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Updated: Dec 18, 2025
Evaluating the Effect of Pesticides on the Larvae of the Solitary Bees
Published on: October 15, 2021
Sublethal acetamiprid doses negatively affect the lifespans and foraging behaviors of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.)
Jingliang Shi1, Heyan Yang2, Longtao Yu2
1Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, PR China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, PR China.
Abstract:
The neonicotinoid insecticide acetamiprid is applied widely for pest control in agriculture production. However, little is known about the effects of acetamiprid on the foraging behavior of nontarget pollinators. This study aims to investigate effects of sublethal acetamiprid doses on lifespans and foraging behaviors of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) under natural swarm conditions. Newly emerged worker bees of each treatment received a drop of 1.5 μL acetamiprid solution (containing 0, 0.5, 1, and 2 μg/bee acetamiprid, diluted by water) on the thorax respectively. Bees from 2-day-old to deadline were monitored on foraging behaviors involving the age of bee for first foraging flights, rotating day-off status and the number of foraging flights using the radio frequency identification (RFID) system. We found that acetamiprid at 2 μg/bee significantly reduced the lifespan, induced precocious foraging activity, influenced the rotating day-off status and decreased foraging flights of worker bees. The abnormal behaviors of worker bees may be associated with a decline in lifespan. This work may provide a new perspective into the neonicotinoids that accelerate the colony failure.
