Earthworms, mites and bees might be small, but they are powerful helpers on farms and in gardens. Worms keep soil healthy, mites protect crops from pests, and bees help plants grow fruit and seeds.

Our new 2-minute animation for kids shows how pesticide mixtures harm these superhero bugs, and what we can all do to help protect these important mini-beasts.

Scientists working on the EU-funded SPRINT project wanted to understand what happens when these tiny heroes are exposed to mixtures of pesticides, which are combinations of chemicals often found in real farm soils.

But as you will see in the video, although single pesticides can appear safe when tested alone, our research shows that mixtures can cause greater harm.

Watch the animation now!

This work was commissioned by the Countryside & Community Research Institute, University of Gloucestershire, on behalf of SPRINT, and created by Rumpus Animations together with animation students from the University of Gloucestershire.