The Buzz around Biopesticides: The Effects of Bt Formulation DOR Bt-1 on Honey Bee Cognition

Chemical pesticide exposure is a major contributor to the global decline in honey bee and pollinator numbers. Biopesticides are naturally derived products that were developed as safer alternatives to mitigate the harm caused by the chemicals. The targeted mode of action of biopesticides is said to provide several advantages including low toxicity and minimal physiological harm to nontarget insects. However, very few studies have been conducted to verify the effect of biopesticides on the behavior and cognition of nontarget insects, especially crucial pollinators such as honey bees and bumble bees. In this study, we investigated the effects of a commonly used biopesticide field spray in the Telangana region of India, DOR Bt-1 on the learning and memory of the Western honey bee, Apis mellifera using olfactory conditioning assays. Our results show that high and low doses of the formulation, when ingested, do not affect the learning and long-term memory but have mild effects on odor discrimination in the honey bees. This study contributes to the growing effort to establish evidence-based safety assessment frameworks for biopesticide formulations used in agricultural field applications.