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According to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, neonicotinoids can persist in soil for months or years after a single application. And though there is no direct link demonstrated between neonicotinoids and CCD, recent research suggests that neonicotinoids may make honeybees more susceptible to parasites and pathogens, including the intestinal parasite Nosema, which has been implicated as one causative factor in CCD.