Utilising micro-CT scans and cognitive testing, researchers studied the brains of different groups of test subjects, with some bees being fed neonicotinoids in their larval stage, some after reaching adulthood, and the long straws being given no pesticides at all. What they found was disheartening. Bees exposed to the chemicals as larvae actually possessed less brain mass than their organic-fed, Whole Foods enthusiast counterparts. Specifically, there were significant losses in the portion of the brain responsible for learning function, known as the “mushroom body” — and if you think you could come up with a better name for bee brain parts, then maybe you should’ve become a scientist, smarty pants.

After testing bees exposed as larvae over a twelve day period, it was discovered that their cognitive function showed no signs of repairing itself. This, according to the study, means a potentially permanent affliction, when considering your average bee’s short lifespan.

That’s the bad news. The good news is, we can start calling them “dumble-bees” now. And if that’s not a spoonful of sugar helping the collapse of agriculture go down, then we don’t know what is.