural practices and how the presence of honeybee colonies might influence wild bee populations.<\/p>\n<p>Guzman, Gabilan Assistant Professor of <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bisc\/\">Biological Sciences<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.qcb-dornsife.usc.edu\/\">Quantitative and Computational Biology<\/a>, and the team inspected museum records, ecological surveys and community science data collected between 1996 and 2015 from across the contiguous United States.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>We\u2019re ignoring the unique responses of \u2026 wild bee species to pesticide exposure.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Using advanced computational methods, they sifted through more than 200,000 unique observations of over 1,000 species \u2014 representing one-third of all known bee species in the U.S. \u2014 to assess how frequently different species were observed in various locations.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, they analyzed data from several government sources, such as the U.S. Geological Survey\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/centers\/eros\/science\/national-land-cover-database\">National Land Cover Database<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/water.usgs.gov\/nawqa\/pnsp\/usage\/maps\/\">Pesticide National Synthesis Project<\/a>. The former tracks U.S. land cover types (crop, urban, forest, wetland, etc.) with snapshots taken every two to three years from 2001 to 2016, whereas the latter provides detailed data on pesticide use by county from 1992 to 2021.<\/p>\n<p>By integrating these resources, the researchers correlated factors such as land use, pesticide application, honeybee colony presence, and types of agricultural crops with wild bee sightings over the past two to three decades.<\/p>\n<h2>Pesticides emerge as a top factor harming wild bees<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21146\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21146\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21146\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/Cactus-chimney-bee_Instory-413x550.jpg\" alt=\"A cactus chimney bee sits on a flower\u2019s stamen covered in pollen\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/Cactus-chimney-bee_Instory-413x550.jpg 413w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/Cactus-chimney-bee_Instory-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/08\/Cactus-chimney-bee_Instory.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21146\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A cactus chimney bee gathers pollen while foraging in a blossom. The species is found in the Southwestern U.S. (Photo: Laura Melissa Guzman.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The research provides compelling evidence that pesticide use is a major contributor to the declining numbers of wild bees. The study found a strong correlation between pesticide use and fewer wild bee sightings, suggesting a direct link between pesticide exposure and bee population declines.<\/p>\n<p>Some scientists have speculated that certain crops might adversely affect wild bees. However, Guzman and the team uncovered evidence to the contrary. Among crops frequented by pollinators, they found just as many wild bees in counties with a lot of agriculture versus a little.<\/p>\n<p>Interestingly, the study hinted that the presence of colonies of honeybees, an invasive species, had almost no effect on wild bee populations, despite some evidence to the contrary. The researchers caution, however, that they need more detailed data and further study to confirm this conclusion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile our calculations are sophisticated, much of the spatial and temporal data is coarse,\u201d Guzman said. \u201cWe plan to refine our analysis and fill in the gaps as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Wild bees need alternative pest management methods<\/h2>\n<p>The researchers view their findings as compelling evidence that alternative pest control strategies, such as integrated pest management, are essential for conserving these crucial pollinators.<\/p>\n<p>Integrated pest management involves controlling pests by using natural predators, modifying practices to reduce pest establishment, and using traps, barriers and other physical means, with pesticide use reserved as a last resort.<\/p>\n<p>The team also emphasizes the need for more long-term studies that collect data on more localized bee populations over extended periods. \u201cWe need to combine these large-scale studies that span continents with field experiments that expose bees to chemicals over longer periods and under natural conditions to get a clearer picture of how these chemicals affect bees,\u201d Guzman said.<\/p>\n<h2>Building a case for better pesticide risk assessment<\/h2>\n<p>The current study builds on work <a href=\"https:\/\/conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1111\/conl.13022\">published earlier this year<\/a> by Guzman and scientists from Washington State University and Canada\u2019s Universit\u00e9 Laval. That study found that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/risk\/ecological-risk-assessment\">ecological risk assessments<\/a> (ERAs) underestimate pesticide threats to wild bees and other pollinators.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, ERAs measure pesticide effects on honeybees, often in lab studies, then extrapolate those findings to native bee species. However, Guzman and her colleagues revealed that current ERAs vary wildly \u2014 as much as a million-fold \u2014 when estimating how lethal pesticides are to honeybees. And many wild bees are even more sensitive to pesticides, compounding the problem, the research showed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen we only focus on the western honeybee, we\u2019re ignoring the unique responses of other wild bee species to pesticide exposure,\u201d Guzman said, calling for regulatory agencies, scientists and policymakers to rethink ERA methods.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMore data and analysis on the long-term effects of pesticides will help guide these efforts to the benefit of all pollinators, including wild bees,\u201d Guzman said.<\/p>\n<h2>About the study<\/h2>\n<p>In addition to corresponding author Guzman, study authors include Elizabeth Elle and Leithen M\u2019Gonigle of Simon Fraser University; Lora Morandin of the Pollinator Partnership; Neil Cobb of Biodiversity Outreach Network (BON); Paige Chesshire of BON and Northern Arizona University; Lindsie McCabe of the USDA-ARS Pollinating Insects Research Unit; Alice Hughes of the University of Hong Kong; and Michael Orr of State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart.<\/p>\n<p>Funding came from the National Science Foundation grant number DBI-2216927 (iDigBees); USC Dornsife; Simon Fraser University and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada; and the Liber Ero Fellowship Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Related Stories\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/phd-student-studies-galapagos-tortoises-to-preserve-ecosystems\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >PhD 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<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>USC Dornsife researchers add solid evidence that declines in wild bee numbers stem largely from pesticide use and recommend using more sustainable pest management methods.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":21148,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,15],"tags":[88,65,86,60],"class_list":["post-21145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-and-technology","category-sustainability","tag-biological-sciences","tag-environment","tag-quantitative-and-computational-biology","tag-research"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Keeping native bees buzzing requires rethinking pest control<\/title>\n<meta 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