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A Brief Overview on the Application, Potential Exposure Routes, and the Effects of Neonicotinoid Insecticides on the Honey Bee Pest Varroa Mite

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the potential harmful effects of neonicotinoids inside honey bee colonies and especially on the honey bee pest, Varroa destructor. This paper shortly summarized previous studies which investigated the toxicity of neonicotinoids to honey bees. The possible exposure routes of these insecticides to Varroa mites inside and outside bee colonies were studied. And finally, the link between the adverse effects of neonicotinoids and Varroa mite life cycle in the brood cells and the influence of these chemicals on the mites inside bee colonies were investigated. It was concluded that the application of neonicotinoid insecticides on a variety of agricultural crops may result in the exposure of honey bees to these chemicals and as a consequence, Varroa mites (parasites living inside bee colonies) also got exposed to these insecticides indirectly. The present study re-emphasized on ecotoxicological attempts assessing the risk of these insecticides to honey bees as well as on ecological and behavioral aspects of their application inside bee colonies.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic-MEYS (Projects LM2015075, EF16_013/0001782). This work has also been supported by Charles University Research Centre Program No. 204069. The author thanks the reviewers for their constructive comments on the manuscript.

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  1. Institute for Environmental Studies, Charles University in Prague, Benátská 2, 12801, Prague, Czech Republic

    Masoud M. Ardestani

  2. Institute of Soil Biology and SoWa Research Infrastructure, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Sádkách 7, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Masoud M. Ardestani

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Ardestani, M.M. A Brief Overview on the Application, Potential Exposure Routes, and the Effects of Neonicotinoid Insecticides on the Honey Bee Pest Varroa Mite. Proc Zool Soc 73, 118–126 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12595-019-00305-6

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