Ditch the Roundup: Study Finds World's Most-Used Weed Killer Kills BEES

It's the most used weed killer in the world, but it seems that Roundup kills more than annoying weeds.

A new study has revealed that the popular weed killer can also kill bees.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have discovered that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, causes bees to lose good bacteria in their intestines.

In turn, this makes them more vulnerable to infection and death.

Erick Motta, who led the study, said: "We need better guidelines for the use of glyphosate, especially with respect to bee exposure, because at the moment, the bees do not suffer any damage. Our study shows that this is not true. "

In the study, researchers exposed bees to glyphosate at known levels in gardens and fields.

The team painted the backs of the bees with colored dots so that they could be tracked and recaptured.

After three days, the researchers found that glyphosate had significantly reduced the healthy intestinal microbiota of bees.

Professor Nancy Moran, co-author of the study, said: "Studies in humans, bees and other animals have shown that the gut microbiome is a stable community that resists infection by opportunistic invaders.

"So, if you disrupt the normal, stable community, you're more susceptible to this invasion of pathogens."

The researchers hope their findings will encourage people to stop using Roundup.

Mr. Motta said: "This is not the only cause of all these bee deaths, but it is certainly something that people should worry about because glyphosate is used everywhere.