Eating insects containing chlorpyrifos, an insecticide banned in the European Union but still used elsewhere, seems to make it more difficult for big brown bats to navigate
Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus)
James Hager/robertharding/Getty Images
An insecticide commonly used on crops seems to impair navigation in big brown bats by altering the levels of brain proteins involved in memory.
Big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) support agriculture by eating large amounts of pest insects found on crops. However, the effects of insecticides – such as chlorpyrifos – on bats is unclear. Due to its harmful effects on people’s nervous systems, chlorpyrifos was banned by the European Union in early 2020. The US followed suit in early 2022, banning the chemical from …