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Walsh EM, Simone-Finstrom M. Current honey bee stressor investigations and mitigation methods in the United States and Canada. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2024; 24:19. [PMID: 38805646 PMCID: PMC11132128 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieae055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Honey bees are the most important managed insect pollinators in the US and Canadian crop systems. However, the annual mortality of colonies in the past 15 years has been consistently higher than historical records. Because they are eusocial generalist pollinators and amenable to management, honey bees provide a unique opportunity to investigate a wide range of questions at molecular, organismal, and ecological scales. Here, the American Association of Professional Apiculturists (AAPA) and the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA) created 2 collections of articles featuring investigations on micro and macro aspects of honey bee health, sociobiology, and management showcasing new applied research from diverse groups studying honey bees (Apis mellifera) in the United States and Canada. Research presented in this special issue includes examinations of abiotic and biotic stressors of honey bees, and evaluations and introductions of various stress mitigation measures that may be valuable to both scientists and the beekeeping community. These investigations from throughout the United States and Canada showcase the wide breadth of current work done and point out areas that need further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Walsh
- USDA-ARS Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Unit, 1157 Ben Hur Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70820, USA
| | - Michael Simone-Finstrom
- USDA-ARS Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Unit, 1157 Ben Hur Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70820, USA
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Cappellari A, Malagnini V, Fontana P, Zanotelli L, Tonidandel L, Angeli G, Ioriatti C, Marini L. Impact of landscape composition on honey bee pollen contamination by pesticides: A multi-residue analysis. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 349:140829. [PMID: 38042427 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
The honey bee is the most common and important managed pollinator of crops. In recent years, honey bee colonies faced high mortality for multiple causes, including land-use change and the use of plant protection products (hereafter pesticides). This work aimed to explore how contamination by pesticides of pollen collected by honey bees was modulated by landscape composition and seasonality. We placed two honey bee colonies in 13 locations in Northern Italy in contrasting landscapes, from which we collected pollen samples monthly during the whole flowering season in 2019 and 2020. We searched for almost 400 compounds, including fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and acaricides. We then calculated for each pollen sample the Pollen Hazard Quotient (PHQ), an index that provides a measure of multi-residue toxicity of contaminated pollen. Almost all pollen samples were contaminated by at least one compound. We detected 97 compounds, mainly fungicides, but insecticides and acaricides showed the highest toxicity. Fifteen % of the pollen samples had medium-high or high levels of PHQ, which could pose serious threats to honey bees. Fungicides showed a nearly constant PHQ throughout the season, while herbicides and insecticides and acaricides showed higher PHQ values in spring and early summer. Also, PHQ increased with increasing cover of agricultural and urban areas from April to July, while it was low and independent of landscape composition at the end of the season. The cover of perennial crops, i.e., fruit trees and vineyards, but not of annual crops, increased PHQ of pollen samples. Our work highlighted that the potential toxicity of pollen collected by honey bees was modulated by complex interactions among pesticide category, seasonality, and landscape composition. Due to the large number of compounds detected, our study should be complemented with additional experimental research on the potential interactive effects of multiple compounds on honey bee health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andree Cappellari
- University of Padova, Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, Viale Dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy.
| | - Valeria Malagnini
- Edmund Mach Foundation, Technology Transfer Centre, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010, San Michele All'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Paolo Fontana
- Edmund Mach Foundation, Technology Transfer Centre, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010, San Michele All'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Livia Zanotelli
- Edmund Mach Foundation, Technology Transfer Centre, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010, San Michele All'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Loris Tonidandel
- Edmund Mach Foundation, Technology Transfer Centre, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010, San Michele All'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Gino Angeli
- Edmund Mach Foundation, Technology Transfer Centre, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010, San Michele All'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Claudio Ioriatti
- Edmund Mach Foundation, Research and Innovation Centre, Via Edmund Mach 1, 38010, San Michele All'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Marini
- University of Padova, Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, Viale Dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy
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Capela N, Xu M, Simões S, Azevedo-Pereira HMSV, Peters J, Sousa JP. Exposure and risk assessment of acetamiprid in honey bee colonies under a real exposure scenario in Eucalyptus sp. landscapes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 840:156485. [PMID: 35688249 PMCID: PMC9247745 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Honey bee colonies have shown abnormal mortality rates over the last decades. Colonies are exposed to biotic and abiotic stressors including landscape changes caused by human pressure. Modern agriculture and even forestry, rely on pesticide inputs and these chemicals have been indicated as one of the major causes for colony losses. Neonicotinoids are a common class of pesticides used worldwide that are specific to kill insect pests, with acetamiprid being the only neonicotinoid allowed to be applied outdoors in the EU. To evaluate honeybees' exposure to acetamiprid under field conditions as well as to test the use of in-situ tools to monitor pesticide residues, two honeybee colonies were installed in five Eucalyptus sp. plantations having different area where Epik® (active substance: acetamiprid) was applied as in a common spraying event to control the eucalyptus weevil pest. Flowers, fresh nectar, honey bees and colony products samples were collected and analyzed for the presence of acetamiprid residues. Our main findings were that (1) acetamiprid residues were found in samples collected outside the spraying area, (2) the amount of residues transported into the colonies increased with the size of the sprayed area, (3) according to the calculated Exposure to Toxicity Ratio (ETR) values, spraying up to 22 % of honeybees foraging area does not harm the colonies, (4) colony products can be used as a valid tool to monitor colony accumulation of acetamiprid and (5) the use of Lateral Flow Devices (LFDs) can be a cheap, fast and easy tool to apply in the field, to evaluate the presence of acetamiprid residues in the landscape and colony products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno Capela
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, Associated Laboratory TERRA, University of Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Mang Xu
- Wageningen Food safety Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Sandra Simões
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, Associated Laboratory TERRA, University of Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Henrique M S V Azevedo-Pereira
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, Associated Laboratory TERRA, University of Coimbra, Portugal; ForestWISE - Collaborative Laboratory for Integrated Forest & Fire Management, Quinta de Prados, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Jeroen Peters
- Wageningen Food safety Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - José Paulo Sousa
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, Associated Laboratory TERRA, University of Coimbra, Portugal
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Meikle WG, Weiss M. Field and Cage Studies Show No Effects of Exposure to Flonicamid on Honey Bees at Field-Relevant Concentrations. INSECTS 2022; 13:845. [PMID: 36135546 PMCID: PMC9502183 DOI: 10.3390/insects13090845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The extent to which insecticides harm non-target beneficial insects is controversial. The effects of long-term exposure on honey bees to sublethal concentrations of flonicamid, a pyridinecarboxamide compound used as a systemic insecticide against sucking insects, were examined in a field study and two cage studies. The field study involved the continuous weight, temperature, and CO2 monitoring of 18 honey bee colonies, 6 of which were exposed over six weeks to 50 ppb flonicamid in sugar syrup, 6 exposed to 250 ppb flonicamid in syrup, and 6 exposed to unadulterated syrup (control). Treatments were derived from concentrations observed in honey samples in a published study. No effects were observed on foraging activity, hive weight gain, thermoregulation, or average CO2 concentrations. However, Varroa mite infestations may have also contributed to experimental variability. The two cage studies, in which cages (200 newly-emerged bees in each) were exposed to the same flonicamid concentrations as the field study and kept in a variable-temperature incubator, likewise did not show any experiment-wide effects on survivorship, thermoregulation, or syrup consumption. These results suggest that field applications of flonicamid that result in concentrations as high as 250 ppb in honey may be largely safe for honey bees.
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Topal E, Çakıcı N, Margaoan R, Takma Ç, Güney F, Kösoğlu M, Cornea-Cipcigan M, Atmaca H. Annual Development Performance of Fixed Honeybee Colonies linked with Chemical and Mineral Profile of Bee Collected Pollen. Chem Biodivers 2022; 19:e202200468. [PMID: 35794846 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202200468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Climate change affects plant phenology and, as a result, can damage nectar and pollen sources, which are the basic needs of bees during flowering. This situation creates nutritional stress for bee colonies in the region. Changing climatic conditions, the use of agricultural lands adversely affects honeybees and beekeepers. The aim of this study is to determine the annual development performance of fixed honeybee colonies linked with the chemical and mineral profile of bee collected pollen. According to the research findings, in terms of colony development parameters, the number of bee frames (9.17) was found to be at the highest level in May, and in terms of brood area (4652.35 cm 2 ) in April (p<0.05). March, April, and May are the most abundant months in terms of pollen collection of the colonies (p<0.05). The pollen samples collected are rich in potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, silicon, and iron. There are differences between months in terms of pollen sources and mineral levels. Especially in stationary beekeeping, additional feeding is required during critical periods. The existing flora is insufficient for the future of the honey bee. In periods when the flora is weak, important plants for the honey bee should be grown in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erkan Topal
- Central Research Institute of Food and Feed Control: Gida ve Yem Kontrol Merkez Arastirma Enstitusu Mudurlugu, Food Control, Kazımdirik, Gıda,Tarım Ve Hayvancılık Bakanlığı İzmir İl Md. 32 FC, 35100, Izmir, TURKEY
| | - Neslihan Çakıcı
- Ordu University: Ordu Universitesi, Apiculture Research Institute, Cumhuriyet Yerleşkesi Cumhuriyet Mahallesi Altın Ordu, Ordu, TURKEY
| | - Rodica Margaoan
- University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca Faculty of Horticulture: Universitatea de Stiinte Agricole si Medicina Veterinara Cluj-Napoca Facultatea de Horticultura, Biotechnology and Microbiology, Calea Manastur 3-5, USAMV, cladirea-ICHAT, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, ROMANIA
| | - Çiğdem Takma
- Ege University: Ege Universitesi, Department of Animal Science, Erzene Mahallesi Ege Üniversitesi Merkez Yerleşkesi, İzmir, TURKEY
| | - Fazıl Güney
- Ordu University: Ordu Universitesi, Apiculture Research Institute, Cumhuriyet Yerleşkesi PK 52200, Izmir, TURKEY
| | - Mustafa Kösoğlu
- Aegean Agricultural Research Institute, Apiculture Research Center, P.O. Box 9 Menemen 35661, Menemen, TURKEY
| | - Mihaiela Cornea-Cipcigan
- University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca Faculty of Horticulture: Universitatea de Stiinte Agricole si Medicina Veterinara Cluj-Napoca Facultatea de Horticultura, Horticulture, Calea Manastur 3-5, USAMV, cladirea-ICHAT, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, ROMANIA
| | - Hilal Atmaca
- Istanbul Directorate of Food Control Laboratory, Apiculture, Şenlikköy, Florya Cd. No:78, Bakırköy/İstanbul, TURKEY
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Sublethal concentrations of clothianidin affect honey bee colony growth and hive CO 2 concentration. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4364. [PMID: 33623125 PMCID: PMC7902615 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83958-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of agricultural pesticide exposure upon honey bee colonies is of increasing interest to beekeepers and researchers, and the impact of neonicotinoid pesticides in particular has come under intense scrutiny. To explore potential colony-level effects of a neonicotinoid pesticide at field-relevant concentrations, honey bee colonies were fed 5- and 20-ppb concentrations of clothianidin in sugar syrup while control colonies were fed unadulterated syrup. Two experiments were conducted in successive years at the same site in southern Arizona, and one in the high rainfall environment of Mississippi. Across all three experiments, adult bee masses were about 21% lower among colonies fed 20-ppb clothianidin than the untreated control group, but no effects of treatment on brood production were observed. Average daily hive weight losses per day in the 5-ppb clothianidin colonies were about 39% lower post-treatment than in the 20-ppb clothianidin colonies, indicating lower consumption and/or better foraging, but the dry weights of newly-emerged adult bees were on average 6–7% lower in the 5-ppb group compared to the other groups, suggesting a nutritional problem in the 5-ppb group. Internal hive CO2 concentration was higher on average in colonies fed 20-ppb clothianidin, which could have resulted from greater CO2 production and/or reduced ventilating activity. Hive temperature average and daily variability were not affected by clothianidin exposure but did differ significantly among trials. Clothianidin was found to be, like imidacloprid, highly stable in honey in the hive environment over several months.
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