Is this the paper you were already talking about?, I'm a bit behind on the
conversations.

http://www.nature.com/articles/srep14621

Here we demonstrate for the first time that exposure to field-realistic
concentrations of neonicotinoid pesticides during development can severely
affect queens of western honey bees (*Apis mellifera*). In
pesticide-exposed queens, reproductive anatomy (ovaries) and physiology
(spermathecal-stored sperm quality and quantity), rather than flight
behaviour, were compromised and likely corresponded to reduced queen
success (alive and producing worker offspring).

Neonicotinoid pesticides severely affect honey bee queens

   - Geoffrey R. Williams <http://www.nature.com/articles/srep14621#auth-1>
   - , Aline Troxler <http://www.nature.com/articles/srep14621#auth-2>
   - , Gina Retschnig <http://www.nature.com/articles/srep14621#auth-3>
   - , Kaspar Roth <http://www.nature.com/articles/srep14621#auth-4>
   - , Orlando Yañez <http://www.nature.com/articles/srep14621#auth-5>
   - , Dave Shutler <http://www.nature.com/articles/srep14621#auth-6>
   - ,Peter Neumann <http://www.nature.com/articles/srep14621#auth-7>
   -  & Laurent Gauthier <http://www.nature.com/articles/srep14621#auth-8>


   - *Scientific Reports* 5, Article number: 14621 (2015)
   - doi:10.1038/srep14621
   - Download Citation <http://www.nature.com/articles/srep14621.ris>
   -
      - Entomology <http://www.nature.com/subjects/entomology> |
      - Environmental sciences
      <http://www.nature.com/subjects/environmental-sciences>

Received:18 May 2015Accepted:23 July 2015Published online:13 October 2015
Abstract

Queen health is crucial to colony survival of social bees. Recently, queen
failure has been proposed to be a major driver of managed honey bee colony
losses, yet few data exist concerning effects of environmental stressors on
queens. Here we demonstrate for the first time that exposure to
field-realistic concentrations of neonicotinoid pesticides during
development can severely affect queens of western honey bees (*Apis
mellifera*). In pesticide-exposed queens, reproductive anatomy (ovaries)
and physiology (spermathecal-stored sperm quality and quantity), rather
than flight behaviour, were compromised and likely corresponded to reduced
queen success (alive and producing worker offspring). This study highlights
the detriments of neonicotinoids to queens of environmentally and
economically important social bees, and further strengthens the need for
stringent risk assessments to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem services
that are vulnerable to these substances.

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