When scientists exposed bumblebees to a modern insecticide designed to kill crop pests, the bees did not die any faster than unexposed bees. On the face of it, this seems like the best possible outcome.

However, just because a pesticide does not kill a bee right away does not mean the insect is unharmed. A new study from the Georgia Institute of Technology looked at common eastern bumblebees exposed to sulfoxaflor.

While the bees survived, their ovaries shrank and their gene activity drastically changed. Soon, they almost completely stopped laying eggs. Experts say this proves that just counting dead bees misses the massive, silent damage that chemicals leave behind.