Toxicity of synthetic pyrethroid insecticides to the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.)

摘要

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) were exposed to six pyrethroid insecticides using four application techniques. Toxicities of the insecticides were compared. Results of topical and contact tests placed the six pyrethroids in one of three categories based on their relative toxicity to honey bees; highly toxic (cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, and permethrin), moderately toxic (flucythrinate and fenvalerate), and non-toxic (fluvalinate). The residue tests, by contrast, simulated field conditions by using sprayed cotton leaves for exposure. This test showed that both compound and formulation played an important role in determining toxicity. The conditioning test combined some of the previously used techniques and refined them into a test for detecting behavioral changes to bees following sublethal exposure to pesticides. Insecticide-treated honey bees had a lower learning curve than their respective control group. This indicates that, although bees may survive poisoning from pesticides, certain physiological functions are affected.