Evaluating indirect effects of climate change on pollinators and pollination services through pesticide exposure

Increased precipitation and warmer weather will increase pest pressure and pesticide use. This project aims to identify and quantify the effects of pesticide exposure (risks) and forage availability (benefits) to bees so that agricultural landscapes can be managed for healthy bee populations and reliable pollination services.

A landscape quality index of forage resources and pesticide use will be created and validated against pollen collected from honeybees and bumblebees situated within red clover fields. This validated landscape quality index will then be related to the health of the bee colonies in these fields and the pollination services that they provide.

These findings will provide farmers with a better understanding of the impacts that their management practices may have and beekeepers with information on the best locations for their bees.