Low-Level Fluvalinate Treatment in the Larval Stage Induces Impaired Olfactory Associative Behavior of Honey Bee Workers in the Field

Autor: Chong-Yu Ko, Yu-Shin Nai, Wei Lo, Chun-Ting Chen, Yue-Wen Chen
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Insects, Vol 13, Iss 3, p 273 (2022)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2075-4450
DOI: 10.3390/insects13030273
Popis: Fluvalinate is a widely used insecticide for varroa mite control in apiculture. While most beekeepers have ignored the effects of low levels of fluvalinate on bees, this study aims to demonstrate its effects at very low concentrations. We first used fluvalinate doses ranging from 0.4 to 400 ng/larva to monitor the capping, pupation, and emergence rates of larval bees. Second, we used the honey bees’ proboscis extension reflex reaction to test the learning ability of adult bees that were exposed to fluvalinate doses from 0.004 to 4 ng/larva in the larval stage. The brood-capped rate of larvae decreased dramatically when the dose was increased to 40 ng/larva. Although no significant effect was observed on brood-capping, pupation, and eclosion rates with a dose of 4 ng/larva, we found that the olfactory associative behavior of adult bees was impaired when they were treated with sublethal doses from 0.004 to 4 ng/larva in the larval stage. These findings suggest that a sublethal dose of fluvalinate given to larvae affects the subsequent associative ability of adult honey bee workers. Thus, a very low dose may affect the survival conditions of the entire colony.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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