Heterocyclic Amine-Induced Feeding Deterrence and Antennal Response of Honey Bees

摘要

This study examined the behavioral and antennal effects of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) on forager honey bees. Behavioral changes related to feeding were initially characterized using a video-tracking protocol in which individual foragers were exposed to HCA-treated food sources within a Petri dish arena. The most efficacious HCA was then tested in a field study using a high-tunnel arena to determine whether repellent effects could be observed on a larger number of foragers to a treated food source. The same HCA was then tested in the field on both melon flowers and knapweed bundles to observe whether repellency was conserved in a more agriculturally realistic scenario. Finally, electroantennogram (EAG) experiments were conducted to document whether the honey bee olfactory system was detecting these compounds. These findings suggest that HCAs could provide an active approach to deter honey bee foragers from feeding on treated agricultural crops.