Abstract
Widespread use of agrochemicals in the U.S. has led to nearly universal contamination of beeswax in honey bee hives. The most commonly found agrochemicals in wax include beekeeper-applied miticides containing tau-fluvalinate, coumaphos, or amitraz, and field-applied pesticides containing chlorothalonil or chlorpyrifos. Wax contaminated with these pesticides negatively affects the reproductive quality of queens and drones. However, the synergistic effects of these pesticides on the growth and survival of incipient colonies remain understudied. We established new colonies using frames with wax foundation that was pesticide free or contaminated with field-relevant concentrations of amitraz alone, a combination of tau-fluvalinate and coumaphos, or a combination of chlorothalonil and chlorpyrifos. Colony growth was assessed by estimating comb and brood production, food storage, and adult bee population during a colony’s first season. We also measured colony overwintering survival. We found no significant differences in colony growth or survivorship between colonies established on pesticide-free vs. pesticide-laden wax foundation. However, colonies that had Varroa destructor levels above 3% in the fall were more likely to die over winter than those with levels below this threshold, indicating that high Varroa infestation in the fall played a more important role than initial pesticide exposure of wax foundation in the winter survival of newly established colonies.
Highlights
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) provide over $15 billion annually to the U.S economy by pollinating approximately 35% of commercially grown crops that depend directly on their pollination services to produce economically viable yields [1]
Our results showed that initial that initial contamination of beeswax foundation with field-relevant concentrations of amitraz contamination of beeswax foundation with field‐relevant concentrations of amitraz alone, a alone, a combination of tau-fluvalinate and coumaphos, or a combination of chlorpyrifos and combination of tau‐fluvalinate and coumaphos, or a combination of chlorpyrifos and chlorothalonil chlorothalonil at field-relevant concentrations did not have significant effects on colony growth or at field‐relevant concentrations did not have significant effects on colony growth or overwintering overwintering survival
It seems potentially disastrous to take these results at face value and conclude definitively that pesticide exposure of disastrous to take these results at face value and conclude definitively that pesticide exposure of bees bees through the beeswax appears to have no impact on colony health or productivity
Summary
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) provide over $15 billion annually to the U.S economy by pollinating approximately 35% of commercially grown crops that depend directly on their pollination services to produce economically viable yields [1]. U.S were treated with pesticides [8] Despite their pervasive presence in the environment, pesticide risk assessments for insect pollinators are primarily based on a pesticide’s acute lethality to honey bees and present an inaccurate picture of pollinator–pesticide interactions. These assessments do not take into account the effects of pesticides on native and non-honey bee pollinators, and they do not Insects 2019, 10, 19; doi:10.3390/insects10010019 www.mdpi.com/journal/insects
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: 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.