Abstract
Bees provide vital pollination services to the majority of flowering plants in both natural and agricultural systems. Unfortunately, both native and managed bee populations are experiencing declines, threatening the persistence of these plants and crops. Agricultural chemicals are one possible culprit contributing to bee declines. Even fungicides, generally considered safe for bees, have been shown to disrupt honey bee development and impair bumble bee behavior. Little is known, however, how fungicides may affect bumble bee colony growth. We conducted a controlled cage study to determine the effects of fungicide exposure on colonies of a native bumble bee species (Bombus impatiens). Colonies of B. impatiens were exposed to flowers treated with field-relevant levels of the fungicide chlorothalonil over the course of one month. Colony success was assessed by the number and biomass of larvae, pupae, and adult bumble bees. Bumble bee colonies exposed to fungicide produced fewer workers, lower total bee biomass, and had lighter mother queens than control colonies. Our results suggest that fungicides negatively affect the colony success of a native bumble bee species and that the use of fungicides during bloom has the potential to severely impact the success of native bumble bee populations foraging in agroecosystems.
Highlights
Bees are among the most important pollinators, providing vital services to natural and agricultural systems
We found that bumble bee colonies exposed to the fungicide, chlorothalonil, resulted in significantly fewer worker bees, less total bee biomass and smaller mother queens than those in the control treatment
We provide empirical evidence that one particular fungicide, chlorothalonil, can cause significant colony losses in bumble bees
Summary
Bees are among the most important pollinators, providing vital services to natural and agricultural systems. Managed honey bees are the most widely used bees for crop pollination, for certain crops, native bees are more effective pollinators than honey bees (e.g., cranberry, [3]; apple, [4]; cherry, [5]; alfalfa, [6]) Both managed honey bees and wild, native bees have been declining around the world [7,8,9,10]. Gaining a better understanding of each of the factors driving these declines is vital to ensure the continued provisioning of pollination services to both natural and agricultural systems
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
