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Pesticides and the Biodiversity 

of Bees and Butterflies

Do pesticides have any negative effect(s) on biodiversity? 

While the main function of pesticides is to control pests, they still have negative effects on biodiversity, both in the short and long run. Pesticides toxicity have the capacity to change habitats and disrupt our food chain. In fact, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food stated that, pesticides can persist in the environment for decades and pose a global threat to the entire ecological system upon which food production depends. Their excessive use and misuse can also cause soil contamination and destroy beneficial insects population. What do these mean for bees and butterflies, two important pollinating insects?

 Image Source: Pixabay

Pesticides generally refer to substance that kill pests or prevent the damage a pest or weed can cause. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a pesticide is any mixture or substance intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest. Pesticides do not refer to insecticide alone; they also include herbicides, fungicides, rodenticide, disinfectants and wood preservatives.

 Image Source: Pixabay

Effects on Bees

Bees are reportedly some of the most important crop pollinators, accounting for increase in production of over 70% of our crop species. There are different ways pesticides can harm bees: through direct contact of pesticides on the bees and through a contaminated bee that transports itself back to the hive.

Effect of pesticides on bees can range from removal of important floral resources, bee reproduction problems, reduction in bee pollutants and pollinator dependent plants, exposure of bees to diseases and pathogens, mass extinction and global biodiversity crisis. 

 Image Source: Pixabay

Effects on Butterflies

Butterflies play important roles in our ecosystem and help us to achieve environmental health and habitat quality.

Butterflies are at risk of exposure to pesticides from direct spray or indirect residual pesticide deposit on plant tissues.

Pesticides can lead to reduction in butterfly abundance, butterfly’s richness, reduced survival rates, feeding interruption and alteration of species behaviors.

 Image Source: Pixabay

In Summary, the strength of pesticide use on species can be huge. Pesticide contamination is widespread and cause lots of damages to our biodiversity. Even though its intended use can be beneficial, they have negative effects on nontarget insects like bees and butterflies. There are other pest control methods we can explore rather than using pesticides.

It is high time we reduce pesticide use to protect the biodiversity of our pollinator friends.

Written by Ananwureyi Ohine Joy