Acute toxicity of microplastic fibers to honeybees and effects on foraging behavior.

Microplastics (MPs) are considered emerging and persistent pollutants, although most of the research has been conducted on marine environments. Declines in honeybee populations have been reported globally, and recently, microplastic pollution has been considered a possible cause of this. Thus, we aimed to determine acute toxicity of polyester fibers and their effects on foraging behavior in honeybees.

Testing the Insecticidal Activity of Nanostructured Alumina on (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Under Laboratory Conditions Using Galvanized Steel Containers.

Most stored-grain pest insects increase their population within a relatively short time, causing serious damage to stored products. (L.) is one of the world's major stored-grain pest insects and was chosen as the model insect for our studies.

Determination of maleic hydrazide residues in garlic bulbs by HPLC.

In recent years, the release of information about the preventative and curative properties of garlic on different diseases and their benefits to human health has led to an increase in the consumption of garlic. To meet the requirements of international markets and reach competitiveness and profitability, farmers seek to extend the offer period of fresh garlic by increasing post-harvest life. As a result, the use of maleic hydrazide (1,2-dihydropyridazine-3,6-dione) [MH], a plant growth regulator, has been widespread in various garlic growing regions of the world.

Composition and toxic, repellent and feeding deterrent activity of essential oils against the stored-grain pests Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) and Sitophilus oryzae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

Background: The composition and bioactivity of essential oils from Tagetes terniflora Kunth, Cymbopogon citratus Stapf. and Elyonurus muticus (Spreng) Kuntz were evaluated against stored-grain pests.

Results: Fumigant and contact toxicities were observed with T.

Novel use of nanostructured alumina as an insecticide.

Background: The worldwide need to produce an inexpensive and abundant food supply for a growing population is a great challenge that is further complicated by concerns about risks to environmental stability and human health triggered by the use of pesticides. The result is the ongoing development of alternative pest control strategies, and new, lower-risk insecticidal molecules. Among the recent technological advances in agricultural science, nanotechnology shows considerable promise, although its development for use in crop protection is in its initial stages.

Field relevance of a synergistic effect observed in the laboratory between an EBI fungicide and a chloronicotinyl insecticide in the honeybee (Apis mellifera L, Hymenoptera).

It had been found earlier that the chloronicotinyl insecticide thiacloprid (as the 480 g litre(-1) SC Calypso) poses a favourably low toxicity hazard to the honeybee, Apis mellifera L. As with pyrethroids, the metabolization of chloronicotinyl compounds involves monooxygenases, which are known to be inhibited by some ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitor (EBI) fungicides potentially co-applied with these insecticides. The potential synergistic enhancement of the toxicity of thiacloprid to honeybees when co-applied with such fungicides was therefore studied under laboratory and semi-field conditions.