Volatilized prallethrin impairs the homing ability of bumblebees
: Kaakinen, Kimmo; Loukola, Olli Juhana; Vaajamo, Eva-Maria; Helander, Marjo
Publisher: The Royal Society
: 2026
Biology Letters
: 20250749
: 22
: 4
: 1744-9561
: 1744-957X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2025.0749
: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2025.0749
: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/523057606
Pollinator decline is one of the most urgent environmental challenges of our time, and pesticide use is considered a major contributing factor. In this study, we investigated whether exposure to volatilized prallethrin, a widely used insecticide, impairs the homing ability of bumblebees. Using a consumer-grade vaporizing device, we exposed foraging bees to field-realistic doses of prallethrin and then tested their ability to return to their colony in a rural area where they were already familiar with the surroundings. Our results show that longer exposure durations reduced the bees’ return rates, indicating disrupted navigational ability. However, among those that did return, homing time was not affected by the treatment. While our study only focuses on one key behavioural trait, the findings provide clear evidence of a sublethal effect of a commonly used household insecticide on an essential pollinator species.
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This work was supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation (grant no. NNF0093951) and the Finnish Cultural Foundation to M.H. and the Kone Foundation (grant no. 202010852) to O.J.L.