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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

A Novel Behavioral Assay to Investigate Gustatory Responses of Individual, Freely-moving Bumble Bees Bombus terrestris

A Novel Behavioral Assay to Investigate Gustatory Responses of Individual, Freely-moving Bumble Bees Bombus terrestris

Published on: July 21, 2016

Bumblebees avoid sucrose solution containing high concentrations of Roundup.

Linzi Jay Thompson^1,2, Dara A Stanley^3,4, Marie Dacke⁵

¹School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. thompsonlinzi@gmail.com.

Ecotoxicology (London, England)

|March 31, 2025

Summary

Bees avoid herbicides like Roundup when concentrations are high, even if it means less food. This shows bumblebees can detect and avoid contaminated food sources, impacting foraging behavior.

Keywords:

Bees Ecotoxicology Glyphosate Pesticide Weedkiller

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Assessing Agrochemical Risk to Mated Honey Bee Queens

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Published on: March 3, 2021

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Last Updated: May 10, 2026

A Novel Behavioral Assay to Investigate Gustatory Responses of Individual, Freely-moving Bumble Bees Bombus terrestris

A Novel Behavioral Assay to Investigate Gustatory Responses of Individual, Freely-moving Bumble Bees Bombus terrestris

Published on: July 21, 2016

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

Assessing Agrochemical Risk to Mated Honey Bee Queens

Assessing Agrochemical Risk to Mated Honey Bee Queens

Published on: March 3, 2021

Area of Science:

Ecotoxicology
Pollinator Health

Background:

Herbicides are widely used pesticides with growing concerns about their impact on bees.
Understanding bee-herbicide interactions is crucial for risk assessment, as herbicides affect plants differently than other pesticides.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate bumblebee (Bombus spp.) foraging behavior in response to commercial herbicide formulations of Roundup (Ultra and Biactive).
To determine if bees are deterred from consuming sucrose solutions containing herbicides at field-realistic and above field-realistic concentrations.

Main Methods:

Choice and no-choice feeding tests were conducted using bumblebees and sucrose solutions with varying concentrations of Roundup formulations.
Foraging deterrence and consumption rates were measured to assess bee responses to herbicide exposure.

Main Results:

Bumblebees significantly reduced consumption from feeders containing above field-realistic concentrations of Roundup formulations, even when no alternative food sources were available.
Individual bees demonstrated avoidance of feeders with field-realistic concentrations of Roundup Ultra when given a choice, preferring uncontaminated feed.

Conclusions:

Bumblebees can be deterred from consuming herbicide-laced food sources, even at a nutritional cost, indicating a potential avoidance mechanism.
Findings suggest that herbicide formulations, particularly at higher concentrations, can influence bee foraging behavior, with implications for pesticide risk assessment and mitigation strategies.