According to tests conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois, honeybees show a preference for certain chemicals when foraging.

Honeybees were presented with two options: sugar syrup mixed with a test chemical, or sugar syrup mixed with a solvent (the control substance). Test chemicals included nine naturally occurring chemicals, three fungicides, and two herbicides, all at various concentrations.

While the bees consistently showed a preference for the naturally occurring chemical quercetin, which is found in nectar and pollen, they also sought out the glyphosate and chlorothalonil laced syrups. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup, and chlorothalonil is found in the fungicides Bravo, Echo, and Daconil.

Bees only foraged for the syrup with glyphosate and chlorothalonil at certain concentrations, however. When the concentrations were too high, the bees avoided them.

The researchers believe that the bees' attraction to these chemicals may be because the chemical presence signals a new food source for them.

The full study is available at https://tinyurl.com/y96u8wzg.

Learn more about honeybees and the impact pesticides have by visiting the landscapearchitect search engine here (https://landscapearchitect.com/research/index-js4.php) using the keyword "bees."