Search research articles

Related Concept Videos

Responses to Heat and Cold Stress

Responses to Heat and Cold Stress

Every organism has an optimum temperature range within which healthy growth and physiological functioning can occur. At the ends of this range, there will be a minimum and maximum temperature that interrupt biological processes.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

osmiaCAM: A Low-cost Imaging Monitoring System for Linking Solitary Bee Foraging, Nest Provisioning, and Environmental Sensitivity.

Integrative and comparative biology·2026

Same author

Ethomics for Ecotoxicology: Automated Tracking Reveals Diverse Effects of Insecticides on Bumble Bee Foraging and In-Nest Behavior.

Integrative and comparative biology·2025

Same author

Plant-Pollinator Interactions in the Anthropocene: Why We Need a Systems Approach.

Integrative and comparative biology·2025

Same author

Breaking the cycle: Reforming pesticide regulation to protect pollinators.

Bioscience·2023

Same author

Early origin of sweet perception in the songbird radiation.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2021

Same author

Social insects: Stochastic switches and behavioral maturation in ants.

Current biology : CB·2021

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 21, 2025

Empirical, Metagenomic, and Computational Techniques Illuminate the Mechanisms by which Fungicides Compromise Bee Health

Empirical, Metagenomic, and Computational Techniques Illuminate the Mechanisms by which Fungicides Compromise Bee Health

Published on: October 9, 2017

Glyphosate impairs bee thermoregulation.

¹Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|June 2, 2022

Summary

The most common herbicide disrupts social behavior in bumble bee colonies, impacting their ability to function as a group. This finding highlights potential risks to essential pollinators from widespread agricultural chemicals.

Area of Science:

Ecology
Environmental Science
Behavioral Ecology

Background:

The widespread use of herbicides in agriculture raises concerns about their potential non-target effects.
Bumble bees (Bombus spp.) are crucial pollinators, and their colony success is vital for ecosystem health.
Social homeostasis, the maintenance of a stable internal social environment, is critical for insect colony functioning.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of glyphosate, the world's most common herbicide, on the social behavior of bumble bee colonies.
To determine if herbicide exposure affects key social interactions and colony cohesion in bumble bees.
To assess the ecological implications of herbicide use on vital pollinator populations.

Main Methods:

Bumble bee colonies were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of glyphosate through their food source.

More Related Videos

Monitoring Colony-level Effects of Sublethal Pesticide Exposure on Honey Bees

Monitoring Colony-level Effects of Sublethal Pesticide Exposure on Honey Bees

Published on: November 15, 2017

Evaluating the Effect of Pesticides on the Larvae of the Solitary Bees

Evaluating the Effect of Pesticides on the Larvae of the Solitary Bees

Published on: October 15, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 21, 2025

Empirical, Metagenomic, and Computational Techniques Illuminate the Mechanisms by which Fungicides Compromise Bee Health

Empirical, Metagenomic, and Computational Techniques Illuminate the Mechanisms by which Fungicides Compromise Bee Health

Published on: October 9, 2017

Monitoring Colony-level Effects of Sublethal Pesticide Exposure on Honey Bees

Monitoring Colony-level Effects of Sublethal Pesticide Exposure on Honey Bees

Published on: November 15, 2017

Evaluating the Effect of Pesticides on the Larvae of the Solitary Bees

Evaluating the Effect of Pesticides on the Larvae of the Solitary Bees

Published on: October 15, 2021

Social interactions, including foraging, brood care, and aggression, were monitored and quantified using behavioral assays.

Colony-level parameters such as brood production and overall colony growth rate were assessed.

Main Results:

Glyphosate exposure significantly altered social interactions within bumble bee colonies.
Bees exposed to the herbicide exhibited reduced social responsiveness and increased isolation.
Colony growth and brood development were negatively impacted in herbicide-exposed groups compared to controls.

Conclusions:

The most common herbicide, glyphosate, disrupts social homeostasis in bumble bee colonies.
Exposure to glyphosate can impair critical social behaviors necessary for colony survival and function.
These findings underscore the potential ecological risks of current herbicide application practices to essential pollinators.