Pesticides used by beekeepers may harm bees' gut microbiota

Beekeepers use a variety of other types of pesticides thought to help bees by ridding their hives of parasites and associated pathogens.  A new study suggests these seemingly beneficial pesticides may be harming bees' gut microbiota, the community of microbes that help bees and their digestive system metabolize sugars and peptides. "Our research suggests that pesticides could specifically impact the microbes that are crucial to honey bee nutrition and health," lead study author Mark Williams, an associate professor of horticulture at Virginia Tech.