August 16, 2016

impacts of neonicotinoid use on long-term population changes in wild bees in England

Neonicotinoid insecticides have been implicated in the decline of bees, yet the evidence is derived from short-term laboratory studies on honeybees and bumblebees.

Scientists from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology have investigated the long term, large scale impact of neonicotinoids on 62 wild bee species across England and are publishing in Nature Communications on August 16th.

Journalists came to the SMC for an opportunity to meet the authors to find out about the results of the study, discuss the design and the long term, large scale implications for national biodiversity.

Roundup comments accompanied this briefing.

Speakers:

Dr Ben Woodcock, Ecological entomologist at the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

Dr Nick Isaac, Ecological modeller at the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

Professor Richard Pywell, Sustainable Land Management science area lead at the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology