Impact of pesticides on honeybees (Apis mellifera) physiology, foraging and colony: An overview.

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) play an indispensable role in global agricultural production, pollinating crops that support approximately one-third of the world's food supply and bolstering biodiversity through these essential ecosystem services. Yet, their survival is severely threatened by multiple environmental stressors, including biological (e.g. pathogens, parasites) and chemical (e.g. plant protection products/agents) factors, particularly pesticides. Pesticides, a broad spectrum of agrochemicals such as insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides are widely deployed to protect crops from insect pests, weeds, and fungi, to maximize yields. However, synthetic pesticides exert both acute-lethal and chronic sub-lethal effects on honeybees, compromising individual health, colony stability, and overall population dynamics. The purpose of this comprehensive review is to synthesize key advances in research on pesticide impacts on honeybee physiology and foraging from 2015 to 2025, identify knowledge gaps, and provide empirical guidance to researchers, industry, and policymakers. This review bridges key gaps between emerging pesticide toxicity evidence and regulatory safety tests, driving sustainable agriculture forward.