Wild bees are ecologically and economically critical pollinators, who not only enhance the pollination services of honeybees, but who are also capable of more effectively pollinating certain crops. In light of their value to food security, recent declines of wild bees are a major agricultural concern. Disruptions to the nutritional resources available to bees are a potential driver of these declines. Besides direct impacts on growth and survival, nutrition likely also has interactive effects, given its role in mediating responses to other stressors. Funded by a USDA-NIFA grant, we are exploring interactions between bee nutrition and neonicotinoids, the most popular class of systemic pesticides, found in the nectar and pollen of crops, horticultural plants, and wildflowers. Combining behavioral and phsyiological approaches, we’re studying how these pesticides affect bees’ ability to sense and regulate intake of different resources in relation to nutritional need.

Work that touches on these questions includes a few MS’s in the pipeline, combined with Sarah Richman’s work on how neonicotinoid pesticides 1) combine with phytochemicals to impact bee health (Richman et al. 2022, Functional Ecology) and 2) affect sucrose preferences (Richman et al. 2021, Oecologia). Earlier and ongoing research explores the effects of pesticides on insect olfaction (Tatarko et al. Scientific Reports), olfactory vs. visual learning (Muth et al. 2019 Biology Letters), foraging preferences (Muth et al. 2020, Royal Society Open Access) and learning (Muth & Leonard, 2019 Scientific Reports).

As of 2024, we have new NIFA funding to explore how climate stressors impact bee health, mediated by potential changes to pollen lipid chemistry. We’re excited about this project that combines nutritional ecology and lipid biochemistry in, we hope, interesting ways to help predict how bees may fare in a warming world.