Impact of pesticides on health and behavior of bees (Fam. Apidae)

Bekić Šarić, Bojana and Mladenović, Mića and Mačukanović Jocić, Marina (2015) Impact of pesticides on health and behavior of bees (Fam. Apidae). In: IV International Symposium and XX Scientific-professional Conference of Agronomists of Republic of Srpska. Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina. University of Banja Luka, Faculty of Agriculture, Banja Luka, pp. 330-331. ISBN 978-99938-93-30-1

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Abstract

In recent years, in the scientific and professional community there is great concern regarding decline of bee populations in the world, due to their key role in pollination of not only agricultural crops but also the entire natural vegetation and thus maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem balance. One part of the scientific community associate decline of bees’ populations with excessive use of chemicals in modern agricultural production, especially pesticides, although other factors are also examined as possible causes this phenomenon. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the latest research results on the impact of pesticides on health and behavior of bees, conducted in laboratory and field conditions, that is presenting the most important negative effects on members of this economically the most important family of insects. Most of the research referred to the impact of pesticides on bees’ health and behavior, with the focus on specific group of insecticides called neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids are today the most widely used class of insecticides for control of pests’ populations on agricultural crops and account for over 25% of the world market insecticides, where its production is constantly increasing. Many laboratory studies have shown that neonicotinoids have lethal and sub-lethal effects on bees, i.e. that they affect bees’ memory and learning, collecting of nectar, brood development, hygienic behavior, susceptibility to diseases and so on. Since pesticides cause great stress in the bee's organism causing changes in behavior, it is pointed to the necessity of finding new farming practices to fight pests, that is development and use of substances and technological solutions that will not negatively affect health of these pollinators.

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