Toxicity to honey bees from pollen from several plants in Northeastern Brazil.

Abstract

Abstract In the present study, the toxic potential of the pollen of Azadirachta indica, Mimosa tenuiflora, Piptadenia stipulacea, and Ricinus communis to honey bees (Apis mellifera) was tested. Pollen samples were collected near Mossoró city, Rio Grande do Norte, in northeastern Brazil. Results showed only a slight toxicity of A. indica pollen to honey bees, the pollen of M. tenuiflora is not toxic to bees, ingestion of the pollen of P. stipulacea significantly reduced the survival of honey bees, which confirmed the toxic effect, and the pollen of R. communis is not toxic to bees.