The honey bee is the most widely managed crop pollinator and provides our agricultural industry with the sustainability and economic viability needed to satisfy the food and fiber needs of our society. The excessive use of pesticides is implicated in the reduced number of managed bee colonies available for crop pollination services. However, there are several gaps in our knowledge with respect to pesticide exposures and the health status of managed bee colonies. Thus, it is necessary to gather information relevant to the areas where knowledge is lacking to enhance our ability to predict conditions that are either favorable or unfavorable for bee colony health. Here, we will summarize our research findings related to pesticide impact on the microbiota community structure and function of managed bee colonies and the resulting nutritional and immune deficiencies that threaten colony health. These data are being used to model the health profiles for managed bee colonies exposed to pesticides in order to provide a theoretical framework to explain bee colony health thresholds and failures. In turn, the information gathered in this study will be translated into utilizable management practices to reduce the loss of managed bee colonies for both the apicultural and agricultural industry.

Pollinators, pesticides, and pathogens: Linking honey bee colony health to chemical exposures

246th National Meeting (2013)

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