Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Decrease Foraging But Not Recruitment After Neonicotinoid Exposure

Area of Science:

• Entomology
• Ecotoxicology
• Behavioral Ecology

Background:

• Honey bees are vital commercial pollinators.
• Neonicotinoids are common pesticides in agricultural and urban landscapes.
• Sublethal neonicotinoid doses cause adverse behavioral and cognitive effects in honey bees.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of imidacloprid on honey bee foraging and recruitment in a semifield setting.
• To assess behavioral responses of freely flying bees to field-realistic concentrations of imidacloprid.

Main Methods:

• A feeder experiment was conducted with freely flying honey bees.
• Bees were exposed to a control sucrose solution or a treatment solution containing imidacloprid (IMD).
• Foraging frequency, persistence, and recruitment behaviors (dance frequency and propensity) were measured.

Main Results:

• Imidacloprid-treated honey bees foraged less frequently (-28%) and persistently (-66%) compared to controls.
• Recruitment behaviors, including dance frequency and propensity, showed non-significant decreases in IMD-treated bees.
• These findings indicate a reduction in foraging activity due to imidacloprid exposure.

Conclusions:

• Sublethal imidacloprid exposure significantly inhibits honey bee foraging behavior.
• Reduced foraging and persistence may lead to decreased food intake and negatively impact honey bee colony health.
• Further research is needed to understand the full ecological implications of neonicotinoid exposure on pollinators.