Chronic High-Dose Neonicotinoid Exposure Decreases Overwinter Survival of Apis mellifera L.

ABSTRACT: Overwinter colony mortality is an ongoing challenge for North American beekeepers. During winter, honey bee colonies rely on stored honey and beebread, which is frequently contaminated with the neonicotinoid insecticides clothianidin and thiamethoxam. To determine whether neonicotinoid exposure affects overwinter survival of Apis mellifera L., we chronically exposed overwintering field colonies and winter workers in the laboratory to thiamethoxam or clothianidin at different concentrations and monitored survival and feed consumption. We also investigated the sublethal effects of chronic thiamethoxam exposure on colony pathogen load, queen quality, and colony temperature regulation. Under field conditions, high doses of thiamethoxam significantly increased overwinter mortality compared to c

SUBMITTER: Wood SC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7022569 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature