Pesticide risk assessments are used to evaluate the potential for harm that pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc.) pose to non-target organisms, such as pollinators

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded $749,984 to Utah State University on August 1, 2026, under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program to conduct pesticide risk assessments for solitary bee species.

The project will investigate insecticide exposure and effects on alfalfa leaf cutting bees and alkali bees through field trials with four selected insecticides, laboratory experiments, and insecticide fate modeling. The recipient will develop modeling tools to predict insecticide exposure amounts in alfalfa seed crops, build a toxicology database for use in pesticide risk assessments for solitary bees, and conduct case study risk assessments. The work aims to advance knowledge of solitary bee exposure to pesticides and design pesticide management strategies that balance crop protection with pollinator protection. Performance extends from August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2030, at Logan, Utah.

Risk is assessed by considering both the quantity of pesticide exposure in relevant scenarios and the level of harm caused by that exposure. The overarching goal of this project is to obtain the knowledge and data needed to accurately assess the impacts of insecticides on solitary bees, which are important pollinators for many crops. While more information about insecticide risk exists for honey bees, these BEE species do not share the same routes of exposure, have different life history traits, and are managed differently in agricultural systems. We will investigate insecticide exposure and effects on two solitary managed BEE species, the alfalfa leaf cutting bees (ALCBS) and alkali bees. These species are among the most intensively managed solitary BEE species in the world and have been proposed as candidate model species for risk assessment in bees that are not honey bees. We aim to significantly advance the state of knowledge concerning solitary BEE exposure to pesticides in alfalfa seed crops, develop modeling tools to predict these exposure amounts, build a database of toxicology endpoints for use in pesticide risk assessments for solitary bees, and conduct case study risk assessments. This work will proceed by conducting field trials with four selected insecticides, lab experiments, and insecticide fate modeling. Ultimately, this work will be used to help design, evaluate, and improve pesticide management strategies that balance crop protection needs and pollinator protection.