Residues of the insecticides were found in the livers of wild turkeys, providing evidence that this common agrochemical is being ingested by free-ranging animals.

The researchers from the Ontario Veterinary College are among the first to study the broader effects of neonics on wildlife.

Published in Environmental Science and Pollution Research, the study found that wild turkey carcasses had detectable levels of neonicotinoids in their livers. Two types of the insecticide were found in some birds. The researchers also found corn and soybean seeds coated with the insecticide in the digestive system of some birds.

Studying exposure levels in larger wildlife species is critical to understanding wider impacts on migratory behaviour, reproduction and mortality, says Claire Jardine, study author and a U of G pathobiology professor.

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The study, published in Functional Ecology, is the first to explore how pesticides may impact the ability of bumblebees to forage from common wildflowers that have complex shapes such as white clover and bird’s foot trefoil.

Bees and other insects pollinate many of the world’s important food crops and wild plants, raising serious concerns about the impacts of reported global pollinator declines on food security and biodiversity.

The researchers found that bumblebees exposed to a realistic level of a neonicotinoid insecticide (thiamethoxam) collected more pollen but took longer to do so than control bees. Pesticide-exposed bees also chose to forage from a different flower than control bees.

“Bees rely on learning to locate flowers, track their profitability and work out how best to efficiently extract nectar and pollen,” says Raine. “If exposure to low levels of pesticide affects their ability to learn, bees may struggle to collect food and impair the essential pollination services they provide to both crops and wild plants.”

Previous studies have found that exposure to neonicotinoid pesticides can cause changes in the brain, more specifically in the areas associated with learning and memory in honeybees.

In this new study, the researchers found that, while bumblebees exposed to pesticides collected more pollen than control bees, control bees were able to learn how to manipulate these complex flowers after fewer visits.

“Our results suggest that current levels of pesticide exposure could be significantly affecting how bees are interacting with wild plants, and impairing the crucial pollination services they provide that support healthy ecosystem function,” says Raine.

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