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Sabrina Rondeau

Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada. 

Essay

Digging below the surface

Hidden risks for ground-nesting bees

DOI: 10.1126/science.adt8998

ECOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

Current pesticide risk assessments for pollinators primarily focus on honey bees, which overlooks the risks posed by soil pesticide residues to >80% of the world’s 20,000+ bee species that nest or overwinter underground. I investigated the extent and impact of soil pesticide exposure on two ground-dwelling bee species: the common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) and the hoary squash bee (Xenoglossa pruinosa). In a multiple-choice experiment, we found that bumble bee queens tended to prefer pesticide-contaminated soils over pesticide-free options, which increased their risk of exposure. Subsequent studies revealed that soil pesticide residues impaired bumble bee colony establishment and affected squash bee reproduction and behavior. These findings underscore the urgent need to incorporate soil pesticide exposure into risk assessments for wild pollinators.

Biography

Sabrina Rondeau received an undergraduate degree from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, an MSc from the Université Laval, and a PhD from the University of Guelph. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Ottawa, where she explores the consequences of human activities on wild pollinators.