Impact of Naled on Honey Bee Apis mellifera L. Survival and Productivity: Aerial ULV Application Using a Flat-Fan Nozzle System

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate the impact of naled on honey bees as a result of their exposure to aerial ULV applications of this insecticide during three routine mosquito spray missions by Manatee County Mosquito Control District in Florida during the summer of 1999. Naled deposits were collected on filter paper and subsequently analyzed by gas chromatography. Mortality of adult honey bees Apis mellifera L. was estimated based on numbers from dead bee collectors placed in front of the entrance of the beehives. We found that honey bees clustering outside of the beehives were subject to naled exposure. Bee mortality increased when higher naled residues were found around the hives. The highest average naled deposit was 6,227 +/- 696 microg/m2 at the site 1 forest area following the mosquito spray mission on July 15, 1999. The range of naled deposition for this application was 2,818-7,101 microg/m2. The range of dead bees per hive was 0-39 prior to spraying and 9-200 within 24 h following this spray mission. The average yield of honey per hive was significantly lower (p < 0.05) for naled-exposed hives compared with unexposed hives. Because reduction of honey yield also may be affected by other factors, such as location of the hives relative to a food source and vigor of the queen bee, the final assessment of honey yield was complicated.

Comparison of field and model percentage drift using different types of hydraulic nozzles in pesticide applications

“…Gil and Sinfort (2005) indicated that drifting spray is a complex problem in which equipment design and application parameters spray physical properties and formulation and meteorological conditions interact and influence pesticide loss. Zhong et al (2003) conducted a study to evaluate the impact of naled on honey bees as a result of their exposure to aerial ultralow volume (ULV) applications of this insecticide during three routine mosquito spray missions. They indicated that insecticide deposit around the hives could be influenced by environmental factors, such as wind speed and site topography.…”

Peer Review #2 of "Determinants of acute mortality of Hippodamia convergens (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) to ultra-low volume permethrin used for mosquito management (v0.1)"

“…There was no effect on hive weight or health of the colony over a season. Zhong et al (2004) and Zhong et al (2003) observed similar results with aerially applied Manuscript to be reviewed naled and noted that bees clustering outside of the hive (termed "bearding") were most susceptible.…”

Limited impacts of truck-based ultra-low-volume applications of mosquito adulticides on mortality in honey bees (Apis mellifera)

“…Aerial application of Aqua-K-Othrine (2% deltamethrin) and Pesguard S102 (10% d-phenothrin) showed no significant mortality relative to the controls, and exposed colonies had the same number of frames of adult bees, brood population, and colony weight as the control (Chaskopoulou et al , 2014). While aerial application of naled resulted in significantly higher numbers of dead honey bees than the control treatment, exposed colonies produced as much honey as the control colonies (Zhong et al , 2003). A small number of dead bees in proportion to colony size is likely to have little impact on an otherwise healthy colony as the number of workers that die from insecticide exposure would have to be more than twice the rate of those which die naturally for more than 35 days (Henry et al , 2012).…”

“…One hour after malathion application, residues on foraged pollen was sufficient to kill bees (Pankiw & Jay, 1992). In addition, acute bee kills have been reported to occur following mosquito adulticiding operations with naled or malathion (Dixon & Fingler, 1984; Hester et al , 2001; Zhong et al , 2003).…”