This shows that bumblebees are able to detect and distinguish between tiny and dynamic electric field changes caused by chemicals.
Dr Ellard Hunting said: “We know that chemicals are toxic, but we know very little about how they affect the direct interaction between plants and pollinators.
Nanoparticles
“Flowers have a range of cues that attract bees to facilitate foraging and pollination. For example, bees use cues such as flower scent and color, but they also use electric fields to identify plants.
“So, a big problem — the application of agrochemicals distorts floral cues and changes the behavior of pollinators like bees.”
In addition, various other airborne particles, such as nanoparticles, exhaust gas, nanoplastics, and virus particles, may have similar effects affecting a variety of organisms that use electric fields that are almost ubiquitous in the environment.
Co-author, Bristol Sam Englandexplained: “This study is important because it is the first known example of anthropogenic ‘noise’ disturbing the electrical conductivity of a terrestrial animal.
interference
“It’s like the noise of motorboats hindering the ability of fish to detect predators, or the artificial light that confuses moths at night: fertilizer is a source of noise for bees trying to detect electronic signals from flowers.
“This expands our understanding of the many facets of the ways in which human activity negatively affects the natural world, which may seem frustrating, but it promises to allow solutions to be introduced or invented to prevent these chemicals from potentially adversely affecting bees .”
Dr Ellard Hunting added: “The fact that fertilizers influence pollinator behaviour by interfering with the way organisms perceive their physical environment provides a new perspective on how man-made chemicals can disrupt the natural environment.”
The project is funded by the European Research Council and the Swiss National Science Foundation.
this author
Brendan Montague is ecologist.
