Influence of Different Classes of Insecticides on Honey Bee Survival

Year 2021, Volume: 13 Issue: 2, 43 - 49, 31.12.2021

Saffet Sansar

Abstract

Pesticides used to prevent or control unwanted pests are often being considered as a cause of the decline of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) population. Exposure to insecticides, or a group of pesticides, has many negative effects on honey bees. Here we elucidated whether feeding carbon microparticles, designed to absorb pesticide residues, improved to the survival of honey bees exposed to pesticides. Honey bees were exposed to different classes of insecticides (thiamethoxam, chlorpyrifos, and carbaryl) for 10 days. The study shows that feeding carbon microparticles didn’t ameliorate the survival of honey bees exposed to insecticidal compounds.

Keywords

Honey bee, Carbon microparticles, Pesticides

Supporting Institution

Washington State University

Thanks

This study is a part of the MSc thesis and supported by Washington State University. I would like to express my deep sense of gratitude to my advisor Professor Dr. Sheppard and Dr. Hopkins for their support and guidance during my master education. I would also like to thank each member of the WSU Honey Bee Lab for giving their experiences, ideas and invaluable time to enable me to finish this research

References

• Aktar, M. W., Sengupta, D., & Chowdhury, A. (2009). Impact of pesticides use in agriculture: Their benefits and hazards. Interdisciplinary Toxicology, 2(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10102-009-0001-7
• Chen, L., Yan, Q., Zhang, J., Yuan, S., & Liu, X. (2019). Joint toxicity of acetamiprid and co-applied pesticide adjuvants on honeybees under semifield and laboratory conditions. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 38(9), 1940–1946. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.4515
• Christen, V., & Fent, K. (2017). Exposure of honey bees (Apis mellifera) to different classes of insecticides exhibit distinct molecular effect patterns at concentrations that mimic environmental contamination. Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex: 1987),.226,.48–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.04.003
• Damalas, C. A., & Eleftherohorinos, I. G. (2011). Pesticide exposure, safety ıssues, and risk assessment ındicators. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 8(5), 1402–1419. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph8051402
• Doublet, V., Labarussias, M., de Miranda, J. R., Moritz, R. F. A., & Paxton, R. J. (2015). Bees under stress: Sublethal doses of a neonicotinoid pesticide and pathogens interact to elevate honey bee mortality across the life cycle. Environmental Microbiology,.17(4),.969–983. https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.12426
• Laurino, D., Manino, A., Patetta, A., & Porporato, M. (2013). Toxicity of neonicotinoid insecticides on different honey bee genotypes. Bulletin of Insectology, 66, 119–126.
• Laurino, D., Porporato, M., Patetta, A., Manino, A., & Va, D. (2011). Toxicity of neonicotinoid insecticides to honey bees: Laboratory tests. Bulletin of Insectology, 64, 107–113.
• Mullin, C. A., Frazier, M., Frazier, J. L., Ashcraft, S., Simonds, R., vanEngelsdorp, D., & Pettis, J. S. (2010). High Levels of Miticides and Agrochemicals in North American Apiaries: Implications for Honey Bee Health. PLOS ONE, 5(3), e9754. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0009754
• Overmyer, J., Feken, M., Ruddle, N., Bocksch, S., Hill, M., & Thompson, H. (2018). Thiamethoxam honey bee colony feeding study: Linking effects at the level of the individual to those at the colony level. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 37(3), 816–828. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.4018
• Pettis, J., VanEngelsdorp, D., Johnson, J., & Dively, G. (2012). Pesticide exposure in honey bees results in ıncreased levels of the gut pathogen Nosema. Die Naturwissenschaften, 99, 153–158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-011-0881-1
• Sanchez-Bayo, F., & Goka, K. (2014). Pesticide residues and bees – A risk.assessment..PLOS.ONE,.9(4),.e94482. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0094482
• Schneider, C. W., Tautz, J., Grünewald, B., & Fuchs, S. (2012). RFID tracking of sublethal effects of two neonicotinoid ınsecticides on the foraging behavior of Apis mellifera. PLOS.ONE,.7(1),.e30023. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0030023
• Tarek, H., Hamiduzzaman, M. M., Morfin, N., & Guzman-Novoa, E. (2018). Sub-lethal doses of neonicotinoid and carbamate insecticides reduce the lifespan and alter the expression of immune health and detoxification related genes of honey bees (Apis mellifera). Genetics and Molecular Research, 17(2).https://doi.org/10.4238/gmr16039908
• Urlacher, E., Monchanin, C., Rivière, C., Richard, F.-J., Lombardi, C., Michelsen-Heath, S., Hageman, K. J., & Mercer, A. R. (2016). Measurements of chlorpyrifos levels in forager bees and comparison with levels that disrupt honey bee odor-mediated learning under laboratory conditions. Journal of Chemical.Ecology,.42(2),.127–138. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-016-0672-4
• US Fed News Service.(2018).Researchers create microparticles that could help save honey bees. US Fed News Service, Including US State News, p. US Fed News Service, Including US State News, Apr 11, 2018.
• vanEngelsdorp, D., & Meixner, M. D. (2010). A historical review of managed honey bee populations in Europe and the United States and the factors that may affect them. Journal of Invertebrate.Pathology,.103,.S80–S95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2009.06.011
• Vidau, C., Diogon, M., Aufauvre, J., Fontbonne, R., Viguès, B., Brunet, J.-L., Texier, C., Biron, D. G., Blot, N., Alaoui, H. E., Belzunces, L. P., & Delbac, F. (2011). Exposure to sublethal doses of fipronil and thiacloprid highly increases mortality of honeybees previously ınfected by Nosema ceranae. PLOS ONE,.6(6),.e21550. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0021550
• Wu, J. Y., Anelli, C. M., & Sheppard, W. S. (2011). Sub-lethal effects of pesticide residues in brood comb on worker honey bee (Apis mellifera) development and longevity. PLOS ONE, 6(2),.e14720. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0014720
• Yang, E. C., Chuang, Y. C., Chen, Y. L., & Chang, L. H. (2008). Abnormal foraging behavior induced by sublethal dosage of imidacloprid in the honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Journal of Economic Entomology, 101(6), 1743–1748. https://doi.org/10.1603/0022-0493-101.6.1743