Field (semi field) assessment of impact of neonicotinoids on colonies, queens and drones

HATJINA, F.; ANDERE, C.I.; BAK,B.; BEDASCARRASBURE, E.; BIENKOWSKA, M.; COSTA, C.; DALL´OLIO, R.; DRAZIC, M.; FIGINI, E.; FILIPI, J.; GARCIA, C.; GERULA, D.; GREY, A.; IOANNIDIS, P.; KEZIC, D.; KOUKOURIKOS, TH.; MARTINEZ, A.; MEDRZYCKI, P.; MLADENOVIC, M.; PALACIO, M.A.; PANASIUK,B.; PETERSON, M; RASIC, S; RODRIGUEZ, E.M.; RODRIGUEZ, G.; SIUDA, M.; STANISAVLJEVIC, L.; TOSI, S.; WILDE, J.; AUZA, N.; ZUBILLAGA, A.

Ludkovica

Conferencia; 11th COLOSS Conference; 2015

Neonicotinoids havebeen among the most frecuently used insecticides in the cultivation of severalcrops and orchards. Till 2012, imidacloprid represented 41,5% ef the wholeneocotinnoid market and thiamethoxam was the second biggest neocotinoid, followedby clothianidin. However, almost two years ago, a decision was made by the ECparliament to ban the use of these three compounds for two years and this willsoon be re-addressed. Ours aim was to determine the effect of particularneonics on: the life span of queens, effects on egg laying or brood development,sperm viability and overwrintering ability when particulas neonicotinoids werefed to the colonies in low and very high sub-lethal field realistic doses (e.g.5 ppb and 200 ppb respectively for imidacloprid; 20 ppb, 200 ppb and 400 ppb respectivelyfor clothianidin); a control group was also evaluated. Additionaly we looked atthe colony population dynamic. The experiment was set up different contriesusing the local honeybee populations and it was run during sprig-summer 20132014. The first comprehensive results are presented: they show a detrimentaleffect of the high doses of the neonicotinoids used, while the effects of the lowdoses were variables and dependent on the application dose, the yehar andfeeding quantity of the contaminated foof. Further work is needed to be done anthe same direction. This research work has been undertaken by menbers of COLOSShoney bee research association. All authors´names, apart from the representingauthor, are in alphabetical order.