Honey bees are important pollinators that play a vital role in food production. However, many synthetic pesticides used in agriculture can harm honey bees and other pollinators. A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Riverside has shed light on how honey bees are able to tolerate some of these pesticides.

The study, published in the journal "Scientific Reports," focused on two commonly used pesticides: imidacloprid and clothianidin. These pesticides are known to be harmful to honey bees, but the study found that some honey bees are able to tolerate these pesticides without any apparent ill effects.

The researchers investigated the genetics of these tolerant honey bees and found that they have a specific gene variant that helps them to break down the pesticides. This gene variant allows the tolerant honey bees to survive and reproduce even in the presence of these pesticides.

The researchers believe that this gene variant could be used to develop honey bee breeding programs that produce bees that are more resistant to synthetic pesticides. This could help to reduce the negative impact of pesticides on honey bees and other pollinators.

In addition to the gene variant, the researchers also found that the tolerant honey bees had higher levels of certain enzymes that help to detoxify pesticides. This suggests that these bees may have evolved multiple mechanisms to protect themselves from the harmful effects of pesticides.

Overall, the findings of this study provide new insights into the mechanisms that allow some honey bees to tolerate synthetic pesticides. This information could be used to develop new strategies to protect honey bees and other pollinators from the harmful effects of pesticides.