Honey Bee Pesticides

Scientists performing ecotoxicological studies believe that over time the poisons from Neonicotinoids, cause paralysis in the worker bees and also effects future bee generations when the toxins are ingested. CCD is caused by Neonicotinoids bonding to the anatomy and central nervous system in the bees. This affects their navigation capabilities and also impairs their memory. When they are unable to work effective then things don’t get done. The neonicotinoids are also known to compromise the bees immune systems making them more susceptible to a virus

The bees never seem to catch a break which is putting the bees under “stress” which is a factor. Furthermore, when they are pollinating all these different plants some are not nutritious as others, for example cucumbers aren’t as healthy as some of the other plants but there is still a demand for them, so the bees still have to work and eventually become unhealthy if they aren’t getting the right nutrients. Another factor is pesticides, which has many different points of view but overall it has come to decided it is not the pesticides themselves that are killing masses of bees but it is lowering their immune system and making it easier for them to get sick, for example with the common parasite Nosema. Nosema is a parasite in the digestive track of the honey bee that attacks the entire hive and can eventually wipe out the whole hive. The effects of the pesticides are ultimately never letting the hives reach their maximum potential, which in the end could render the hives weak and lethargic. There are so many pesticides out there it is hard to tell exactly what component in the pesticide is hurting the bees. It is recently found that the inert ingredients used often to boost the effectiveness of the pesticide are actually more harmful than the actual toxic ingredients

Insecticides, fungicides, pesticides, and herbicides were the real cause for the bee population decline. The harmful chemicals that were sprayed

Recently I read an article in the Hill Country Observer titled “Hives of Controversy” by Tracy Frisch (http://www.hillcountryobserver.com/2015news/Sept2015bees1.htm). The article talks about colony collapse disorder and the causes. The tests that have been done and continue to proceed mention that the insecticide neonicotinoids can be a major cause for the loss of bees. As with most if not all chemical insecticides they don't readily break

San Joaquin County is known for its heavy usage of pesticides and is one of the 15 counties in California that has been labeled for using heavy amounts of these chemicals. Pesticides are a chemical based spray that is used upon crops of fields to prevent damage to the crops being grown by farmers. Pesticides have been able to form a multibillion dollar industry alongside the farming industry. While some pesticides have been deemed as unsafe for the county, state population; they are used in spraying over our crops and can lead to a health and safety risk for the population.

The effects of these pesticides are not killing the bees instantaneously but impairing their behavior and development. However, some pesticides are very lethal since the honey bees do not even go back to their hives and most of them die after ingesting small amounts of these chemicals from plants that have been sprayed with them. These pesticides clearly have a huge role to play in CCD, given that bee farmers in organic gardens have not reported this phenomenon. According to Timbrell (2002), the pesticides reduce the immunity of bees and are therefore susceptible to literally all kinds of pathogens. A dissection of the dead

Honey bee hives will always have some mites within a colony but once natural remedies failed and the mite population has reached a certain percentage, it is necessary to use chemicals to retake control of the mite infestation in the colony. Individuals reporting the effects of varroa after they arrived in the U.S. stated that honey bee colonies would not survive unless beekeepers intervened with a chemical treatment (Ellis 2016). A bee colony can be treated for some of the bee viruses that are passed from the mites to the bees but if the mites are not controlled

Neonicotinoid pesticides are a group of chemicals widely used on farm crops, plants, and trees (1). The concern behind these pesticides is the harmful impact on pollinating insects such as honey bees and bumble bees (1). Neonicotinoids are sprayed onto the plant where they are absorbed by the plant and are transported to all parts of the plant including the pollen (see figure 1) (1). Bees then ingest the pesticide via the pollen; specifically, this is the point where the central nervous system of the bees becomes compromised. A large number of deaths in bees is being used as an argument against the use of neonicotinoids (1).

Debates have been that the use of neonicotinoids began to deteriorate bee hives bee keepers are dependent on. The decline in productivity may have been caused by neonic, however an explanation has yet to be confirmed. It is believed that media have

Figure 1 illustrates the effects of four insecticides on adult crickets at four different concentrations over the span of 24 hours. Taking the average of all the dead crickets at each concentration, dividing by five, and multiplying by 100 found the % response. The probit number was found from the % response number. Taking the probit number, diving by 10, and multiplying by 100 found the % probit response, which is shown on the y-axis. The log of the four concentrations used represents the log dose on the x-axis.

Being used worldwide, neonicontinoids which have a similar chemical structure/properties as nicotine have been used as an insecticide that attacks insect’s nervous systems for many years now. Being infused within the seed of the crop, bees can be in direct contact with the chemical from the pollen of the plant, “…neonicotinoids, or neonics, a nicotine-based pesticide that coats seeds and infuses all parts of a crop as it matures, are "a key factor in the decline of bees” (“Save the bees, save ourselves”). Experts statistically noticed that one hundred percent of corn seeds and sixty percent of soybean seeds in Ontario are treated with this chemical (“Save the bees, save ourselves”). Presence of these toxins in a bee’s system lead to weakness and eventual death themselves, or play a role in multiple disruptions to their bodies. With the chemical in their body the bee’s health begins to deteriorate as scientifically proven, “Exposure to thiamethoxam appears to impair bees’ homing ability, with consequences for colony survival” (“Save the bees, save ourselves”). Neonicotinoids amongst other chemicals have been linked to causing problems in the bee’s homing capabilities as well as introducing the possibility of the deformed wing virus. A neuroethologist at Newcastle University, discovered that the neonic-tained nectar possesses seemingly addictive

One recent topic of interest is the prevention of spreading and infecting others with the Zika Virus. As such, many states and counties have taken some sweeping measures to ease public opinion while combating the spread of the virus. One method being utilized is to conduct aerial deployment of pesticides. Although this method may help initially, other important species are being harmed from the use of certain pesticides. Specifically, pesticides containing Naled harm bees. A recent instance of aerial spraying targeting Zika in South Carolina killed approximately 2.5 million bees. Also, South Carolina is not the only state that uses Naled. Other states such as Louisiana use the chemical for mosquito reduction.

The amount of pesticides you use, the amount of bees you’re killing. Although they make your plants and gardens very pretty, they have chemicals that are dangerous. “The chemicals and pest treatments you put on your lawn and garden can cause damage to the honeybees systems” (Queen of the Sun). All the plants should be natural without any chemicals in

signs of disease, they can cause a variety of sub lethal effects and affect bee health,

1. A scientist who is trying to make an insecticide that is more toxic to mosquitoes than to