Study Finds Honey Bees Can Swim, but Pesticides Disrupt Ability

Research shows bees use their wings to propel themselves across water, but exposure to insecticides impairs their directional swimming skills.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 11:36am

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A highly structured abstract painting in muted earth tones, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise botanical spirals, visually representing the intricate scientific principles behind honey bee swimming behavior.A conceptual illustration of the complex scientific forces and behaviors that allow honey bees to swim to safety, and the potential disruption caused by pesticide exposure.East Lansing Today

Scientists at Michigan State University and the Guangdong Academy of Sciences in China have discovered that honey bees can swim and use this ability to reach safety if they accidentally fall into water. However, the researchers also found that exposure to the insecticide thiamethoxam disrupts the bees' directional swimming, causing them to move randomly and take longer to reach the edge of the water.

Why it matters

This research has important implications for the survival of honey bees, which are essential pollinators. The finding that bees can swim to safety could help increase their chances of survival, but the negative impact of pesticides on this behavior is concerning given the widespread use of these chemicals and their potential to impair bee health and functioning.

The details

The study, published in the journal Communications Biology, set up 'swimming arenas' in the form of circular glass bowls filled with water. The researchers created a dark area on the water's surface to mimic natural features like tree bark or soil banks that bees would be drawn to in order to reach land. The experiments showed that untreated honey bees preferred to swim towards the dark area, demonstrating their ability to purposefully swim in a specific direction. However, bees that were fed thiamethoxam, a commonly used insecticide, no longer exhibited this directional swimming behavior and instead moved randomly across the water, took more turns, and took longer to reach the edge of the bowl.

  • The study was conducted at Michigan State University and the Guangdong Academy of Sciences in Guangzhou, China.
  • The findings were published in the journal Communications Biology on April 13, 2026.

The players

Zachary Huang

An associate professor of entomology at Michigan State University and the lead author of the study.

Ana Heck

An MSU Extension apiculture educator who commented on the implications of the study.

Honey Bees

The essential pollinators that were the focus of the study, which found they can swim to safety but are impaired by pesticide exposure.

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What they’re saying

“That study did not examine if the behavior was indeed swimming.”

— Zachary Huang, Associate Professor of Entomology, Michigan State University

“Pesticides play a role in pollinator health along with other stressors like poor or inadequate nutrition, diseases and other pests and climate change.”

— Ana Heck, MSU Extension Apiculture Educator

What’s next

The researchers plan to further study the impacts of different pesticides on honey bee swimming behavior and survival.

The takeaway

This study highlights the importance of understanding the complex factors affecting honey bee health, including the potential for pesticides to disrupt essential behaviors like swimming that could impact their survival. As essential pollinators, protecting bees is crucial, and this research underscores the need for balanced approaches to pesticide use that consider the broader ecological impacts.