Colombian researchers have come up with a plant-based food supplement thats protecting bees brains from pesticides (keeping the insects safe from neurological damage caused by farm chemicals). Bees – pollinators that they are – play a key role in keeping natural ecosystems and food production going.
The supplement‚ made at Colombias Rosario University in Bogota with help from US and Colombian partners uses flavonoids: plant-derived stuff known to be good for health. It helps bees deal with farm neurotoxins so their motor system and memory dont get messed up.
Andre Riveros‚ whos part of Rosario University‚ said: “This is a food fix for the problem bees have when theyre around pesticides; The food makes them build up a defense“
At first‚ scientists fed sedated bees one-by-one in small lab tubes. Now‚ theyre testing in a real-world university bee-yard. Juan Jose Ovalle‚ a student there‚ explained:
We know there are things that make bees healthier‚ and things that stop brain damage from pesticides We need to keep working to make these methods better at helping bees
The team knows theyve got molecules that boost bee health and stop pesticide-caused brain harm. Theyre keeping at it to make their bee-helping methods work even better