New study from researchers at the University of California, Davis, finds that pesticides not only directly affect bee health, but effects from past exposure can carry over to future generations. The research suggests that female bees that were exposed to the insecticide as larvae had 20% fewer offspring than bees not exposed. Because the impacts of insecticides tend to be additive across life stages, repeated exposure has profound implications for population growth. The research showed that bees exposed to pesticides in both the first and second year resulted in a 72% lower population growth rate compared to bees not exposed at all.

From the study, pesticides ___ .

A) indirectly have an influence on bees

B) reduce bees’ fertility rates

C) promote population growth of bees

D) have lower and lower effect if bees repeatedly expose to them