Nosema spp. infection and its negative effects on honey bees (Apis mellifera iberiensis) at the colony level

Systemic insecticides have been applied through drip irrigation for controlling crop pests, but few studies have addressed potential negative effects of the application on non-target organisms. In this study, the safety of sulfoxaflor applied at 450 or 700 g a.i. ha−1 through drip irrigation at different times before flowering or during flowering to honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) was studied in 2016–2017 in a cotton production field in Xinjiang, China. Results showed that sulfoxaflor residues in pollen and nectar of cotton treated with sulfoxaflor at 450 g a.i. ha−1 before and during flowering through drip irrigation were either undetectable or no more than 17 μg·kg−1. Application of sulfoxaflor at 700 g a.i. ha−1 before flowering resulted in ≤ 14.2 μg·kg−1 of sulfoxaflor in pollen and < 0.68 μg·kg−1 in nectar. Sulfoxaflor applied at this higher rate during flowering had the highest residue, up to 39.2 μg·kg−1 in pollen and 13.8 μg·kg−1 in nectar. Risk assessments by contact exposure and dietary exposure showed that drip application of sulfoxaflor at the two rates before or during flowering posed little risk to honey bees. Thus, drip application of sulfoxaflor could represent an environmentally benign method for controlling cotton aphid.

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Evaluation of potential miticide toxicity to Varroa destructor and honey bees, Apis mellifera, under laboratory conditions

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-78561-2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Rassol Bahreini ◽

Medhat Nasr ◽

Cassandra Docherty ◽

Olivia de Herdt ◽

Samantha Muirhead ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Varroa Destructor ◽

High Dose ◽

Agricultural Crops ◽

High Toxicity ◽

High Efficacy ◽

Dose Rates ◽

Colony Level

AbstractThe honey bee, Apis mellifera L., is the world’s most important managed pollinator of agricultural crops, however, Varroa mite, Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman, infestation has threatened honey bee survivorship. Low efficacy and development of Varroa mite resistance to currently used Varroacides has increased the demand for innovative, effective treatment tool options that exhibit high efficacy, while minimizing adverse effects on honey bee fitness. In this investigation, the toxicity of 16 active ingredients and 9 formulated products of registered miticides for use on crops from 12 chemical families were evaluated in comparison to amitraz on Varroa mites and honey bees using contact surface and topical exposures. It was found that fenpyroximate (93% mortality), spirotetramat (84% mortality) and spirodiclofen (70% mortality) had greater toxicity to Varroa mites, but high dose rates caused high bee mortality (> 60%). With this in mind, further research is needed to investigate other options to minimize the adverse effect of these compounds on bees. The results also found high toxicity of fenazaquin and etoxazole against Varroa mites causing 92% and 69% mortality, respectively; and were found to be safe on honey bees. Collectively, it is recommended that fenazaquin and etoxazole are candidates for a potential Varroacide and recommended for further testing against Varroa mites at the colony level.

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Hydroxymethylfurfural Affects Caged Honey Bees (Apis mellifera carnica)

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d12010018 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 18 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Aleš Gregorc ◽

Snežana Jurišić ◽

Blair Sampson

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Immunohistochemical Analysis ◽

Cellular Level ◽

High Concentration ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Apis Mellifera Carnica ◽

Wide Range ◽

Bee Health

A high concentration of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) (e.g., 15 mg HMF per kg honey) indicates quality deterioration for a wide range of foods. In honey bee colonies, HMF in stored honey can negatively affect bee health and survival. Therefore, in the laboratory, we experimentally determined the effects of HMF on the longevity and midgut integrity of worker Apis mellifera carnica by feeding bees standard diets containing five concentrations of HMF (100, 500, 1000, and 1500 ppm). Simultaneously, we also examined HMF’s effect on Nosema ceranae spore counts within infected honey bees. We performed an immunohistochemical analysis of the honey bee midgut to determine possible changes at the cellular level. No correlation was established between HMF concentration and N. ceranae spore counts. Negative effects of HMF on bees were not observed in the first 15 days of exposure. However, after 15 to 30 days of exposure, HMF caused midgut cells to die and an increased mortality of honey bee workers across treatment groups.

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Prevalence and distribution of Nosema ceranae in Croatian honeybee colonies

Veterinární Medicína ◽

10.17221/2983-vetmed ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 55 (No. 9) ◽

pp. 457-462 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

I. Tlak Gajger ◽

O. Vugrek ◽

D. Grilec ◽

Z. Petrinec

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Microscopic Examination ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Nosema Ceranae ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Microsporidian Parasite ◽

Nosema Species ◽

Nosema Disease ◽

Bee Colonies

Nosema disease of European honey bees afflicts bees worldwide. Nosema ceranae is a recently described microsporidian parasite of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) and its geographical distribution is not well known. The disease may have many negative effects on bee colonies and cause high losses for apiculture and consequently in agriculture. With this in mind, a total of 204 samples of dead bees from different localities in Croatia were selected and investigated for distribution, prevalence and diversity of N. ceranae infection, using light microscopic examination and multiplex PCR. Our results show that N. ceranae is the only nosema species found to infect honeybees in our geographically varied collection. The nucleotide sequences of amplicons from Nosema-infested honeybee samples were 100% identical with the N. ceranae sequence deposited in the GenBank database. N. ceranae infected bees were found in samples collected from each of 21 districts, and in all three climatic areas, i.e., mediterranean, mountain, and continental parts regions of Croatia.

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COLONY-LEVEL IMPACTS OF IMMUNE RESPONSIVENESS IN HONEY BEES, APIS MELLIFERA

Evolution ◽

10.1554/05-060.1 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 59 (10) ◽

pp. 2270 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Jay D. Evans ◽

Jeffery S. Pettis

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Immune Responsiveness ◽

Colony Level

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Field cross-fostering and in vitro rearing demonstrate negative effects of both larval and adult exposure to a widely used fungicide in honey bees (Apis mellifera)

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety ◽

10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112251 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 217 ◽

pp. 112251

Author(s):

Adrian Fisher ◽

Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman ◽

Brian H. Smith ◽

Cahit Ozturk ◽

Osman Kaftanoglu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Negative Effects ◽

In Vitro Rearing ◽

Adult Exposure ◽

Cross Fostering

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Effects of Bt Cry78Ba1 Toxin on Larvae and Adults of Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Journal of Economic Entomology ◽

10.1093/jee/toaa261 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Bo Han ◽

Beibei Cao ◽

Yang Yang ◽

Xinling Wang ◽

Lili Geng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Dietary Exposure ◽

Positive Control ◽

Negative Control ◽

Oral Exposure ◽

Test Substance ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Solvent Control ◽

Exposure Experiment

Abstract Cry78Ba1 is Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bacillales: Bacillaceae) (Bt) protein found with high insecticidal activity against the piercing–sucking insect Laodelphax striatellus Fallén (Homoptera: Delphacidae) and has broad application prospects for control of the rice planthopper. As honey bees may be exposed to Bt Cry78Ba1 rice pollen by feeding, we evaluated the risk of Bt Cry78Ba1 toxin to Apis mellifera L. workers. A dietary exposure experiment was conducted on worker larvae and adults under controlled laboratory conditions to examine the effects of Cry78Ba1 toxin on honey bees. Worker bee larvae were fed a diet containing Cry78Ba1 toxin (0.01, 0.1, 1, and 10 mg/liter) on day 2 through day 5 after grafting, and adults were exposed to syrup containing Cry78Ba1 for up to 16 d. Negative control (no test substance added), solvent control (1 mM Tris–HCl), and positive control (dimethoate 45 mg/liter for the larva test, 1 and 45 mg/liter for the adult test) groups were established. Compared with the negative control, larvae and adults that consumed food containing Cry78Ba1 toxin exhibited no significant differences in survival, larval weight, or pollen or syrup consumption. This result indicates that chronic oral exposure to Cry78Ba1 toxin has no negative effects on honey bees at the maximum tested concentration.

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