Large-Scale Monitoring of Resistance to Coumaphos, Amitraz, and Pyrethroids in .

is an ectoparasitic mite causing devastating damages to honey bee colonies around the world. Its impact is considered a major factor contributing to the significant seasonal losses of colonies recorded every year. Beekeepers usually rely on a reduced set of acaricides to manage the parasite, usually the pyrethroids tau-fluvalinate or flumethrin, the organophosphate coumaphos, and the formamidine amitraz.

A two-year monitoring of pesticide hazard in-hive: High honey bee mortality rates during insecticide poisoning episodes in apiaries located near agricultural settings.

Pesticide residues in beebread, live and dead honey bees, together with honey bee death rate were monitored from June 2016 to June 2018 in three apiaries, located near agricultural settings and in wildlands. Dead honey bees were only collected and analyzed when significant mortality episodes occurred and pesticide content in beeswax of each experimental apiary was evaluated at the beginning of the study. Samples were extracted by a modified QuEChERS procedure and screened for pesticides residues by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Pesticide residues in honey bees, pollen and beeswax: Assessing beehive exposure.

In order to study the distribution of pesticide residues in beekeeping matrices, samples of live in-hive worker honey bees (Apis mellifera), fresh stored pollen and beeswax were collected during 2016-2017 from 45 apiaries located in different landscape contexts in Spain. A total of 133 samples were screened for 63 pesticides or their degradation products to estimate the pesticide exposure to honey bee health through the calculation of the hazard quotient (HQ). The influence of the surrounding environment on the content of pesticides in pollen was assessed by comparing the concentrations of pesticide residues found in apiaries from intensive farming landscapes to those found in apiaries located in mountainous, grassland and urban contexts.

Occurrence of pesticide residues in Spanish beeswax.

Beeswax from Spain was collected during 2016 to determine pesticide residues incidence. The 35 samples were divided in foundation, old combs, cappings or virgin beeswax to compare pesticide content between groups. Wax was screened for 58 pesticides or their degradation products by QuEChERS extraction and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Efficiency of QuEChERS approach for determining 52 pesticide residues in honey and honey bees.

A comparison between QuEChERS and other pesticide extraction procedures for honey and honey bee matrices is discussed. Honey bee matrix was extracted by solvent based procedure whereas solid phase extraction was the protocol for the honey matrix. The citrate buffered QuEChERS method was used for both matrices.

Influence of pesticide use in fruit orchards during blooming on honeybee mortality in 4 experimental apiaries.

Samples of dead honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) were collected periodically from 4 different locations during citrus and stone fruit trees blooming season to evaluate the potential impact of agrochemicals on honey bee death rate. For the determination of mortality, dead honey bee traps were placed in front of the experimental hives entrance located in areas of intensive agriculture in Valencian Community (Spain).