24 Apr 2019 --- A widely used agricultural neonicotinoid (pesticide) – also referred to as “neonic” – called clothianidin causes honey bees to become more susceptible to deadly varroa mites, according to a University of Guelph, Canada study. The reason behind this is clothianidin’s debilitating effect on bees’ self-grooming behavior, which typically deters infestations of parasitic mites. These findings again highlight the need for industry action to reduce the use of pesticides, or find alternatives to curb insect infestations. The study was published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports.