Pesticides stop bumblebees from pollinating apple trees, research shows

New findings on neonicotinoids have important implications as many food crops and wildflowers rely on bee pollination to reproduce

The world's most widely used insecticides harm the ability of bumblebees to pollinate apple trees, scientists have discovered. The finding has important implications for agriculture and the natural world, say the researchers, as many food crops and wildflowers rely on bee pollination to reproduce.

There is good evidence that neonicotinoids harm bees but the new research, published in the journal Nature, is the first to show a negative impact on the vital pollination services bees provide.