title: Agricultural Landscape and Pesticide Effects on Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Biological Traits.
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.
authors.affiliation: The University of Tennessee, Entomology and Plant Pathology Department, West Tennessee Research and Education Center, Jackson, TN 38301 ( malburak@utk.edu ; ssteckel@utk.edu ; mattwill@utk.edu ; sdstewart@utk.edu ).|Corresponding author, e-mail: malburak@utk.edu.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alburaki
authors.affiliation: The University of Tennessee, Entomology and Plant Pathology Department, West Tennessee Research and Education Center, Jackson, TN 38301 (malburak@utk.edu; ssteckel@utk.edu; mattwill@utk.edu; sdstewart@utk.edu).
authors.forename: Sandra J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Steckel
authors.affiliation: The University of Tennessee, Entomology and Plant Pathology Department, West Tennessee Research and Education Center, Jackson, TN 38301 (malburak@utk.edu; ssteckel@utk.edu; mattwill@utk.edu; sdstewart@utk.edu).
authors.forename: Matthew T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Entomology and Plant Pathology Department, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (jskinner@utk.edu).
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7613 (drtarpy@ncsu.edu).
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Tarpy
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, AZ 85719 (william.meikle@ars.usda.gov).
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Meikle
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS - Thad Cochran Southern Horticultural Laboratory, Poplarville, MS 39470 (john.adamczyk@ars.usda.gov).
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adamczyk
authors.affiliation: The University of Tennessee, Entomology and Plant Pathology Department, West Tennessee Research and Education Center, Jackson, TN 38301 (malburak@utk.edu; ssteckel@utk.edu; mattwill@utk.edu; sdstewart@utk.edu).
authors.forename: Scott D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Stewart
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D056630:Beekeeping; D001516:Bees / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013714:Tennessee
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides
keywords: agricultural landscape; brood; honey bee; pesticide; weight