By Emily May, Aimée Code, and Sarah Hoyle.

From large farms to small backyard gardens, many people use fungicides to control plant pathogens. While insecticides have long been recognized as a threat to bees and other beneficial insects, fungicides have generally been assumed to be relatively harmless. Though most fungicide exposures won’t kill a bee immediately, a growing body of research suggests that some fungicides can cause subtle yet significant harm. This fact sheet delves into how these impacts on pollinators occur, and offers mitigation measures and alternative pest management strategies.