Reacción a "Reaction to study concluding that glyphosate affects the thermoregulation of bumblebee colonies"

The first strength of this study is that they have found direct effects of a herbicide, glyphosate, on bumblebees. The indirect effects of herbicides on pollinators by reducing flower availability are clear. But these researchers show how the combined effects of exposure to this pesticide and resource limitation can decrease the ability of bumblebees to thermoregulate.

Glyphosate has gone through a risk assessment process to make sure it has no impact on human, animal or environmental health. To verify glyphosate is safe for pollinator species bees are tested. However, this newly published result shows this herbicide is on the market without being entirely safe for pollinators, which shows that current risk assessment programmes have limitations. For example they are based on tests that almost exclusively assess mortality, and here they have justified that it is important to assess sublethal effects as well. Glyphosate may affect the hatching behaviour of larvae by affecting their development.  

On the other hand, these effects have been revealed when less food (sugar water) was provided to the bumblebees. We know that pollinator decline is due to a combination of several factors, including pesticides and resource constraints. The approach of this study assessing the combined effects of stresses is useful in broadening our understanding of bee health.  

In conclusion, the present research helps to substantiate the need to incorporate new risk assessment protocols for bees to ensure their conservation.