Agricultural Landscape and Pesticide Effects on Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Biological Traits

Abstract

Sixteen honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies were placed in four different agricultural landscapes to study the effects of agricultural landscape and exposure to pesticides on honey bee health. Colonies were located in three different agricultural areas with varying levels of agricultural intensity (AG areas) and one nonagricultural area (NAG area). Colonies were monitored for their performance and productivity for one year by measuring colony weight changes, brood production, and colony thermoregulation. Palynological and chemical analyses were conducted on the trapped pollen collected from each colony and location. Our results indicate that the landscape's composition significantly affected honey bee colony performance and development. Colony weight and brood production were significantly greater in AG areas compared to the NAG area. Better colony thermoregulation in AG areas' colonies was also observed. The quantities of pesticides measured in the trapped pollen were relatively low compared to their acute toxicity. Unexplained queen and colony losses were recorded in the AG areas, while colony losses because of starvation were observed in the NAG area. Our results indicate that landscape with high urban activity enhances honey bee brood production, with no significant effects on colony weight gain. Our study indicates that agricultural crops provide a valuable resource for honey bee colonies, but there is a trade-off with an increased risk of exposure to pesticides.

Wild Bee Pollen Diets Reveal Patterns of Seasonal Foraging Resources for Honey Bees

“…Prior to European colonization, Michigan was almost entirely forested, with only an estimated 6% of the state consisting of prairie and savannah (Chapman and Brewer, 2008). Despite potential pesticide exposure in agricultural landscapes (Goulson et al, 2015;Long and Krupke, 2016), some studies suggest that North American honey bee colonies perform better over the summer in agricultural areas compared to areas with a greater dominance of woodland, mature grassland and urban development, as these areas are relatively flower-poor in comparison (Sponsler and Johnson, 2015;Alburaki et al, 2017). The conversion of woodland into agricultural land with associated non-native weed communities and mass flowering crops is likely to have increased the abundance of honey bee suitable summer forage, as Midwestern woodland provides essentially no native resources after the cessation of Rhus bloom in mid-July.…”

Effects of coumaphos and imidacloprid on honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) lifespan and antioxidant gene regulations in laboratory experiments

“…Honey bees may also contact insecticides applied to crops both before and during crop bloom. Outside of colonies, honey bees are becoming increasingly exposed to imidacloprid, a systemic, neurotoxic insecticide commonly applied aerially or as soil drenches and seed treatments in agronomic and horticultural crop fields 16,17 . Neonicotinoids at sub-lethal doses were shown to impair the olfactory memory of honey bees and their learning capacity 18,19 .…”

RNA-seq reveals disruption in honey bee gene regulation when caged and deprived of hive conditions

“…Although the debate on the overall impact of pesticides on honey bee health is ongoing (Stokstad, 2017), honey bee exposure to agricultural pesticides, particularly the neonicotinoids, is one of many factors that contribute to bee population decline (Sanchez-Bayo and Goka, 2014;Tosi et al, 2017;Williamson et al, 2013;Woodcock et al, 2017). Measuring pesticide toxicity for bees under field conditions is difficult because of the complexity of honey bee biology and foraging behaviors (Alburaki et al, 2015(Alburaki et al, , 2017bCutler and Scott-Dupree, 2007;Stewart et al, 2014). Therefore, cage experiments are commonly used to test bees (e.g.…”

“…Gene regulation in honey bees is often studied in relation to pathogen infection (Gregorc et al, 2012), exposure to abiotic stressors (Alburaki et al, 2017b), and other physiological and genetic factors among honey bee castes and developmental phases (Evans and Wheeler, 1999). These efforts have led to a better understanding of honey bee gene regulation and the identification and annotation of an important number of antioxidant and immune genes evolved in honey bee response to various stressors (Corona and Robinson, 2006;Evans et al, 2006).…”