Combining different types of pesticides and herbicides may pose a greater threat to bees than previously thought, according to new research.
Synergistic interactions between multiple agrochemicals, such as pesticides and herbicides, are having a greater impact on bee mortality than expected (if the effects were additive), according to a meta-analysis published in Nature this week.
The research found that underestimating the interactive effect between environmental stressors associated with agriculture could mean bees were not protected by current regulatory processes.
Declining bee populations are a threat to food security and wild ecosystems worldwide.
Although many factors, such as agrochemicals, parasites and nutritional stressors, have been identified for their respective contributions to this decline, studies investigating the interactions between them have previously produced mixed, inconclusive results.