Synergistic effects of pathogen and pesticide exposure on honey bee (Apis mellifera) survival and immunity

2018 ◽  
Vol 159 ◽  
pp. 78-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Grassl ◽  
Shannon Holt ◽  
Naomi Cremen ◽  
Marianne Peso ◽  
Dorothee Hahne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Pesticide Exposure ◽  
Synergistic Effects

scholarly journals Acute Thiamethoxam exposure in Apis mellifera : Absence of both stress-induced changes in mRNA splicing and synergistic effects of common fungicide and herbicide

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pâmela Decio ◽  
Pinar Ustaoglu ◽  
Thaisa C. Roat ◽  
Osmar Malaspina ◽  
Jean-Marc Devaud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Pesticide Exposure ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Spliceosomal Intron ◽  
Simultaneous Exposure ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Induced Changes ◽  
First Time

AbstractSecuring food supply for a growing population is one of the current major challenges and heavily relies on the use of agrochemicals to maximize crop yield. Neonicotinoids are globally one of the most widely used insecticides. It is increasingly recognized, that neonicotinoids have a negative impact on non-target organisms, including important pollinators such as the European honey bee Apis mellifera. Toxicity of neonicotinoids may be enhanced through simultaneous exposure with additional pesticides, which could help explain, in part, the global decline of honey bee colonies. Here we examined whether exposure effects of the neonicotinoid Thiamethoxam are enhanced by the commonly used fungicide Carbendazim and the herbicide Glyphosate. For the first time, we also analysed alternative splicing changes upon pesticide exposure in the honey bee. In particular, we examined transcripts of three genes: i) the stress sensor gene X box binding protein-1 (Xbp1), ii) the Down Syndrome Cell Adhesion Molecule (Dscam) gene and iii) the embryonic lethal/abnormal visual system (elav) gene, both important genes for neuronal function. Our results indicate that neonicotinoid toxicity applied at sub-lethal doses is not enhanced by Carbendazim nor Glyphosate. Likewise, toxicity of these compounds did not impact on the complex process of spliceosomal-directed joining of exons and non-spliceosomal intron excision in the analysed mRNAs.

scholarly journals Effects of developmental exposure to pesticides in wax and pollen on honey bee (Apis mellifera) queen reproductive phenotypes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph P. Milone ◽  
David R. Tarpy
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Pesticide Exposure ◽  
Hazard Quotient ◽  
Colony Growth ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Developmental Exposure ◽  
Pesticide Treatment ◽  
Colony Level ◽  
Do So

AbstractStressful conditions during development can have sub-lethal consequences on organisms aside from mortality. Using previously reported in-hive residues from commercial colonies, we examined how multi-pesticide exposure can influence honey bee (Apis mellifera) queen health. We reared queens in beeswax cups with or without a pesticide treatment within colonies exposed to treated or untreated pollen supplement. Following rearing, queens were open-mated and then placed into standard hive equipment in an “artificial swarm” to measure subsequent colony growth. Our treated wax had a pesticide Hazard Quotient comparable to the average in beeswax from commercial colonies, and it had no measurable effects on queen phenotype. Conversely, colonies exposed to pesticide-treated pollen had a reduced capacity for viable queen production, and among surviving queens from these colonies we observed lower sperm viability. We found no difference in queen mating number across treatments. Moreover, we measured lower brood viability in colonies later established by queens reared in treated-pollen colonies. Interestingly, royal jelly from colonies exposed to treated pollen contained negligible pesticide residues, suggesting the indirect social consequences of colony-level pesticide exposure on queen quality. These findings highlight how conditions during developmental can impact queens long into adulthood, and that colony-level pesticide exposure may do so indirectly.

scholarly journals Factors affecting the reproductive health of honey bee (Apis mellifera) drones—a review

Apidologie ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 759-778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Rangel ◽  
Adrian Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Pesticide Exposure ◽  
Adult Emergence ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Female Workers ◽  
Sperm Development ◽  
Virgin Queens ◽  
Colony Level

Abstract In the honey bee, Apis mellifera, colonies are composed of one queen, thousands of female workers, and a few thousand seasonal males (drones) that are reared only during the reproductive season when colony resources are plentiful. Despite their transient presence in the hive, drones have the important function of mating with virgin queens, transferring their colony’s genes to their mates for the production of fertilized, worker-destined eggs. Therefore, factors affecting drone health and reproductive competency may directly affect queen fitness and longevity, having great implications at the colony level. Several environmental and in-hive conditions can affect the quality and viability of drones in general and their sperm in particular. Here we review the extant studies that describe how environmental factors including nutrition, temperature, season, and age may influence drone reproductive health. We also review studies that describe other factors, such as pesticide exposure during and after development, that may also influence drone reproductive quality. Given that sperm development in drones is completed during pupation prior to adult emergence, particular attention needs to be paid to these factors during drone development, not just during adulthood. The present review showcases a growing body of evidence indicating that drones are very sensitive to environmental fluctuations and that these factors cause drones to underperform, potentially compromising the reproductive health of their queen mates, as well as the overall fitness of their colony.

scholarly journals Coeffects of diet and neonicotinoid exposure on honeybee mobility and food choice

Apidologie ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Vodovnik ◽  
Anna-Maria Borshagovski ◽  
Sanja Maria Hakala ◽  
Matti Leponiemi ◽  
Dalial Freitak
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Pesticide Exposure ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Sublethal Doses

AbstractMalnutrition and pesticide exposure are severe factors contributing to the current losses of honeybee colonies. As these stressors often occur combined, we studied the synergistic effects of different diets and pesticide exposure on food choice and mobility of Apis mellifera. We fed beehives with different food sources and exposed the bees to sublethal doses of thiacloprid. After that three different types of honey and pollen were offered in separate choice assays and behaviour towards food was recorded. Thiacloprid significantly affected the food choice in the honey assay, increasing the bees’ preference of polyfloral honey, while pre-pesticide diet had no influence. The pollen choice remained similar regardless of treatments, as bees always preferred polyfloral pollen. Interestingly, pesticide exposure affected bee mobility differently, depending on the previous diet. These results indicate that the diet is an important factor influencing the susceptibility to pesticides.

Comparative pesticide exposure to Apis mellifera via honey bee-collected pollen in agricultural and non-agricultural areas of Northern Thailand

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 720-729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veeranan Chaimanee ◽  
Panuwan Chantawannakul ◽  
Kitiphong Khongphinitbunjong ◽  
Torlarp Kamyo ◽  
Jeffery S. Pettis
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Pesticide Exposure ◽  
Northern Thailand ◽  
Agricultural Areas

scholarly journals Initial Exposure of Wax Foundation to Agrochemicals Causes Negligible Effects on the Growth and Winter Survival of Incipient Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Colonies

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandria N. Payne ◽  
Elizabeth M. Walsh ◽  
Juliana Rangel
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Pesticide Exposure ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Colony Growth ◽  
Winter Survival ◽  
Food Storage ◽  
Brood Production ◽  
Initial Exposure ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Overwintering Survival

Widespread use of agrochemicals in the U.S. has led to nearly universal contamination of beeswax in honey bee hives. The most commonly found agrochemicals in wax include beekeeper-applied miticides containing tau-fluvalinate, coumaphos, or amitraz, and field-applied pesticides containing chlorothalonil or chlorpyrifos. Wax contaminated with these pesticides negatively affects the reproductive quality of queens and drones. However, the synergistic effects of these pesticides on the growth and survival of incipient colonies remain understudied. We established new colonies using frames with wax foundation that was pesticide free or contaminated with field-relevant concentrations of amitraz alone, a combination of tau-fluvalinate and coumaphos, or a combination of chlorothalonil and chlorpyrifos. Colony growth was assessed by estimating comb and brood production, food storage, and adult bee population during a colony’s first season. We also measured colony overwintering survival. We found no significant differences in colony growth or survivorship between colonies established on pesticide-free vs. pesticide-laden wax foundation. However, colonies that had Varroa destructor levels above 3% in the fall were more likely to die over winter than those with levels below this threshold, indicating that high Varroa infestation in the fall played a more important role than initial pesticide exposure of wax foundation in the winter survival of newly established colonies.

scholarly journals Colony-level pesticide exposure affects honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) royal jelly production and nutritional composition

Chemosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 263 ◽  
pp. 128183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph P. Milone ◽  
Priyadarshini Chakrabarti ◽  
Ramesh R. Sagili ◽  
David R. Tarpy
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Royal Jelly ◽  
Pesticide Exposure ◽  
Nutritional Composition ◽  
Colony Level

scholarly journals Pesticide Exposure During Development Does Not Affect the Larval Pheromones, Feeding Rates, or Morphology of Adult Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Queens

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M. Walsh ◽  
Omar Khan ◽  
John Grunseich ◽  
Anjel M. Helms ◽  
Nancy H. Ing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Pesticide Exposure ◽  
Head Width ◽  
Morphological Markers ◽  
Feeding Rates ◽  
Critical Signal ◽  
Queen Pheromones ◽  
Honey Bee Queen ◽  
Queen Larvae

Recent work demonstrated that honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) queens reared in pesticide-laden beeswax exhibit significant changes in the composition of the chemicals produced by their mandibular glands including those that comprise queen mandibular pheromone, which is a critical signal used in mating as well as queen tending behavior. For the present study, we hypothesized that pesticide exposure during development would alter other queen-produced chemicals, including brood pheromone in immature queens, thus resulting in differential feeding of queen larvae by nurse workers, ultimately impacting adult queen morphology. We tested these hypotheses by rearing queens in beeswax containing field-relevant concentrations of (1) a combination of tau-fluvalinate and coumaphos, (2) amitraz, or (3) a combination of chlorothalonil and chlorpyrifos. These pesticides are ubiquitous in most commercial beekeeping operations in North America. We observed nurse feeding rates of queen larvae grafted into pesticide-laden beeswax, analyzed the chemical composition of larval queen pheromones and measured morphological markers in adult queens. Neither the nurse feeding rates, nor the chemical profiles of immature queen pheromones, differed significantly between queens reared in pesticide-laden wax compared to queens reared in pesticide-free wax. Moreover, pesticide exposure during development did not cause virgin or mated adult queens to exhibit differences in morphological markers (i.e., body weight, head width, or thorax width). These results were unexpected given our previous research and indicate that future work is needed to fully understand how pesticide exposure during development affects honey bee queen physiology, as well as how various adult queen quality metrics relate to each other.

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