Cyanide residue levels in extracted honey, comb honey and wax cappings

Cyanide (CN) residue levels were determined in samples of extracted honey, comb honey and was cappings at 1 hr, 24 hr, and 48 hr intervals after destroying the bees in honey bee colonies with normal (ca. 8.5 g) and twice normal (ca. 17 g) doses of CyanogasR A-dust. Applications of CyanogasR A-dust, administered by means of a dust pump at normal and twice normal doses, gave an average residue of 0.01 and 0.04 microgram CN/g of extracted honey, 0.01 and 0.02 microgram CN/g of comb honey and 0.04 and 0.06 microgram CN/g of wax cappings, respectively. When the CyanogasR A-dust (ca. 17 g) was placed on a tray and placed on the bottom board of the hive, the average residue levels for extracted honey, comb honey and wax cappings were less than 0.004, 0.01 and 0.02 microgram CN/g, respectively. Random honey samples from beekeepers, who used CyanogasR to destroy bees, had a median level of 0.031 microgram CN/g, whereas honey from a packing plant and other commercial samples contained less than 0.004--0.026, median less than 0.004 microgram CN/g. Based on residue data from this study, the temporary registration for CyanogasR, to kill honey bees after crop removal, was revised to a full registration in May 1977.