New research from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln shows that a widely-used class of nicotine-based insecticides is causing queen bees to lay substantially fewer eggs than normal. This particular class of insecticides—the most popular in the world—has also been linked to colony collapse disorder
, a mysterious phenomenon in which the majority of worker bees suddenly abandon the hive, leaving immature bees and the queen behind.
Source: Gizmodo – Queen Bees Lay Fewer Eggs When Exposed to Popular Insecticide