Neonicotinoid-contaminated pollinator strips adjacent to cropland reduce honey bee nutritional status.

ABSTRACT: Worldwide pollinator declines are attributed to a number of factors, including pesticide exposures. Neonicotinoid insecticides specifically have been detected in surface waters, non-target vegetation, and bee products, but the risks posed by environmental exposures are still not well understood. Pollinator strips were tested for clothianidin contamination in plant tissues, and the risks to honey bees assessed. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) quantified clothianidin in leaf, nectar, honey, and bee bread at organic and seed-treated farms. Total glycogen, lipids, and protein from honey bee workers were quantified. The proportion of plants testing positive for clothianidin were the same between treatments. Leaf tissue and honey had similar concentrations of clothianidin between or

SUBMITTER: Mogren CL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4944152 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature