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bioRxiv · 10.1101/416354

Effects of exposure to sublethal concentrations of methoxyfenozide on honey bee colony activity and thermoregulation

Meikle, W. G.·Corby-Harris, V.·Carroll, M. J.·Weiss, M.·Snyder, L. A.·Meador, C. A. D.·Beren, E.·Brown, N.
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Abstract

Methoxyfenozide is an insect growth regulator (IGR) commonly used in agricultural to simultaneously control pests and preserve beneficial insect populations; however, its impact on honey bees in not fully understood. We conducted field and laboratory experiments to investigate bee health in response to field-relevant doses of this pesticide. Significant effects were observed in honey bee colony flight activity and thermoregulation after being treated with methoxyfenozide. Data collected indicated that hives fed 500 ppb methoxyfenozide treated pollen patty had: 1) a significantly reduced rate of daily hive weight loss due to forager departure at the start of the colonys daily activity; 2) the end of the colonys daily activity delayed by 17-21 minutes compared to Control; and 3) higher temperature variability during the winter. Colonies in the 125 ppb treatment group had fewer differences with the Control group, but did show a delay in the foraging end time by 30-46 minutes compared to the Control. Bee colony metrics of adult bee mass and brood surface area, and individual bee measurements of head weight, newly-emerged bee weight, and hypopharyngeal gland size were not significantly affected by the methoxyfenozide exposure levels of our experiments. An experiment conducted using the same treatment groups in the spring resulted in fewer differences among groups than did the experiments conducted in the fall. Analyses of methoxyfenozide concentrations in the treatment patty, wax, and bee bread showed that: 1) observed methoxyfenozide concentrations were about 18-60% lower than the calculated concentrations; 2) no residues were observed in wax in any treatment; and 3) methoxyfenozide was detected in stored bee bread in the 500 ppb treatment, at concentrations about 1-2.5% of the observed concentration for that treatment. These results suggest that there may be significant effects on honey bee colony behavior (and possibly health) in the field that are difficult to detect through traditional hive inspections and individual metrics.

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Meikle, W. G., Corby-Harris, V., Carroll, M. J., Weiss, M., Snyder, L. A., Meador, C. A. D., Beren, E., Brown, N.. 2018-09-13. Effects of exposure to sublethal concentrations of methoxyfenozide on honey bee colony activity and thermoregulation. https://doi.org/10.1101/416354

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