Pesticide toxicity to bees
Classification of pesticide toxicity
Insecticide toxicity is generally measured using LD50 the exposure level that causes 50% of the population exposed to die. Toxicity thresholds are generally set at
highly toxic (acute LD50 less than 2g/bee)
moderately toxic (acute LD50 2ug/bee to 10.99g/bee)
slightly toxic (acute LD50 11ug/bee to 100g/bee)
non-toxic (acute LD50 more than 100g/bee) to adult bees.
LD50 and Colony Collapse Disorder
LD50 does not explain any relationship, or lack thereof, to Colony Collapse Disorder. LD50 is an incomplete measure of toxicity to social insects like honeybees (Apis mellifera) because it is a measure of individual toxicity, not colony toxicity. It does not account for the ways in which bee behavior can mitigate or exacerbate the effects of the pesticide on the colony. For example, a moderate to low toxicity pesticide (by LD50 measurement) which is used in granular form and is collected and concentrated along with pollen might have little toxicity to adult bees, but devastate the colony by its indirect effect on hive reproduction or mortality rate of larvae or young bees. On the other hand, a pesticide which is so toxic that the exposed bees die in the field can be less dangerous to the colony than a less toxic pesticide which allows the exposed bees to return to the hive and contaminate their fellows. Likewise, a highly toxic pesticide (according to LD50 measures) is “safe” for bees if it is applied on a grass lawn or other location without blooming flowers which would attract the bees. Furthermore, LD50 studies are conducted against adult bees and do not measure the effects on larvae, etc.
Bee kill rate per hive
The kill rate of bees in a single bee hive can be classified as:
< 100 bees per day – normal die off rate
200-400 bees per day – low kill
500-900 bees per day – moderate kill
> 1000 bees per day – high kill
Toxicity of pesticides to bees
Common name (ISO)
Examples of Brand names
Pesticide Class
length of residual toxicity
Comments
Bee toxicity
Aldicarb
Temik
Carbamate
apply 4 weeks before bloom
Relatively non-toxic
Carbaryl
Sevin,
(b) Sevin XLR
Carbamate
High risk to bees
foraging even 10 hours after spraying; 3 7 days (b) 8 hours @ 1.5 lb/acre (168 g/Ha) or less.
Bees poisoned with carbaryl can take 23 days to die, appearing inactive as if cold. It allows them time to take contaminated nectar and pollen back to the colony. Some crops treated with Sevin under the wrong conditions (in bloom, using a dust formulation, with large numbers of bees in the field) have been responsible for disastrous kills. Sevin is one of the United States’ most widely used insecticides for a wide variety of insect pests. It is also one of the most toxic to honey bees, in certain formulations. These should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination. There are formulations, however, which are determined to be less toxic (see tables). Usually, applicator-beekeeper communication can effectively be used to adequately protect bees from Sevin poisoning.
highly toxic
Carbofuran
Furadan
Carbamate
7 14 days
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ban on use on crops grown for human consumption (2009) carbofuran (banned in granular form)
highly toxic
Methomyl
Lannate, Nudrin
Carbamate
2 hours +
Should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination.
highly toxic
Methiocarb
Mesurol
Carbamate
highly toxic
mexacarbate
Zectran
Carbamate
highly toxic
Pirimicarb
Pirimor, Aphox
Carbamate
Relatively non-toxic
Propoxur
Baygon
Carbamate
highly toxic
Acephate
Orthene
Organophosphate
3 days
Moderately toxic
Azinphos-methyl
Guthion, Methyl-Guthion
Organophosphate
2.5 days
banned in the European Union since 2006.
highly toxic
Chlorpyrifos
Dursban, Lorsban
Organophosphate
banned in the US for home and garden use Should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination.
highly toxic
Coumaphos
Checkmite
Organophosphate
This is an insecticide that is used inside the beehive to combat varroa mites and small hive beetles, which are parasites of the honey bee. Overdoses can lead to bee poisoning.
Relatively non-toxic
Demeton
Systox
Organophosphate
<2 hours
highly toxic
Demeton-S-methyl
Meta-systox
Organophosphate
Moderately toxic
Diazinon
Spectracide
Organophosphate
Residential uses of diazinon were outlawed in the U.S. in 2004. Should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination.
highly toxic
dicrotophos
Bidrin
Organophosphate
highly toxic
Dichlorvos
DDVP, Vapona
Organophosphate
highly toxic
Dimethoate
Cygon, De-Fend
Organophosphate
3 days
Should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination.
highly toxic
Fenthion
Entex, Baytex, Baycid, Dalf, DMPT, Mercaptophos, Prentox, Fenthion 4E, Queletox,Lebaycid
Organophosphate
Should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination.
highly toxic
Fenitrothion
Sumithion
Organophosphate
highly toxic
fensulfothion
Dasanit
Organophosphate
highly toxic
fonofos
Dyfonate EC
Organophosphate
3 hours
List of Schedule 2 substances (CWC)
highly toxic
Malathion
Malathion USB, ~ EC, Cythion, maldison, mercaptothion
Organophosphate
>8 fl oz/acre (58 L/km) 5.5 days
highly toxic
Methamidophos
Monitor, Tameron
Organophosphate
Should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination.
highly toxic
Methidathion
Supracide
Organophosphate
Should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination.
highly toxic
methyl parathion
parathion Penncap-M
Organophosphate
58 days
By far the most potentially damaging pesticides for honey bees are those packaged in tiny capsules (microencapsulated). Microencapsulated methyl parathion (PennCap M), for example, is a liquid formulation containing capsules approximately the size of pollen grains which contain the active ingredient. When bees are out in the field, these capsules can become attached electrostatically to the pollen-collecting hairs of the insects, and at times are collected by design. When stored in pollen, the slow-release feature of the capsules allows the methyl parathion to be a potential killer for several months. At the present time, there is no way to detect whether bees are indeed poisoned by micro-encapsulated methyl parathion, so a beekeeper potentially could lose replacement bees for those already poisoned by the pesticide. It is, therefore, strongly recommended by experts that this formulation be used only when honey bee exposure is not a possibility.
It is classified as a UNEP Persistent Organic Pollutant and WHO Toxicity Class, “Ia, Extremely Hazardous”.
highly toxic
mevinphos
Phosdrin
Organophosphate
highly toxic
Monocrotophos
Azodrin
Organophosphate
Should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination.
highly toxic
naled
Dibrom
Organophosphate
16 hours
highly toxic
Omethoate
Organophosphate
Should never be sprayed on flowering crops especially if bees are active and the crop requires pollination.
highly toxic
oxydemeton-methyl
Metasystox-R
Organophosphate
<2 hours
highly toxic
phorate
Thimet EC
Organophosphate
5 hours
highly toxic
Phosmet
Imidan
Organophosphate
highly toxic
phosphamidon
Dimecron
Organophosphate
highly toxic
pyrazophos
Afugan
Organophosphate
fungicide
highly toxic
tetrachlorvinphos
Rabon, Stirofos, Gardona, Gardcide
Organophosphate
highly toxic
Trichlorfon, Metrifonate
Dylox, Dipterex
Organophosphate
3 6 hours
Relatively non-toxic
Permethrin
Ambush, Pounce
Synthetic pyrethroid
1 2 days
safened by repellency under arid conditions. Permethrin is also the active ingredient in insecticides used against the Small hive beetle, which is a parasite of the beehive in the temperate climate regions.
highly toxic
Cypermethrin
Ammo, Raid
Synthetic pyrethroid
Less than 2 hours
Cypermethrin is found in many household ant and cockroach killers, including Raid and ant chalk.
highly toxic
Fenvalerate
Asana, Pydrin
Synthetic pyrethroid
1 day
safened by repellency under arid conditions
highly toxic
Resmethrin
Chrysron, Crossfire, Pynosect, Raid Flying Insect Killer, Scourge, Sun-Bugger #4, SPB-1382, Synthrin, Syntox, Vectrin, Whitmire PT-110
Synthetic pyrethroid
highly toxic
Methoxychlor
DMDT, Marlate
Chlorinated cyclodiene
2 hours
available as a General Use Pesticide
highly toxic
Endosulfan
Thiodan
Chlorinated cyclodiene
8 hours
banned in European Union (2007?), New Zealand (2009)
moderately toxic
Clothianidin
Neonicotinoid
Banned in Germany
In June 2008, the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (Germany) suspended the registration of eight neonicotinoid pesticide seed treatment products used in oilseed rape and sweetcorn, a few weeks after honey bee keepers in the southern state of Baden Wrttemberg reported a wave of honey bee deaths linked to one of the pesticides, clothianidin.
Imidacloprid
Confidor, Gaucho, acetamiprid, clothianidin, nitenpyram, thiacloprid, thiamethoxam, Kohinor, Admire, Advantage, Merit, Confidor, Hachikusan, Premise, Prothor, and Winner
Neonicotinoid
(see also Imidacloprid effects on bee population)Banned in France since 1999
highly toxic
dicofol
Acaricide
Relatively non-toxic
petroleum oils
Relatively non-toxic
2,4-D
ingredient in over 1,500 products
Synthetic auxin herbicide
Relatively non-toxic
Source: Protecting Bees When Using Insecticides University of Nebraska Lincoln, Extension, May 1998
Common insecticides toxic to bees and used on soybeans
Many insecticides used against soybean aphids are highly toxic to bees.
Orthene 75S (acephate)
Address 75 WSP (acephate)
Sevin (Carbaryl)
Lorsban 4E (Chlorpyrifos)
Dimate (Dimethoate)
Steward 1.25 SC (Indoxacarb)
Lannate (Methomyl)
Cheminova Methyl 4EC (Methyl Parathion)
Penncap M (microencapsulated Methyl Parathion)
Tracer (Spinosad)
Highly toxic and banned in the US
Aldrin banned by US EPA in 1974
dieldrin banned by US EPA in 1974
heptachlor
lindane, BHC (banned in California)
Lawsuit against the EPA in the United States
In August 2008, the National Resources Defense Council, a New York environmental advocacy group, filed a lawsuit against the federal Environmental Protection Agency accusing the agency of withholding information about the risks pesticides pose to honeybees.
See also
Bees and toxic chemicals
Colony Collapse Disorder
Endangered arthropod
Pesticide misuse
Pesticides
Pollinator decline
References
^ Pollinator protection requirements for Section 18 Emergency Exemptions and Section 24(c) special local need registration in Washington State; Registration Services Program Pesticide Management Division Washington State Dept of Agriculture, Dec 2006
^ Hunt, G.J.; Using honey bees in pollination Purdue University, May 2000
^ Radunz, L. and Smith, E. S. C. [http://www.nt.gov.au/d/Content/File/p/Anim_Dis/677.pdf Pesticides Hazard to Honey Bees] Entomology, Darwin, Australia
^ carbaryl
^ carbofuran
^ methomyl
^ propoxur
^ acephate
^ azinphos-methyl
^ Scott, Alex (August 4, 2008). “Europe Rejects Appeal for Use of Azinphos-methyl Pesticide”. Chemical Week. http://www.chemweek.com/envirotech/regulatory/13435.html. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
^ chlorpyrifos
^ coumaphos
^ demeton
^ diazinon
^ dichlorvos
^ dimethoate
^ fenthion
^ fenitrothion
^ methamidophos
^ methidathion
^ monocrotophos
^ phosmet
^ permethrin
^ cypermethrin
^ esfenvalerate
^ resmethrin
^ Resmethrin Technical Fact Sheet – National Pesticide Information Center
^ Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids Fact Sheet – National Pesticide Information Center
^ Resmethrin Pesticide Information Profile – Extension Toxicology Network
^ MSDS for Scourge’ Formula II
^ methoxychlor
^ endosulfan
^ “Emergency Pesticide Ban for Saving the Honeybee”
^ Commonly Used Insecticides for Soybeans Kansas State University Extension, Aug 2004
^ EPA sued after allegations Bayer pesticide killing honeybees
External links
” Productivist Agriculture: Who wants to kill the bees?” by Henri Clment, President of the French Beekeepers Association (UNAF)
“Who wants to kill the bees ? (It difficult to work it out)” by Jean-Luc Brunet, Assistant Manager of the Combined Bee Research and Environment Unit
Honey Bees and Pesticides, 1978, Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium
Mayer, D.F., Johansen, C.A. & Baird, C.R.; How to Reduce Bee Poisoning from Pesticides, PNW518, A Pacific Northwest Extension Publication, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Copyright 1999 Washington State University. Includes an extensive list of toxic chemicals such as pesticides that affect bees.
McBride, Dean k.; Protecting Honeybees From Pesticides, 1997 North Dakota State University
Sanford, Malcolm T.; Protecting Honey Bees From Pesticides, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension, April 1993
US EPA Pesticide Registration (PR) Notice 2001-5
Categories: Beekeeping | Environmental effects of pesticides
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