Teppeki, selective insecticide about Bombus terrestris

At a time when a highly controversial debate about the causes of the widespread deaths of bees is taking place all over Europe, which accused the agriculture and its practices with particular reference to the harmful effects of some insecticides, it seems important to point out as another insecticide, the Teppeki, can be selective about bumble and have a good compatibility with the activity of the apiaries. This insecticide has the active ingredient flonicamid (500 g/kg) belonging to a new chemical class, called pyridinecarboxamides: the product works systemic and is known as having a long lasting efficacy against all important aphid species. Bioagritest test facility of Pignola (PZ, Italy) has conducted in two successive production cycles an experimental trial on a tomato hydroponic cultivation within the Agricola Bonsai farm in Sibari (CS, Italy), whose objective was to measure the selectivity of flonicamid on Bombus terrestris, insects playing an important role in the pollination of certain species grown in greenhouse such as Tomato, Eggplant, Pepper and Cucumber. On the pollinated flower B. terrestris leaves some trace of its visit, a typical dark trademark: on the detection of the marking of flowers was based the testing program conducted by Bioagritest. Two thesis were compared: A, standard) treatment with a foliar insecticide, the neonicotinoide acetamiprid, normally used for control of aphids and whiteflies (unlike other neonicotinoides--imidacloprid and thiametoxam--quite selective about B. terrestris) and B, Teppeki) foliar treatment with Teppeki, to the maximum dose indicated on the label. The experimental design included the use of randomized blocks with 4 repetitions (4 plots/thesis with 100 plants each). In every thesis six B. terrestris hives were placed 2 days before treatment: the respective holes remained closed during the treatment and the 12 following hours. In order to verify the pollination, by the detection of the flower marking, 2 flowers per plant were observed, for a total of 200 flowers per plot. The measurements were made on the 3rd (I relief) and 8th day (II relief) after treatment. Statistical analysis was performed by the use of XLSTAT data analysis and statistical software. The analysis of collected data shows that flonicamid has a minor effect of interference with the activity of pollination by B. terrestris, compared to the standard used. 14 days after treatment, 3 hives per thesis were inspected in order to verify the status of the colonies (adults, larvae, eggs, pollen). The colonies appeared generally homogeneous as concerning the number of alive adults--100 for each--all at the end of the development cycle. There was no dead adult. Two colonies, one for thesis, presented evidence of eggs. All colonies had low stocks of pollen. Ultimately, treatment with Teppeki has not given any acute effect on B. terrestris, nor any effect of interference in respect of its pollination activity.