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8 April 2017 Agricultural Landscape and Pesticide Effects on Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Biological Traits
Mohamed Alburaki, Sandra J. Steckel, Matthew T. Williams, John A. Skinner, David R. Tarpy, William G. Meikle, John Adamczyk, Scott D. Stewart
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Abstract

Sixteen honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies were placed in four different agricultural landscapes to study the effects of agricultural landscape and exposure to pesticides on honey bee health. Colonies were located in three different agricultural areas with varying levels of agricultural intensity (AG areas) and one nonagricultural area (NAG area). Colonies were monitored for their performance and productivity for one year by measuring colony weight changes, brood production, and colony thermoregulation. Palynological and chemical analyses were conducted on the trapped pollen collected from each colony and location. Our results indicate that the landscape's composition significantly affected honey bee colony performance and development. Colony weight and brood production were significantly greater in AG areas compared to the NAG area. Better colony thermoregulation in AG areas' colonies was also observed. The quantities of pesticides measured in the trapped pollen were relatively low compared to their acute toxicity. Unexplained queen and colony losses were recorded in the AG areas, while colony losses because of starvation were observed in the NAG area. Our results indicate that landscape with high urban activity enhances honey bee brood production, with no significant effects on colony weight gain. Our study indicates that agricultural crops provide a valuable resource for honey bee colonies, but there is a trade-off with an increased risk of exposure to pesticides.

© The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com
Mohamed Alburaki, Sandra J. Steckel, Matthew T. Williams, John A. Skinner, David R. Tarpy, William G. Meikle, John Adamczyk, and Scott D. Stewart "Agricultural Landscape and Pesticide Effects on Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Biological Traits," Journal of Economic Entomology 110(3), 835-847, (8 April 2017). https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/tox111
Received: 7 February 2017; Accepted: 20 March 2017; Published: 8 April 2017
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KEYWORDS
Agricultural landscape
brood
honey bee
pesticide
weight
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