Abstract
In the search of alternatives for controlling Aethina tumida Murray, we recently proposed the BAA trap which uses boric acid and an attractant which mimics the process of fermentation caused by Kodamaea ohmeri in the hive. This yeast is excreted in the feces of A. tumida causing the fermentation of pollen and honey of infested hives and releasing compounds that function as aggregation pheromones to A. tumida. Since the boron is the toxic element in boric acid, the aim of this article is to assess the amount of boron residues in honey and beeswax from hives treated with the BAA trap. For this aim, the amount of bioaccumulated boron in products of untreated hives was first determined and then compared with the amount of boron of products from hives treated with the BAA trap in two distinct climatic and soil conditions. The study was conducted in the cities of Padilla, Tamaulipas, and Valladolid, Yucatan (Mexico) from August 2014 to March 2015. The quantity of boron in honey was significantly less in Yucatan than in Tamaulipas; this agrees with the boron deficiency among Luvisol and Leptosol soils found in Yucatan compared to the Vertisol soil found in Tamaulipas. In fact, the honey from Yucatan has lower boron levels than those reported in the literature. The BAA treatment was applied for four months, results show that the BAA trap does not have any residual effect in either honey or wax; i.e., there is no significant difference in boron content before and after treatment. On the other hand, the organophosphate pesticide coumaphos was found in 100% of wax samples and in 64% of honey samples collected from Yucatan. The concentration of coumaphos in honey ranges from 0.005 to 0.040 mg/kg, which are below Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) allowed in the European Union (0.1 mg/kg) but 7.14% of samples exceeded the MRL allowed in Canada (0.02 mg/kg).
Highlights
Mexican honey is very important both nationally and internationally
The ‘magic dust’ has coumaphos in concentrations that range from 639.55 to 900 mg/kg (Table 3). This pesticide was found in 100% of wax samples in concentrations ranging from 0.155 to 2.220 mg/kg; it was found in 64% of the honey samples in concentrations that range from 0.005 to 0.040 mg/kg
Regardless of which boron compound is employed as a pesticide, at physiological pH all boron salts are found as boric acid and cannot be metabolized by organisms [12]
Summary
In 2013, Mexico had 1 933 105 hives, which produced 56 907 tons of honey [1]. The states of Yucatan, Campeche and Quintana Roo produce 40% of honey produced in Mexico [1] and they export honey to Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, France, United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Belgium and recently to Portugal, Colombia, and Panama [2]. The vast majority of producers in the Yucatan peninsula are micro- and small-scale indigenous farmers [3]. The arrival of the small hive beetle (SHB), Aethina tumida Murray, in Mexico represents a challenge for beekeepers and government institutions. SHB is native to sub-Saharan Africa, where it does not cause economic problems; but it can cause great harm to vulnerable haplotypes of honey bees.
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