The Exposure of Pesticides to Honeybees: A Global Threat to Food Security
- 1 Department of Entomology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh
- 2 Faculty of Agriculture, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh
- 3 Department of Crop Botany, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh
- 4 Department of Plant Pathology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh
Abstract
The pivotal role of honeybees as global pollinators underscores their significance in ecological and agricultural systems. However, the beekeeping industry faces a significant challenge due to the improper utilization of pesticides, resulting in adverse effects on honeybee populations. This comprehensive review endeavors to investigate the toxicity of pesticides to honeybees, examining the various routes of exposure. Furthermore, it aims to delineate the repercussions of pesticide exposure on honeybee foraging behavior and the quality of essential hive products. Additionally, the review explores effective strategies to mitigate pesticide risks to advance contemporary apiculture practices. Pesticides, inherently poisonous, disrupt crucial physiological and behavioral mechanisms in honeybees. Notably, organophosphates and carbamates function as neuroinhibitors by impeding the acetylcholine neurotransmitter action in the insect nervous system. Among the insecticides, imidacloprid, clothianidin, and thiamethoxam, classified as neonicotinoids, demonstrated high toxicity even at minimal exposure doses. Acaricides, while less toxic to bees than their target parasites, pose potential risks when excessive residues accumulate in combs, impacting bee health adversely. Moreover, pesticides contaminate hive products, with beeswax identified as the most heavily contaminated, followed by pollen. The degree of pesticide contamination in pollen samples correlates with the detected pesticide quantities. Analyses of two key hive products, honey, and pollen, reveal that approximately 90% of pesticide residues are found in pollen, while honey contains 50%. The contamination of hive products underscores the pervasive nature of pesticide exposure within the honeybee environment. Encouraging the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies among farmers emerges as a crucial recommendation. This approach not only safeguards beneficial insect diversity but also enhances agroecosystem services, ultimately ensuring a secure global food supply in the future.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3844/ojbsci.2024.232.243
Copyright: © 2024 Halima Sadia, Pratik Raj Karki, Mansura Afroz, Haider Iqbal Khan, Md. Motahar Hossain and Md. Mamunur Rahman. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
- 2,040 Views
- 747 Downloads
- 2 Citations
Download
Keywords
- Toxicology
- Pesticide Exposure
- Beekeeping
- Pollination
- Sustainability
- Food Security