Pollution threatens bees' survival, spares harmful pests

In a study published in the journal Nature Communications, scientists from the University of Reading report that bees and other pollinating insects are significantly more susceptible to the negative effects of air pollution than pests.

They analyzed 120 scientific papers covering 19 countries on the impact of toxic compounds present in the air on various insects. It turns out that pollinating insects, including bees, certain moths, and butterflies, experience up to a 40% reduction in foraging ability due to air pollution. Other key activities essential for their survival also suffer.

In contrast, researchers did not observe significant changes in plant-eating aphids and other pests.

"Air pollution is an underestimated threat to insects, making our lives easier. Bees pollinating our flowers or wasps controlling pest populations are at risk of further population decline if we do not address the issue of air pollution. We may face a scenario where everyone loses when air pollution harms pollinating insects and does not affect pests. This could potentially lead to greater crop damage, reduced yields, and poorer food availability on store shelves," says Dr. James Ryalls, author of the analysis.

Scientists believe that beneficial insects for humans, such as bees and wasps, suffer more because they largely rely on their sense of smell when searching for flowers, other food, or a mating partner. Meanwhile, air pollution can disrupt their sense of smell. On the other hand, pests more often rely on their vision.

Among the various toxic compounds, ozone proved to be the most potent, with even low levels significantly disrupting the behavior of beneficial insects.

"Insect populations are already declining globally today. Even small concentrations of pollutants harm the insects beneficial for us, which means we need stricter regulations to protect the hardest-working laborers of nature," emphasizes Dr. Ryalls.