Scientists Say Car Fumes Affect Pollinating Insects

Insects that pollinate flowers and crops face an increasingly complex - and distracting - world of smells. Their olfactory receptors are activated by all scents - the natural smell of blossoms and grasses, as well as man-made ones, such as fumes from car and truck engines. Researchers at the University of Washington and University of Arizona say those background odors can mask floral scents. As a consequence, insects spend more time and energy looking for flowers. Using advanced...

© La Voix de l'Amérique - vendredi 27 juin 2014