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Fungi and the Effects of Fungicides on the Honey Bee Colony

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Beekeeping – From Science to Practice

Abstract

Fungicides are found in agricultural areas to protect crops from fungal diseases. When sprayed in areas where honey bee colonies are placed for pollination, bees can collect or otherwise be exposed to these compounds. While labeled safe for bees by the manufacturers, our research found that pollen containing fungicides had a negative effect on the beneficial fungi found in bee colonies that help converting the pollen into bee bread and can end up in the bees themselves. As a result, pathogenic fungi (that cause chalkbrood and stonebrood diseases) were not kept in check by the beneficial fungi, including Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Rhizopus, which were compromised by the presence of fungicides in the hive. Colonies were found to be weakened by the persistent presence of fungicides. Steps to help protect colonies are outlined.

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Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Dr. Michael A. Senich (Midland, TX) for funding to BWN (Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH, 45501, USA

    Jay A. Yoder & Blake W. Nelson

  2. Department of Biomedical, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA

    Andrew J. Jajack

  3. DianaBrand Honey Bee Research Services, LLC, Tucson, AZ, 85718, USA

    Diana Sammataro

  4. Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA

    Diana Sammataro

Authors
  1. Jay A. Yoder
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  2. Blake W. Nelson
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  3. Andrew J. Jajack
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  4. Diana Sammataro
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jay A. Yoder .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Bickering Bees Farm, Belle Haven, VA, USA

    Russell H. Vreeland

  2. Tucson, AZ, USA

    Diana Sammataro

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Yoder, J.A., Nelson, B.W., Jajack, A.J., Sammataro, D. (2017). Fungi and the Effects of Fungicides on the Honey Bee Colony. In: Vreeland, R., Sammataro, D. (eds) Beekeeping – From Science to Practice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60637-8_5

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