Sub-lethal effects of dietary neonicotinoid insecticide exposure on honey bee queen fecundity and colony development

Researchers undertook this study to expand understanding of the effects imidacloprid has on honey bee queens. They found adverse effects to the queen’s egg laying and locomotor skills at the lowest dose (10 ppb). Some of the effects were less evident as colony size increased. Thus researchers concluded that larger colony sizes may act as a buffer to pesticide exposure (Wu-Smart & Spivak 2016).