A researcher holds a white-crowned sparrow. Credit Margaret Eng

TORONTO, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017 – Songbirds exposed to widely used insecticides during migration pit stops on farmland could lose significant body weight and became disoriented, research by 91��ɫ and the University of Saskatchewan has found.

The researchers exposed white-crowned sparrows on spring migration to realistic doses of two different insecticides – imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid, and chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate – to see the effects on migratory activity, orientation and body mass.

“What we found is that the sparrows given imidacloprid exhibited a rapid decline in their fat stores and body mass of up to 25 per cent, and even at low doses both chemicals caused birds to become disoriented,” said 91��ɫ U biology researcher Bridget Stutchbury.

The doses of insecticides given to the songbirds were the equivalent of only four tiny imidacloprid-treated canola seeds per day, or eight chlorpyrifos granules a day, for three days to simulate a stopover event.

The research was led by Margaret Eng, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Saskatchewan working in the lab of U of S biology Professor Christy Morrissey.

“These chemicals are having a strong impact on songbirds,” said Eng. “We were encouraged that most birds survived, and could recover following the cessation of dosing. But the effects we saw were severe enough that the birds would likely experience migratory delays or changes in their flight routes that could reduce their chance of survival, or cause a missed breeding opportunity.”

The research could help explain why songbird species associated with grassland and agricultural landscapes are experiencing severe population declines in North America. Birds that stop on agricultural land during migration may be exposed to insecticides by eating treated seeds, granules, or sprayed soils.

“What surprised us was how sensitive and rapid the effects were, particularly to imidacloprid,” said Morrissey. “The birds showed a significant loss of body mass and signs of acute poisoning (lethargy and loss of appetite). The migration trials also showed that birds completely failed to orient or changed their northward orientation.”

The research, Imidacloprid and chlorpyrifos insecticides impair migratory ability in a seed-eating songbird, was published in .

Bridget Stutchbury is available by phone.

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 is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 295,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact:

Sandra McLean, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097, sandramc@yorku.ca

The post Migrating songbirds can become disoriented after eating insecticide-laden seeds appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

A researcher holds a white-crowned sparrow. Credit Margaret Eng

TORONTO, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017 – Songbirds exposed to widely used insecticides during migration pit stops on farmland could lose significant body weight and became disoriented, research by 91��ɫ and the University of Saskatchewan has found.

The researchers exposed white-crowned sparrows on spring migration to realistic doses of two different insecticides – imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid, and chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate – to see the effects on migratory activity, orientation and body mass.

“What we found is that the sparrows given imidacloprid exhibited a rapid decline in their fat stores and body mass of up to 25 per cent, and even at low doses both chemicals caused birds to become disoriented,” said 91��ɫ U biology researcher Bridget Stutchbury.

The doses of insecticides given to the songbirds were the equivalent of only four tiny imidacloprid-treated canola seeds per day, or eight chlorpyrifos granules a day, for three days to simulate a stopover event.

The research was led by Margaret Eng, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Saskatchewan working in the lab of U of S biology Professor Christy Morrissey.

“These chemicals are having a strong impact on songbirds,” said Eng. “We were encouraged that most birds survived, and could recover following the cessation of dosing. But the effects we saw were severe enough that the birds would likely experience migratory delays or changes in their flight routes that could reduce their chance of survival, or cause a missed breeding opportunity.”

The research could help explain why songbird species associated with grassland and agricultural landscapes are experiencing severe population declines in North America. Birds that stop on agricultural land during migration may be exposed to insecticides by eating treated seeds, granules, or sprayed soils.

“What surprised us was how sensitive and rapid the effects were, particularly to imidacloprid,” said Morrissey. “The birds showed a significant loss of body mass and signs of acute poisoning (lethargy and loss of appetite). The migration trials also showed that birds completely failed to orient or changed their northward orientation.”

The research, Imidacloprid and chlorpyrifos insecticides impair migratory ability in a seed-eating songbird, was published in .

Bridget Stutchbury is available by phone.

-30-

 is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 295,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact:

Sandra McLean, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097, sandramc@yorku.ca

The post Migrating songbirds can become disoriented after eating insecticide-laden seeds appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

TORONTO, Thursday, June 29, 2017 – Worker and queen honeybees exposed to field realistic levels of neonicotinoids die sooner, reducing the health of the entire colony, a new study led by 91��ɫ biologists has found.

The researchers were also surprised to find that the neonicotinoid contaminated pollen collected by the honeybees came not from crops grown from neonicotinoid treated seeds, but plants growing in areas adjacent to those crops.

The role of neonicotinoid insecticides in honeybee colony deaths in Ontario and other parts of North America has been controversial. Some critics dismissed studies that found negative effects on worker behavior and colony health as unrealistic, suggesting bees were exposed to higher doses of pesticides for much longer than realistically found in the field.

Professor Amro Zayed checking out a frame of honeybees from one of his rooftop colonies at 91��ɫ

“This debate about field realistic exposure has been going on for a long time,” said 91��ɫ U biology Professor of the Faculty of Science. “We needed season-long monitoring of neonics in bee colonies to determine the typical exposure scenarios that occur in the field, which we have now done.

The research team studied honey bee colonies in five apiaries close to corn grown from neonicotinoid-treated seeds and six apiaries that were far from agriculture. These colonies were extensively sampled and tested for pesticides from early May to September.

“Honeybee colonies near corn were exposed to neonicotinoids for three to four months. That is most of the active bee season in temperate North America,” said 91��ɫ U PhD student Nadia Tsvetkov.

Worker honeybees in a hive at 91��ɫ

However, the neonicotinoid contaminated pollen the honeybees collected did not belong to corn or soybean plants – the two primary crops grown from neonicotinoid treated seeds in Ontario and Quebec.

“This indicates that neonicotinoids, which are water soluble, spill over from agricultural fields into the surrounding environment, where they are taken up by other plants that are very attractive to bees,” said Tsvetkov.

The researchers then chronically fed colonies with an artificial pollen supplement containing progressively smaller amounts of the most commonly used neonicotinoid in Ontario, clothianidin, over a 12-week period. The experiment mimicked what would occur naturally in the field.

The worker bees exposed to the treated pollen during the first nine days of life had their lifespans cut short by 23 per cent. Colonies that were exposed to treated pollen were unable to maintain a healthy laying queen, and had poor hygiene. “We found that realistic exposure to neonicotinoids near corn fields reduces the health of honey bee colonies,” said Tsvetkov.

Honeybees going in and out of hive at 91��ɫ

While chronic exposure to neonicotinoids has negative effects on honeybees, the researchers also discovered that a commonly used fungicide can interact with neonicotinoids to make them more dangerous.

“The effect of neonicotinoids on honey bees quickly turns from bad to worse when you add the fungicide boscalid to the mix,” said Professor of Laval University who collaborated with the 91��ɫ U team. “The researchers found that field realistic levels of boscalid can make neonicotinoids twice as toxic to honeybees.”

The research, “,” is published today in the journal Science.

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91��ɫ is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 295,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact:

Sandra McLean, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097, sandramc@yorku.ca

The post Exposure to neonics results in early death for honeybee workers and queens, 91��ɫ U study appeared first on News@91��ɫ.