Honey bees lose sleep after ingesting pesticides...

.... leading to greater stress and lower hive survival rates

Just when I thought that insecticides were only harmful in doses large enough to kill, we find out that smaller doses harm pollinators.

Bees that ingest nonlethal levels of popular pesticides resembling nicotine, known as neonicotinoids, are losing sleep, according to new research from Vanderbilt University. That disruption of their circadian rhythm causes honey bees to lose their sense of time and navigation, leading to broader stress within highly social bee populations and lower hive survival rates.

There has long been a mysterious connection between neonicotinoid pesticides and their lethal effect on bees. Just as the public began to notice a decline in bee populations, these pesticides took off as a plant maintenance technique.

phys.org...

So, who cares if bees don't get enough sleep? Surely it cannot matter, right?
I mean, do bees even sleep? Absolutely they do ....and just like humans, they need sleep to recover from their daily chores
link

Many people are under the misconception that bees don’t sleep. They think that bees spend their days and nights foraging for nectar and pollen, taking care of their young and serving the queen. These little creatures are so amazing they must not need rest, right?

Wrong! While honey bees do keep busy, they are not unlike us. They need sleep to recharge and restore their bodies, so they have the energy to support their families. All bees sleep, but the amount and location of their sleep changes depending on their role in the colony.

And not only do they sleep, it also appears bees learn while they sleep.

A new study suggests that bees can store information in long-term memory while they sleep, just like humans do when we dream

from a 2016 study

Another source
www.sciencetimes.com...

I'm not shocked whatsoever, that poison causes damage, whether it's enough to kill or not. Or that any interruption in a creatures natural cycle, be it daily, or otherwise..is damaging.

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

Thanks DTOM, I've been really trying to stay on top of these things for some time now. Instead of spraying pesticides around the house, I got really crafty with sealant. Keeps the thousand leggers out and the more essentials pollinating my garden.

I put two hives or boxes if you will down the yard about 150 feet away. Then placed 3 trays on my deck with sugar water. The bees love it.... and my peppers are very happy too.

Here's a pic. honey bees could care less if i was there. I have video, but people complained it made their skin crawl....😆
Even the carpenter bees ( harmless ) were happy



I won't go back.

a reply to: Bigburgh
Good stuff!

My friend gave up beekeeping a season or two ago, couldn't keep the hive healthy, and he is/was experienced.

It's pretty troubling for sure.

a reply to: Bigburgh

That is wonderful!!!!
We didn't have the space for anything like that, but so creative of you!

What I did when I still had a good sized garden---we have since moved---is to eliminate all the high maintenance plants [roses] and replace with perennials that attracted bees, birds and butterflies.
My favorites were the coreopsis that attracted yellow finches [for the seed pods] and dill that attracted butterflies to lay their eggs.

And yeah, the bees that came never bothered me while I gardened.
Unlike those pesky yellow jackets!

This year, my very small garden will feature a couple of echinecea, a couple of coreopsis and a few marigolds.

originally posted by: vonclod
a reply to: Bigburgh
Good stuff!

My friend gave up beekeeping a season or two ago, couldn't keep the hive healthy, and he is/was experienced.

It's pretty troubling for sure.

There's a couple down the way that are Beekeepers that do the real work. I just do my best to keep wasp and other predators out, which amounts to a flick at best and a net to keep the birds out.

originally posted by: Bigburgh
honey bees could care less if i was there.

They get to know you. If you feed them, they seem to understand you as a source of food real quick too.

People that get all masked up ... not so much ... not so fast, but eventually.

They also recognize your footfalls coming and going, so it pays off to spend time around them and that time should be routine.

When are you gonna share your secrets with us, Biggy? What did you learn when you were sealing up your house?

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

You know what, the Roses of Sharon's are working good for me. The Day Lilies seem to work better here for me also.

The bees and humming birds seem to be getting along too.

originally posted by: Bigburgh

originally posted by: vonclod
a reply to: Bigburgh
Good stuff!

My friend gave up beekeeping a season or two ago, couldn't keep the hive healthy, and he is/was experienced.

It's pretty troubling for sure.

There's a couple down the way that are Beekeepers that do the real work. I just do my best to keep wasp and other predators out, which amounts to a flick at best and a net to keep the birds out.

It all helps! I let the wildflowers go crazy in part of my yard, bit of a mess, but it's important, not seeing the activity I saw 4 years ago though. Less bats too.

a reply to: vonclod

Bat population use to be abundant here. Insects retreat at night and bats came in.... sure haven't seen fireflies in years now.

Gotta find a balance.

a reply to: Bigburgh

We'd see a few fireflies the last few years at the fold place.

Here, I haven't figured out the right time of day....and not sure if they hang out in the woodlot next door.

originally posted by: Snarl

originally posted by: Bigburgh
honey bees could care less if i was there.

They get to know you. If you feed them, they seem to understand you as a source of food real quick too.

People that get all masked up ... not so much ... not so fast, but eventually.

They also recognize your footfalls coming and going, so it pays off to spend time around them and that time should be routine.

When are you gonna share your secrets with us, Biggy? What did you learn when you were sealing up your house?

Ha ha ha football!

So they know THIS GUY😝😝😝😝 edit: deleted my ugly mug to meet ATS T's and C's 🤗

originally posted by: Bigburgh
a reply to: vonclod

Bat population use to be abundant here. Insects retreat at night and bats came in.... sure haven't seen fireflies in years now.

Gotta find a balance.

Agree'd!

I have never seen a firefly, kind of a bummer we don't really get them here.

a reply to: vonclod

It's a treat during the summers. Clear stargazing nights and lightning bugs. I'm in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. So we have to wait a wee bit longer for it to warm up. But a rocking chair works best....

*not my back yard, just random YT vid*

a reply to: Bigburgh

Very nice.

a reply to: Bigburgh
Nice!! would be cool to see it in person. If I saw that here unexpectedly..I'd figure I was having a flashback!!

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

Congrat's One & All for Caring. Perhaps............... and I'm only guessing, but is it not true that BAYER and GMO (Monsanto) are now 1 Company.............

Bees losing sleep and so too are Many of us, especially those who are under Chemo or further treatment. Then up pops a mRNA infection ???

a reply to: steaming

A partial answer.

Stopped using Round Up and Ground Clear ( Bayer ) as well. A weed wacker and a flame works best.

Gotta wack the weeds down to the roots. Then go get a flamethrower, many of folks have a propane tank around. If that doesn't satisfy, try some dish soap. It takes longer but works.

Also be very very mindful if you have pets that are free to run your property.

a reply to: Bigburgh

Have never used Any type of anti weed chemicals. In fact one part of the garden was / is allowed to run riot, stinging nettles are a favoured safe place for certain Butterflies. 1 Large birdnest fitted to wall, not for large birds, but large because it is sectored into 3 different nest. 1st hole to the west, 2nd centre, 3rd to the east. Have three different grapes growing, should have cut such back etc. But nope, it has been growing since 1977, climbed up the outer wall to a height of 23 foot. , grapes grow small,k too small for us, but birds soon clear such. Centre of garden is one fair size - used to be pond, but i got too old to kneel down, so filled pond built a 3 foot high style garden aquarium. About 20 Fish and they have Lillies , lillies do grow nice size flowers that Bees so visit. rest of garden for my Wife to use for Veggies / strawberries. Fish tank, cum aquarium, has plenty invisible Algae which converts CO2 into Oxygen, turns greenish or other dodgy colours when the water its self is allowed to go wrong. So yes Sir, Cheers to ole Mother Nature.

Pesticides are most often acetycholineesterase inhibitors which means acetylcholine will boost up and make it harder to sleep. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter, too much is not good, too little is worse.