County-level analysis reveals a rapidly shifting landscape of insecticide hazard to honey bees (Apis mellifera) on US farmland.

ABSTRACT: Each year, millions of kilograms of insecticides are applied to crops in the US. While insecticide use supports food, fuel, and fiber production, it can also threaten non-target organisms, a concern underscored by mounting evidence of widespread decline of pollinator populations. Here, we integrate several public datasets to generate county-level annual estimates of total 'bee toxic load' (honey bee lethal doses) for insecticides applied in the US between 1997-2012, calculated separately for oral and contact toxicity. To explore the underlying components of the observed changes, we divide bee toxic load into extent (area treated) and intensity (application rate x potency). We show that while contact-based bee toxic load remained relatively steady, oral-based bee toxic load increased roughl

SUBMITTER: Douglas MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6972851 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature