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Yes- Pesticide Causing Negative Effects on the Honey Bee Population in the United States
Pesticide: Causing Negative Effects on the Honeybee Population in the United States
By: Rebekah Freeman
Statement
The recent decline of the honeybee can be contributed primarily to the use of pesticides on crops.
Abstract
Farmers use bees and pesticides in conjunction with one another to grow a healthy and productive harvest. In the United States, “approximately forty agricultural producing states where fruit and vegetable crops rely on honey bees for pollination and major crop production” (Hopwood). The recent disappearance of the bee has obtained a significant amount of publicity. While the pesticides have a negative effect on many of the unwanted insects, the pesticides also have a negative effect on the honeybee. The honeybees are needed to pollinate the farmers’ crops and without the bee, farmers will not be able to have as successful harvests. Pesticides slowly poison the bee over time, pesticides cause bees a slow and painful death, and if managed correctly, there would be less of an impact on the bee population. Countries like France and German are taking initiative to reduce neonicotinoid type pesticides. Neonicotinoid type pesticides are more prominently used in the United States than other countries. The United States and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) need to invest in regulating pesticides more thoroughly to prevent further damage to the bee population.
Introduction of Colony Collapse Disorder
Recently, beekeepers have been reporting a significant loss of bees in their hives. Since October 2006, some beekeepers have reported losses in numbers as great as 30-90 of their hive population (Kaplan). While the exact cause of the bee loss is unknown, a common term to describe the phenomena is Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Signs a bee colony has been affected by CCD include; “simply no or a low number of adult honey bees present but with a live queen and no dead honey bees in the hive. Often there is still honey in the hive, and immature bees (brood) are present” (Kaplan). Many theories exist on what triggers CCD but the two primary causes for CCD have been contributed to chemical and environmental causes. CCD has gained more attention in recent years, but other declines in the honeybee population have been recorded throughout history. Some years in which a decline in the honeybee population was recorded include the 1920s, the 1960s, and the 1980s (Kaplan). During each of these time periods, there was little or no research done on the disappearance of the honeybees so the cause of their disappearance remained a mystery. In a normal bee colony, “natural mortality of up to 100 dead adult bees per day is a normal die-off rate. When the rate exceeds 100 per day, then poisoning may be suspected” (Wilson, Sonnet, Stoner). Any bee die off larger than 100 per day is a cause of concern for beekeepers. For more information on CCD, visit the USDA.
Biological Effect of Pesticide on Bees
Contact with Pesticide
Honeybees can come in contact with pesticide in several different ways. A honeybee can encounter pesticide when pollinating plants or simply flying through the atmosphere. While an area may be thought to be free of pesticide, pesticide can contaminate areas through pesticide drift. Pesticide drift occurs when “small particles of pesticides often become suspended in the atmosphere as a result of wind currents or heated air rising” (Wilson, Sonnet, Stoner). A drift can occur over several miles leaving a large contaminated area. Honeybees then encounter the pesticides while flying through the atmosphere.
Honeybees could simply be exposed to pesticide when they go to pollinate crops. At a congressional hearing, Entomologist Dr. Maryann Frazier testified, “46 different pesticides including six of their metabolites were identified out of 108 pollen samples analyzed. Up to 17 different pesticides were found in a single sample. Samples contained an average of 5 different pesticide residues each” (Hopwood). In another part of Frazier’s testimony, Frazier stated, “97.2% of pollen samples had pesticides and only three (2.8%) of the 108 pollen samples had no detectable pesticides” (Hopwood). While there might not be high levels of pesticide in each pollen sample, each time a bee goes to pollinate a plant; they are exposed to the pesticide.
Pesticide Poisoning
Pesticide affects honeybees in a similar way to which it affects humans. Pesticides “can cause cancer, alter genes, and damage the reproductive, endocrine or nervous system” in both honeybees and humans (Hopwood). Several factors can indicate pesticide poisoning in a beehive. Often, dead bees lie on the floor near the hive or almost dead bees roll in circles on the ground near the hive entrances. Bees also begin to lose their appetite and become disorientated.
The primary sign of pesticide poisoning in a beehive is the absence of honeybees in the hive. Most bees do not die near the hive, so the cause of the missing bees is often unknown. Poisoned honeybees that do not return to the hive are beneficial since they do not bring the contamination near the other bees.
Nicotinyl Insecticides
What are Neonicotinoids?
Historically, “nicotine in the form of tobacco extracts was reported in 1690 as the first plant-derived insecticide” and neonicotinoids are a new type of insecticide named after its similarity to the original nicotine insecticide (Tomizowa and Casida). Currently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies Neonicotinoids for general use against insects (Fishel). Examples of neonicotinoids include “acetamiprid, clothianidin, imidacloprid, nitenpyram, thiacloprid, thiamethoxam“(Dropdata). Nicotinyl Insecticides are a neurotoxin meaning they attack the nervous systems of insects. Neonicotinoids work by binding at the receptor sites of insects attempting to cause paralysis. While neonicotinoids are proven to be extremely harmful to insects, neonicotinoids have little effect on mammals. For more information on the chemical make-up of Neonicotinoid Pesticides read NEONICOTINOID INSECTICIDE TOXICOLOGY: Mechanisms of Selective Action.
How a Honeybee Encounters Nicotinyl Insecticides
Nicotinyl Insecticides seem to be the primary type of pesticide causing negative effects on the honeybee population. The company Bayer produces most Nicotinyl insecticides. Nicotinyl insecticides target all parts of the plant, going all the way down into the roots and flower. Since neonicotinoids are water soluble, neonicotinoids move quickly through plant tissues (Fishel). In addition, Nicotinyl insecticides stay in the environment by getting into the soil through the root of the plant. The bee is exposed to the pesticide while pollinating plants.
The Bayer CropScience Company, which produces neonicotinoid pesticides, states that an error made by the seed company is responsible for the damage to the bee population (Benjamin). Bayer CropScience stated, the company “failed to use the glue-like substance that sticks the pesticide to the seed, led to the chemical getting into the air” (Benjamin). While the pesticide poisoning could have been accident, it is just as likely that the bees contact the poison whether the poison is glued to a seed or not.
Affects of Nicotinyl Insecticides on Honeybees
Out of all pesticides effecting bees, Nicotinyl pesticides seem to be the pesticide most studied in a laboratory. A study done by French scientists shows the primary effects of nicotinyl insecticides:
Since the honeybees are not exposed to the pesticide at lethal levels initially, the chemical stays in the bees system and poisons the bee over time. While the study at the Institut National de la Rechereche Agronomique was performed in a laboratory, similar effects on the honeybee population could be happening in nature.
Another affect of nicotinyl insecticides on the honeybee is the contamination of a hive. When the insecticide poisons a honeybee, traces of the insecticide have been found in the wax of the hive. This causes any bees encountering the contaminated wax to become contaminated as well.
Other Countries Reactions to the Decline of Honeybees
Germany and France
The CCD has not only affected the United States. Germany and France have seen a significant decline in the honeybee population and are working together to make the world more habitable for the honeybee population. The German Professional Beekeepers association stated that “ 50-60% of the bees have died on average and some beekeepers have lost all their hives" (Benjamin). Since 2002, both Germany and France have taken regulator actions against the use of certain pesticides on crops.
The company Bayer produces most of the pesticides Germany and France have deemed a threat to the honeybee population. The suspended neonicotinoid products include Antarc (active ingredient imidacloprid), Chinook (active ingredient imidacloprid), Cruiser (active ingredient thiamethoxam), Elado (active ingredient clothianidin), Faibel (active ingredient imidaclorpid), Mesurol (active ingredient methiocarb), and Poncho (active ingredient clothianidin) (Hopwood). The two ingredients most commonly used in the neonicotinoid products banned by Germany and France include imidacloprid and clothianidin. Studies done at the German Research Center for Cultivated Plants reported that 29 out of 30 bees have been killed by contact with the neonicotinoid clothianidin (Hopwood). To read more articles on the effects of Bayer pesticides in Germany and France visit Bayer-Kills-Bees.
Conclusion
The United States and EPA need to investigate ways to prevent further harm to the bee population. Other countries are regulating neonicotinoid pesticide use, and the use should do more research on the affects of pesticide on bee colony size. While there have been no significant studies done on pesticides affecting bee colony size in the United States, there is enough evidence from other countries for there to be a concern. Most studies in the United States on CCD have been done based on beekeepers surveys; there is no way for one to tell the scientific validity of the studies. Since farmers need the honeybee to pollinate their crops, it is extremely important to do research on ways to help honeybee colonies battle pesticides.
By: Rebekah Freeman
Statement
The recent decline of the honeybee can be contributed primarily to the use of pesticides on crops.
Abstract
Farmers use bees and pesticides in conjunction with one another to grow a healthy and productive harvest. In the United States, “approximately forty agricultural producing states where fruit and vegetable crops rely on honey bees for pollination and major crop production” (Hopwood). The recent disappearance of the bee has obtained a significant amount of publicity. While the pesticides have a negative effect on many of the unwanted insects, the pesticides also have a negative effect on the honeybee. The honeybees are needed to pollinate the farmers’ crops and without the bee, farmers will not be able to have as successful harvests. Pesticides slowly poison the bee over time, pesticides cause bees a slow and painful death, and if managed correctly, there would be less of an impact on the bee population. Countries like France and German are taking initiative to reduce neonicotinoid type pesticides. Neonicotinoid type pesticides are more prominently used in the United States than other countries. The United States and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) need to invest in regulating pesticides more thoroughly to prevent further damage to the bee population.
Introduction of Colony Collapse Disorder
Recently, beekeepers have been reporting a significant loss of bees in their hives. Since October 2006, some beekeepers have reported losses in numbers as great as 30-90 of their hive population (Kaplan). While the exact cause of the bee loss is unknown, a common term to describe the phenomena is Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Signs a bee colony has been affected by CCD include; “simply no or a low number of adult honey bees present but with a live queen and no dead honey bees in the hive. Often there is still honey in the hive, and immature bees (brood) are present” (Kaplan). Many theories exist on what triggers CCD but the two primary causes for CCD have been contributed to chemical and environmental causes. CCD has gained more attention in recent years, but other declines in the honeybee population have been recorded throughout history. Some years in which a decline in the honeybee population was recorded include the 1920s, the 1960s, and the 1980s (Kaplan). During each of these time periods, there was little or no research done on the disappearance of the honeybees so the cause of their disappearance remained a mystery. In a normal bee colony, “natural mortality of up to 100 dead adult bees per day is a normal die-off rate. When the rate exceeds 100 per day, then poisoning may be suspected” (Wilson, Sonnet, Stoner). Any bee die off larger than 100 per day is a cause of concern for beekeepers. For more information on CCD, visit the USDA.
Biological Effect of Pesticide on Bees
Contact with Pesticide
Honeybees can come in contact with pesticide in several different ways. A honeybee can encounter pesticide when pollinating plants or simply flying through the atmosphere. While an area may be thought to be free of pesticide, pesticide can contaminate areas through pesticide drift. Pesticide drift occurs when “small particles of pesticides often become suspended in the atmosphere as a result of wind currents or heated air rising” (Wilson, Sonnet, Stoner). A drift can occur over several miles leaving a large contaminated area. Honeybees then encounter the pesticides while flying through the atmosphere.
Honeybees could simply be exposed to pesticide when they go to pollinate crops. At a congressional hearing, Entomologist Dr. Maryann Frazier testified, “46 different pesticides including six of their metabolites were identified out of 108 pollen samples analyzed. Up to 17 different pesticides were found in a single sample. Samples contained an average of 5 different pesticide residues each” (Hopwood). In another part of Frazier’s testimony, Frazier stated, “97.2% of pollen samples had pesticides and only three (2.8%) of the 108 pollen samples had no detectable pesticides” (Hopwood). While there might not be high levels of pesticide in each pollen sample, each time a bee goes to pollinate a plant; they are exposed to the pesticide.
Pesticide Poisoning
Pesticide affects honeybees in a similar way to which it affects humans. Pesticides “can cause cancer, alter genes, and damage the reproductive, endocrine or nervous system” in both honeybees and humans (Hopwood). Several factors can indicate pesticide poisoning in a beehive. Often, dead bees lie on the floor near the hive or almost dead bees roll in circles on the ground near the hive entrances. Bees also begin to lose their appetite and become disorientated.
The primary sign of pesticide poisoning in a beehive is the absence of honeybees in the hive. Most bees do not die near the hive, so the cause of the missing bees is often unknown. Poisoned honeybees that do not return to the hive are beneficial since they do not bring the contamination near the other bees.
Nicotinyl Insecticides
What are Neonicotinoids?
Historically, “nicotine in the form of tobacco extracts was reported in 1690 as the first plant-derived insecticide” and neonicotinoids are a new type of insecticide named after its similarity to the original nicotine insecticide (Tomizowa and Casida). Currently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies Neonicotinoids for general use against insects (Fishel). Examples of neonicotinoids include “acetamiprid, clothianidin, imidacloprid, nitenpyram, thiacloprid, thiamethoxam“(Dropdata). Nicotinyl Insecticides are a neurotoxin meaning they attack the nervous systems of insects. Neonicotinoids work by binding at the receptor sites of insects attempting to cause paralysis. While neonicotinoids are proven to be extremely harmful to insects, neonicotinoids have little effect on mammals. For more information on the chemical make-up of Neonicotinoid Pesticides read NEONICOTINOID INSECTICIDE TOXICOLOGY: Mechanisms of Selective Action.
How a Honeybee Encounters Nicotinyl Insecticides
Nicotinyl Insecticides seem to be the primary type of pesticide causing negative effects on the honeybee population. The company Bayer produces most Nicotinyl insecticides. Nicotinyl insecticides target all parts of the plant, going all the way down into the roots and flower. Since neonicotinoids are water soluble, neonicotinoids move quickly through plant tissues (Fishel). In addition, Nicotinyl insecticides stay in the environment by getting into the soil through the root of the plant. The bee is exposed to the pesticide while pollinating plants.
The Bayer CropScience Company, which produces neonicotinoid pesticides, states that an error made by the seed company is responsible for the damage to the bee population (Benjamin). Bayer CropScience stated, the company “failed to use the glue-like substance that sticks the pesticide to the seed, led to the chemical getting into the air” (Benjamin). While the pesticide poisoning could have been accident, it is just as likely that the bees contact the poison whether the poison is glued to a seed or not.
Affects of Nicotinyl Insecticides on Honeybees
Out of all pesticides effecting bees, Nicotinyl pesticides seem to be the pesticide most studied in a laboratory. A study done by French scientists shows the primary effects of nicotinyl insecticides:
“French scientists led by Dr. Marc Colin (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, INRA) in 1998 videotaped one set of their experiments on bees exposed to low ppb concentrations of imidacloprid to demonstrate that the honey bees became too groggy and intoxicated effectively impairing their short-term memory in smell and theoretically blocking normal foraging behavior. After only a few days, the honey bees exposed to low ppb levels of imidacloprid stopped feeding and their numbers sharply dropped compared to the control groups. Dr. Colin compared videotapes of exposed bees and unaffected control bees to dramatically demonstrate the powerful sub lethal effects of imidacloprid. If the bees stopped their feeding behavior, they will quickly die.” (Hopwood).
Since the honeybees are not exposed to the pesticide at lethal levels initially, the chemical stays in the bees system and poisons the bee over time. While the study at the Institut National de la Rechereche Agronomique was performed in a laboratory, similar effects on the honeybee population could be happening in nature.
Another affect of nicotinyl insecticides on the honeybee is the contamination of a hive. When the insecticide poisons a honeybee, traces of the insecticide have been found in the wax of the hive. This causes any bees encountering the contaminated wax to become contaminated as well.
Other Countries Reactions to the Decline of Honeybees
Germany and France
The CCD has not only affected the United States. Germany and France have seen a significant decline in the honeybee population and are working together to make the world more habitable for the honeybee population. The German Professional Beekeepers association stated that “ 50-60% of the bees have died on average and some beekeepers have lost all their hives" (Benjamin). Since 2002, both Germany and France have taken regulator actions against the use of certain pesticides on crops.
The company Bayer produces most of the pesticides Germany and France have deemed a threat to the honeybee population. The suspended neonicotinoid products include Antarc (active ingredient imidacloprid), Chinook (active ingredient imidacloprid), Cruiser (active ingredient thiamethoxam), Elado (active ingredient clothianidin), Faibel (active ingredient imidaclorpid), Mesurol (active ingredient methiocarb), and Poncho (active ingredient clothianidin) (Hopwood). The two ingredients most commonly used in the neonicotinoid products banned by Germany and France include imidacloprid and clothianidin. Studies done at the German Research Center for Cultivated Plants reported that 29 out of 30 bees have been killed by contact with the neonicotinoid clothianidin (Hopwood). To read more articles on the effects of Bayer pesticides in Germany and France visit Bayer-Kills-Bees.
Conclusion
The United States and EPA need to investigate ways to prevent further harm to the bee population. Other countries are regulating neonicotinoid pesticide use, and the use should do more research on the affects of pesticide on bee colony size. While there have been no significant studies done on pesticides affecting bee colony size in the United States, there is enough evidence from other countries for there to be a concern. Most studies in the United States on CCD have been done based on beekeepers surveys; there is no way for one to tell the scientific validity of the studies. Since farmers need the honeybee to pollinate their crops, it is extremely important to do research on ways to help honeybee colonies battle pesticides.
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