A b s t r a c t The honey bee is credited with approximately 85% of the pollinating activity necessary to supply about one-third of the world's food supply. Well over 50 major crops depend on these insects for pollination. The crops produce more abundantly when honey bees are plentiful. Worker bees are the ones primarily affected by pesticides. Poisoning symptoms can vary depending on the developmental stage of the individual bee, and the kind of chemical employed. The oral toxicity of these insecticides: (phosalone and pirimicarb), acaricide (propargite), insecticide and acaricide (fenpropathrin), fungicides, and bactericides (copper oxychloride and the Bordeaux mixture), were evaluated for the purposes of this research. The results showed that fenpropathrin had high acute oral toxicity (LC 50 -24h and LC 50 -48 were 0.54 and 0.3 ppm, respectively). Propargite had 7785 ppm (active ingredient) for LC 50 -24h and 6736 ppm (active ingredient) for LC 50 -48h in honeybees and is therefore, non-toxic to Apis mellifera. On the other hand, copper oxychloride had minimum acute oral toxicity to honeybees (LC 50 -24h and LC 50 -48 were 4591.5 and 5407.9 ppm, respectively) and was therefore considered non-toxic. Also, the Bordeaux mixture was safe to use around honeybees. Phosalone and primicarb were considered highly and moderately toxic to honeybees, respectively.
Pollination has an important role in both agricultural production and wild plant reproduction. For the pollination of crops, agriculture relies largely on managed colonies of the honeybee Apis mellifera. Worker bees are primarily affected by pesticides. The symptoms of poisoning vary depending on the developmental stage of the individual bee and kind of chemical employed. The acute contact toxicity of insecticides (phosalone and pirimicarb), acaricide (propargite), insecticide and acaricide (fenpropathrin), fungicides and bactericides (copper oxychloride and bordeaux mixture) was assessed in Iran through laboratory experiments. The median lethal concentrations (LC50-24h, LC50-48h and LC50-72h) were evaluated for the purposes of this research. Results showed that fenpropathrin had high toxicity; LC50-24h, LC50-48h and LC50-72h were 5.7, 3.2 and 2.9 ppm respectively. Additionally, the bordeaux mixture had the minimum contact toxicity on honeybees with LC50-24h, LC50-48h and LC50-72h being 79,926; 69,552 and 69,045 ppm respectively and was safe and non-toxic in honeybees.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.