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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Evaluating the Effect of Environmental Chemicals on Honey Bee Development from the Individual to Colony Level
07:39

Evaluating the Effect of Environmental Chemicals on Honey Bee Development from the Individual to Colony Level

Published on: April 1, 2017

Is Apis mellifera more sensitive to insecticides than other insects?

Melissa C Hardstone1, Jeffrey G Scott

  • 1Department of Entomology, Comstock Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-0901, USA.

Pest Management Science
|July 31, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are not uniquely sensitive to insecticides compared to other insect species. This study found no evidence that honey bees are more susceptible to the 62 insecticides examined across six chemical classes.

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Area of Science:

  • Entomology
  • Toxicology
  • Pollinator Health

Background:

  • Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are crucial pollinators in agriculture and ecosystems.
  • Honey bees frequently encounter insecticides, raising concerns about their sensitivity.
  • Previous claims of unique honey bee sensitivity to insecticides lacked comparative toxicological data.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if honey bees are uniquely sensitive to insecticides compared to other insect species.
  • To conduct a comparative toxicology review of insecticide effects on honey bees and other insects.

Main Methods:

  • An extensive literature review was performed.
  • Data from studies involving topical insecticide treatment of adult insects were analyzed.
  • Toxicity data for Apis mellifera were compared with data from other insect species.

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Last Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Evaluating the Effect of Environmental Chemicals on Honey Bee Development from the Individual to Colony Level
07:39

Evaluating the Effect of Environmental Chemicals on Honey Bee Development from the Individual to Colony Level

Published on: April 1, 2017

Evaluating the Effect of Pesticides on the Larvae of the Solitary Bees
05:13

Evaluating the Effect of Pesticides on the Larvae of the Solitary Bees

Published on: October 15, 2021

Maintaining Biological Cultures and Measuring Gene Expression in Aphis nerii: A Non-model System for Plant-insect Interactions
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Maintaining Biological Cultures and Measuring Gene Expression in Aphis nerii: A Non-model System for Plant-insect Interactions

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Main Results:

  • Honey bees were generally not more sensitive than other insect species to the 62 insecticides examined.
  • No increased sensitivity was observed in honey bees across six major insecticide classes (carbamates, nicotinoids, organochlorines, organophosphates, pyrethroids, and miscellaneous).

Conclusions:

  • Honey bees are not overall a highly sensitive species to insecticides, nor to specific insecticide classes.
  • Despite general findings, minimizing honey bee exposure to all pesticides is crucial.
  • Reducing pesticide exposure can help prevent declines in bee populations and honey contamination.