Are bee diseases linked to pesticides? – A brief review

The reviewers compiled information on how two key factors in bee decline, disease and pesticides, are interconnected. The review starts with a history of bee diseases and their increasing prevalence. It then provides an overview of existing research related to pesticides and bee diseases. The reviewers concluded that while not all pesticides are linked with bee diseases, both neonicotinoid insecticides and ergosterol inhibiting fungicides significantly contribute to the spread and abundance of honey bee pathogens and parasites. The authors also stated that these same concerns are likely to exist for bumble bees and many other wild insects.