Abstract
Neonicotinoids, systemic neuro-active pesticides similar to nicotine, are widely used in agriculture and are being investigated for a role in honey bee colony losses. We examined one neonicotinoid pesticide, imidacloprid, for its effects on the foraging behavior of free-flying honey bees (Apis mellifera anatoliaca) visiting artificial blue and white flowers. Imidacloprid doses, ranging from 1/5 to 1/50 of the reported LD50, were fed to bees orally. The study consisted of three experimental parts performed sequentially without interruption. In Part 1, both flower colors contained a 4 μL 1 M sucrose solution reward. Part 2 offered bees 4 μL of 1.5 M sucrose solution in blue flowers and a 4 μL 0.5 M sucrose solution reward in white flowers. In Part 3 we reversed the sugar solution rewards, while keeping the flower color consistent. Each experiment began 30 min after administration of the pesticide. We recorded the percentage of experimental bees that returned to forage after treatment. We also recorded the visitation rate, number of flowers visited, and floral reward choices of the bees that foraged after treatment. The forager return rate declined linearly with increasing imidacloprid dose. The number of foraging trips by returning bees was also affected adversely. However, flower fidelity was not affected by imidacloprid dose. Foragers visited both blue and white flowers extensively in Part 1, and showed greater fidelity for the flower color offering the higher sugar solution reward in Parts 2 and 3. Although larger samples sizes are needed, our study suggests that imidacloprid may not affect the ability to select the higher nectar reward when rewards were reversed. We observed acute, mild effects on foraging by honey bees, so mild that storage of imidacloprid tainted-honey is very plausible and likely to be found in honey bee colonies.
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Acknowledgments
We thank S. Çakmak along with NSF-REU students L. Blatzheim, C. Bower and T. Polk for their help while at the Beekeeping Development, Application and Research Center (BDARC) of Uludag University. We are grateful to D. Ikizoğlu, M. Ertürk, H.Ç. Özbayram, A. Çakır for assistance with these field studies while at the BDARC of Uludag University. We thank the Research and Technology Department of Süleyman Demirel University for financial support. We thank the National Science Foundation (DBI #1263327) for supporting research in Turkey by students and faculty from the USA. We also thank Dr. C. Abramson and Dr. C. L. Mayack and anonymous reviewers for improvement of the manuscript. This study was conducted in partial fulfillment for the Master of Science degree of Ahmed Karahan.
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Karahan, A., Çakmak, I., Hranitz, J.M. et al. Sublethal imidacloprid effects on honey bee flower choices when foraging. Ecotoxicology 24, 2017–2025 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-015-1537-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-015-1537-2