scholarly journals Effects of exposure of honey bee colonies to neonicotinoid seed–treated maize crops

2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krystyna Pohorecka ◽  
Piotr Skubida ◽  
Piotr Semkiw ◽  
Artur Miszczak ◽  
Dariusz Teper ◽  
...  

Abstract The effects to honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera L.) during and after exposure to flowering maize (Zea mays L.), grown from seeds coated with clothianidin and imidacloprid was assessed in field-realistic conditions. The experimental maize crops were adjacent to the other flowering agriculture plants. Honey bee colonies were placed in three differently protected maize fields throughout the blooming period, and thereafter they were transferred to a stationary apiary. Samples of pollen loads, bee bread, and adult bees were collected and analyzed for neonicotinoid residues. To ensure high specificity and sensitivity of detection of the analyzed pesticides, a modified QuEChERS extraction method and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry were used. Clothianidin was detected only in the samples of pollen loads. Their residue levels ranged from 10.0 to 41.0 ng/g (average 27.0 ng/g). Imidacloprid was found in no investigated sample. No negative effects of neonicotinoid seed-treated maize on the development and long-term survival of honey bee colonies were observed. The low proportion of Zea mays pollen in total bee-collected pollen during the maize flowering period was noted. The findings suggest that maize plants are less attractive forage for honey bees than phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth.), buckwheat (Fagopyrum Mill.), white clover (Trifolium repens L.), goldenrod (Solidago L.), and vegetation from Brassicaceae family. The results indicate a possibility of reducing the risk of bees being exposed to the toxic effect of insecticidal dusts dispersed during maize sowing by seeding, in the areas surrounding maize crops, plants that bloom later in the year.

2019 ◽  
Vol 677 ◽  
pp. 660-670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Théotime Colin ◽  
William G. Meikle ◽  
Amy M. Paten ◽  
Andrew B. Barron

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kilea Ward ◽  
Hongmei Li-Byarlay

Molecular damage caused by oxidative stress may lead to organismal aging and resulted in acute mortality in organisms. Oxidative stress resistance and longevity are closely linked. Honey bees are the most important managed pollinator in agriculture but the long-term survival of honey bees is seriously threatened. Feral honey bee colonies displayed persistence to Varroa mites. However, it is unknown whether feral honey bees are stress-resistant or survive longer than managed bee populations. More work is needed to determine the impact of oxidative stress on honey bee health and survival. We used the paired colony design to determine the lifespan and levels of oxidative stress on worker bees from either a feral or a managed colony. Each pair of colonies shared similar foraging resources. Results exhibit longer survival time and lifespans of foragers in feral colonies than the managed colonies. The levels of oxidative stress from the lipid damage of feral colonies are higher than the managed colonies, indicating a tolerant mechanism not a repair mechanism to survive. Our study provided new insights into colony difference of physiology and oxidative stress resistance between feral honey bees and commercial stocks.


Author(s):  
Justin A. G. Hubbard ◽  
Brendan E. Hickie ◽  
Jeff Bowman ◽  
Lee E. Hrenchuk ◽  
Paul J. Blanchfield ◽  
...  

A fundamental assumption of biotelemetry studies is that there are no adverse consequences from the surgical implantation or presence of the acoustic transmitter. In fisheries, most studies have evaluated this assumption over only short time periods (<2 y) in a laboratory setting. Here we compared the survival, growth, and body condition of populations of Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in three lakes containing tagged and untagged individuals over a 12-year period (2002-2013). We found no significant negative effects of acoustic telemetry tagging on the long-term survival of fish (estimates of combined annual survival ranged from 67% to 91%), and no negative effect of surgical implantation on growth or body condition for fish of either sex. Additionally, we found no significant effect of transmitter:fish mass ratio on fish survival, growth (with the exception of smaller-bodied fish in one lake), or condition. All implanted fish received tags weighing <1.25% of their mass (in water), indicating that this criterion is desirable for larger-bodied adult Lake Trout. Our findings support the assumption that long-lived fish species tagged with acoustic transmitters via intracoelomic surgery survive, grow, and maintain body condition similar to un-tagged conspecifics over the long-term in the wild.


1994 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 461-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert B. Aramant ◽  
Magdalene J. Seiler

This study investigates the possibility to use the athymic “nude” rat as a host for the transplantation of human embryonic retinal cells without immunosuppression. The long-term development of such transplants is compared with results from our earlier study that used immunosuppressed rats, and showed transplant immunoreactivity for S-antigen. Several additional cell markers have been included: rhodopsin, rod (α-transducin, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), synaptophysin (SYN), cone-specific opsins, vimentin, cellular retinaldehyde binding protein (CRALBP), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), rat major histocompatibility antigen class II (MHC-II) and a rat macrophage marker (Ox-42). Human retinal cells (9-13 wk postconception) were transplanted to the eyes of 28 athymic rats. Host rats were kept in microisolator cages for up to 48 wk after surgery. Host immune response and the development of the transplants were studied using histology, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. When using retinas of donors 9-11 wk postconception, transplants grew to 2-3 mm in diameter with many rosettes, in 31 of 35 eyes. Transplants derived from donors 12-13 wk postconception did not survive as well (8 out of 11 eyes), were smaller and less organized. All transplants fused well with the host retina, better than corresponding transplants to immunosuppressed rat hosts. Most transplants appeared to be healthy, even after long survival times, and only occasionally were MHC-II positive macrophages observed in transplants or host retinas. All retinal layers were observed, except for an inner limiting membrane on the vitreous surface. The oldest transplants (34-57 wk total age = donor age + time after surgery) exhibited well developed photoreceptors, rods and cones, with inner and outer segments. SYN-staining showed the development of inner and outer plexiform layers. Although many cones stained for SYN and NSE, few were immunoreactive for red-green or blue opsin. Most rods became immunoreactive for S-antigen and rhodopsin. Transplant Möller cells stained for vimentin and CRALBP. Immunoreactivity for GFAP developed slowly and was not completely expressed in all transplant Möller cells until 44 wk total age. Nude rats offer an excellent model for the study of human retinal xenografts without the negative effects of immunosuppression. Compared to immunosuppressed rats, transplantation to nude rats gives consistent results and superior long-term survival of hosts and transplants.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Sara Hernández-Rodríguez ◽  
Óscar Marín ◽  
Fernando Calatayud ◽  
María José Mahiques ◽  
Ana Mompó ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTVarroa destructor is an ectoparasitic mite causing devastating damages to honey bee colonies around the world. Its impact is considered a major factor contributing to the significant seasonal losses of colonies recorded every year. Beekeepers are usually relying on a reduced set of acaricides to manage the parasite, usually the pyrethroids tau-fluvalinate or flumethrin, the organophosphate coumaphos and the formamidine amitraz. However, the evolution of resistance in the populations is leading to an unsustainable scenario with almost no alternatives to reach an adequate control of the mite.Here we present the results from the first, large-scale and extensive monitoring of the susceptibility to acaricides in the Comunitat Valenciana, one of the most prominent apicultural regions in Spain. Our ultimate goal was to provide beekeepers with timely information to help them decide what would be the best alternative for a long-term control of the mites in their apiaries. Our data show that there is a significant variation in the expected efficacy of coumaphos and pyrethroids across the region, indicating the presence of a different ratio of resistant individuals to these acaricides in each population. On the other hand, the expected efficacy of amitraz was more consistent, although slightly below the expected efficacy according to the label.HIGHLIGHTSVarroa destructor is causing severe damages to honey bee colonies worldwide.There are very few acaricides available to manage the parasite.The evolution of resistance is limiting our capacity to control the mite.We estimated the expected efficacy of the main acaricides in many Spanish apiaries.The information was shared with beekeepers for them to decide the best treatment to control the mite.


1985 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-178
Author(s):  
A. Stoner ◽  
W. T. Wilson

Folpet and a combination with folpet, benomyl, citral, sodium propionate, and sorbic acid were fed or exposed to honey bee, Apis mellifera L., field colonies to: 1) determine their long-term toxic effects on the bees; and 2) to determine if chalkbrood (CB) disease, Ascosphaera apis (Maassen ex Claussen) Olive et Spiltor, is inhibited or controlled by the compounds. When folpet was fed to honey bee colonies in sucrose syrup, the group fed the highest rate (1000 ppm) never differed significantly (P &gt; 0.05) from the control colonies. There was an equal number of adult bees, an equal amount of sealed brood, and mortality was identical. Analysis indicated significantly (P &lt; 0.05) fewer CB mummies in treatment groups fed 10 or 1000 ppm folpet, but this apparent benefit may have been due to seasonal changes of reduced CB infection that occur in late summer. Folpet or a combination of folpet, benomyl, citral, sodium propionate, and sorbic acid (1000 ppm each, total 5000 ppm) incorporated into lipid/sucrose extender patties produced no significant (P &gt; 0.05) effect of any kind on colonies to which they were applied, including CB infection. However, when the combination of five fungicides (5000 ppm) was impregnated into beeswax foundation and exposed to honey bee colonies, only a small amount of comb was drawn on the test foundation, indicating a repellent effect. Otherwise, the test foundation had no significant (P &gt; 0.05) effect on the honey bees or the CB infection.


Apidologie ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 332-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elke Genersch ◽  
Werner von der Ohe ◽  
Hannes Kaatz ◽  
Annette Schroeder ◽  
Christoph Otten ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
Vol 55 (No. 9) ◽  
pp. 457-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Tlak Gajger ◽  
O. Vugrek ◽  
D. Grilec ◽  
Z. Petrinec

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.


2007 ◽  
Vol 63 (11) ◽  
pp. 1081-1084 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen M Thompson ◽  
Selwyn Wilkins ◽  
Alastair H Battersby ◽  
Ruth J Waite ◽  
David Wilkinson

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard C. Winkworth ◽  
Briana C.W. Nelson ◽  
Stanley E. Bellgard ◽  
Chantal M. Probst ◽  
Patricia A. McLenachan ◽  
...  

AbstractThe collar rot causing oomycete,Phytophthora agathidicida, threatens the long-term survival of the iconic New Zealand kauri. Currently, testing for this pathogen involves an extended soil bioassay that takes 14-20 days and requires specialised staff, consumables, and infrastructure. Here we describe a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for the detection ofP. agathidicidathat targets a portion of the mitochondrial apocytochrome b coding sequence. This assay has high specificity and sensitivity; it did not cross react with a range of otherPhytophthoraisolates and detected as little as 1 fg of totalP. agathidicidaDNA or 116 copies of the target locus. Assay performance was further investigated by testing plant tissue baits from flooded soil samples using both the extended bioassay and LAMP testing of DNA extracted from baits. In these comparisons,P. agathidicidawas detected more frequently using the LAMP assay. In addition to greater sensitivity, by removing the need for culturing, the hybrid baiting plus LAMP approach is more cost effective than the bioassay and, importantly, does not require a centralised laboratory facility with specialised staff, consumables, and equipment. Such testing will allow us to address outstanding questions aboutP. agathidicida. For example, the hybrid approach could enable monitoring of the pathogen beyond areas with visible disease symptoms, allow direct evaluation of rates and patterns of spread, and allow the effectiveness of disease control to be evaluated. The hybrid assay also has the potential to empower local communities. These communities could use this diagnostic tool to evaluate the pathogen status of local kauri stands, providing information around which to base their management and allowing informed engagement with wider initiatives.


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