June 5 (UPI) -- For the first time, honeybee researchers have identified a "synergistic time-lag interaction" between parasitic Varroa mites and neonicotinoid insecticides. The two stressors, the latest research showed, combined to reduce the survival of honeybees during the winter.
Several studies have firmly established the negative impacts of neonicotinoids on bee health, and Varroa mites are now ubiquitous among honeybee colonies. But studies looking at the effects of the two stressors in combination have produced inconclusive results.