Impacts of phytochemical diversity of honey on lifespan, gene expression, and pesticide tolerance in the honey bee

The western honey bee Apis mellifera forages for nectar and pollen on multiple plant species varying temporally and geographically. In the process, they consume a variety of plant secondary metabolites. The fact that phytochemical mixtures in honey collectively induce detoxification genes and pathways may be a critical component of bee survival and resilience in environments contaminated with synthetic insecticides.