A Harvard scientist has linked pesticides, or specifically a type of pesticide called neonicotinoids, to Colony Collapse Disorder in honeybees. Neonicotinoids are like a super dose of nicotine and mess up an insect’s nervous system. In a small sample, Chensheng Lu lost 15 of the 16 hives given a neonicotinoid laced corn syrup.

Although banned in the EU, neonicotinoids are allowed in the US. No one knows if they are safe for humans but they haven’t been proven unsafe.

via Unlikely Words