A scientific note on seasonal levels of pesticide residues in honey bee worker tissues

Abstract

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) provide essential pollination services for agricultural production worldwide. Recent declines in honey bee populations have been attributed to a multitude of potential stressors, such as pest pressure, nutritional stress, and exposure to pesticides (vanEngelsdorp et al. 2009b). One possible explanation for bee decline is the accumulation of pesticide residues in honey bee brood comb, resulting in chronic exposure to a suite of agrochemicals which may detrimentally influence honey bee health. Wu et al. (2011) demonstrated that bees reared in brood comb containing high levels of pesticide residues exhibit increased brood mortality and shorter adult longevity.