🐝 HOORAY FOR ANTS! New research shows ants could replace pesticides... and save the bees!
Dena Kennedy
Hooray for ants! New research shows ants could replace pesticides... and save the bees!
Reconsider the effect of pesticides on bees
By Charlotte Elton Euro News
Pesticides make bees “drunk”, wreaking havoc on their central nervous systems - but many of these harmful chemicals could be replaced by ants.
These are the conclusions of two separate studies on artificial sprays used to control pests.
Worldwide, farmers use more than 2.5 billion kilograms of pesticides every single year.
Agricultural scientists have developed more than 1,000 of these chemical compounds that are tailored to preserve food supplies by killing insects, fungi and weeds.
But pesticides can be immensely harmful to insects species - especially bees.
How do pesticides damage bees?
Bees are a vital part of the ecosystem. Without them, many other species would die out. In Europe, bees pollinate 80 per cent of wildflowers.
They’re also essential for agriculture, with roughly one third of global food production dependent on these pollinators.
But pesticides wreak havoc on bee central nervous systems, a new study has revealed.
The chemicals impair the pollinators' ability to fly in a straight line - making it difficult for them to forage for food.
Could ants replace pesticides?
Hope is not lost, however - scientists are increasingly turning to more sustainable forms of agriculture.
If you’ve ever tried to have a picnic in summer, you probably think of ants as pests.
Yet a new study has found that they can protect crops from damage just as well as pesticides.
An international study - published in the Journal Proceedings of Royal Society B today - has found that many species of ants have similar or higher efficacy than pesticides, at lower costs.
Ants protect crops from pests like caterpillars and bugs. Their labyrinthine-like tunnels also aerate the soil, helping plants suck up oxygen.
Researchers looked at 26 species of ants, and found that the critters could be a ‘promising tool’ in the fight against other pests.
But it’s not a new idea, the study’s authors state.
“Citrus growers in China were pioneers in biological control using ants centuries ago,” they write.
Ants can also cause damage to crops, because they protect pests like aphids and whiteflies - tiny creatures that produce honeydew, which ants like to eat.
However, these dangers can be offset through environmentally-friendly management practises, like sowing alternative sources of sugar for the ants to eat.
Special thanks to EuroNews and Charlotte Elton for this wonderful information CLICK HERE to read the full article on Euro News
