Evaluation and balance of combined effects from insecticides and climate change on bees and pollination

Pollination is essential for agricultural production and human welfare, but bees in agricultural landscapes are under pressure. The exposure to insecticides is among the most important stressors to bees, but although we are currently experiencing only the first impacts of climate change, there is also evidence for serious effects on bees and pollination. While our knowledge about individual impacts of these stressors is still scarce, it is almost non-existent for combined effects from insecticide exposure and climate change. Uncertainty is further increased by significant changes in pest management based on the recent, EU-wide restriction on neonicotinoids. This project aims to fill these knowledge gaps about how two stressors to bees in agricultural landscapes, the application of chemical insecticides and climate change, act on bee fitness and pollination. In a set of laboratory and semi-field studies, bees will be exposed to crop plants treated with neonicotinoids and alternative substances in combination with higher temperatures and drought conditions. A following field study will additionally use different concentrations of insecticides to test if such synergies could be mitigated, balancing pollination and pest control under climate change. The results will contribute to a scientific evidence base for the development of decision tools to support pollination in order to maximise yields under current changes in pest management and future climate scenarios.