Inspiration Article

Threat of Extinction:

How Neonics, Fungicides, and Africanized Bees Impact Honeybee Death

In the past fifteen years, the mortality rate of honeybees has increased, causing a rising

fear among beekeepers and scientists all over the world. Many people take bees for granted and

don’t appreciate what such a tiny insect can accomplish, but without bees, agriculture and society

would change immensely. For example, in some parts of China, the bees have died out and the

people are left to pollinate by hand (More Than Honey). Since this problem was identified,

scientists have been intent on discovering how to prevent bee extinction. There are many

possibilities as to why the bees are dying; the most controversial topic is pesticides. The use of

pesticides, mainly neonicotinoids, is one possible cause of bee deaths and colony collapse

disorder. Many studies have proven again and again that neonicotinoids and other pesticides are

killing bees, yet others still don’t believe their dangers. This paper will look at what factors may

cause the high mortality rate, as well as present a solution to lower the mortality rate. Two

solutions to prevent bees from dying are to stop using pesticides, moving towards organic

farming and to introduce the Africanized honeybee into the honeybee gene pool.

Neonicotinoids, neonics for short, are a type of insecticide that affects the nervous system

of insects. They trigger a neuroactive response in the central nervous system, meaning they

stimulate neural tissue and bind enzyme receptors together eventually leading to paralysis and

death (Neonicotinoids). Studies have shown that neonics work the same way nicotine works on

humans, causing addiction. Because bees are showing more interest in neonicotinoid-

Fall1946

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contaminated food, researchers fear that neonics “may not only change foraging behaviors, but

the overall health of the hives too” (Wallace). These changes include their sense of awareness,

lack of appetite, and increased risk of disease.

While neonicotinoids do not directly kill bees, they do leave them more vulnerable to

diseases and parasite infections. In a PBS report, Christian Krupke, a researcher at Purdue

University, explains his beliefs and reasons why this is true. He says high levels of neonics “do

not kill bees, but may leave them more vulnerable” to diseases (Aubrey). Because they can be

found nearly everywhere, in the water they drink and the flowers they pollinate, bees are

virtually exposed to neonics all the time. This constant exposure to neonics ultimately raises the

bee mortality rate, playing a large role in bee deaths.

The bees studied the most are the Apis mellifera, otherwise known as the European

honeybees, and the Apis cerana, the Asian honeybee. Little is known about neonics’ effects on

wild bees, such as the Africanized honeybee, because scientists underestimate their abilities with

the pollination of crops. If more research is done on wild bees, they may offer solutions to

dealing with the decline of the honeybee population (Lundin, et al.).

In a recent study testing the impact the neonic, imidacloprid, has on A. cerana, an Asian

bee species, it was shown that neonics could lower the bees’ sense of danger. Even though most

research has been done on the species A. mellifera, this research provides insight to how closely

related all the bees are since the Asian species is very similar to the European species. Both

European and Asian bees visited the feeder less once it contained at least 40𝜇𝑔/𝐿, not a lethal

amount, but very high. Testing the bees for imidacloprid showed that it was not a neurological

effect, rather that the bees detected contamination within the feeder. The most significant effect

on the bees, however, was the impact it had on their sense of danger. It appeared to decrease as

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the intake of imidacloprid increased (Tan, et al.). This proves that the imidacloprid changed their

foraging behaviors. It directly affects the bees’ sense of danger, making it so they are unaware of

danger. If the bees are not as aware of danger, for example, a hornet’s nest, then they are more

likely to go toward it, resulting in the death of many bees. The imidacloprid changed the way the

bees thought and acted, causing them to act in behavior that would result in their death.

As well as lowering their awareness of danger, the bees’ attitude toward food changed.

The work showed that imidacloprid reduced the waggle dancing. The waggle dance is an

important dance performed by a forager (a bee that pollinates and gathers food) as a way of

communication to tell other bees where good food is located. The bees without increased

amounts of imidacloprid danced less (Tan, et al.). This can mean that they thought food that was

free of imidacloprid to be less important or valuable for the colony. It also can mean that bees

would be more likely to die because they are not looking for food. This research indicates that

bees behave differently when exposed to neonicotinoids while collecting nectar and pollinating

plants and adds to the evidence that neonics are harmful to all bees.

There are many people that do not believe neonicotinoids are harming the bees.

Insecticide manufacturers support the use of neonics. They believe that since they are not

spraying plants, it is less harmful. (Aubrey). Neonicotinoids used to be sprayed on the plant to

protect it from insects. Now, they are applied to the plant when it is still a seed. Although

applying it this way is believed to be less harmful to bees, neonics can still get in the pollen and

nectar the bees collect, which is taken to the beehive and becomes integrated into their system.

Companies like Bayer and Syngenta, both producing neonics, have opened bee care facilities,

believing that their method of putting the pesticide on the seed is better for the bees. However,

even with these theoretically safer methods, bees are still exposed to neonics. While the amount

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applied might be less per plant, there are still many, many plants, so the quantity of neonics

being used is virtually the same. With everything added up, it is enough to damage the bees’

systems.

Yet there are those who found fungicides to present an even worse problem to bees.

Fungicides are a type of pesticide that kills fungi and are used on plants. The types of fungicides

used on crops and the quantity are the main issues. In the study, Crop Pollination Exposes Honey

Bees, done by Pettis, et al., neonics entered the hive only through apple pollen, while fungicides

entered through various sources. The pollen samples that were examined revealed nine different

types of pesticide and fungicide mixtures could be obtained from one plant alone. With too much

exposure to these, the chances of the bees contracting Nosema Ceranae, a parasitic infection,

increases (Pettis, et al.). Crop Pollination Exposes Honey Bees has shown that “pesticides have

sub lethal effects on development, reproduction, learning and memory, and forager behavior”

(Pettis, et al.). In other words, these pesticides that enter the bees’ systems from pollen can alter

their physical abilities and mental health. The research also proves that “simultaneous exposure

to multiple pesticides decreases lethal doses or increases supersedure (replacing a queen with

another)” (Pettis, et al.). Scientists are unsure of what amount of pesticide(s) is lethal to bees.

This information makes it difficult to discern what the lethal dosage is for each type of pesticide.

Without knowing the lethal dosage, it is hard for farmers to regulate their pesticide use in a way

that does not harm bees. This information led the researchers to conclude neonics are not very

harmful and the main problem is the use of fungicides.

Another study, done by Simon-Delso, et al., also agrees that while insecticides are bad,

fungicides are worse. Fungicides are found on all the plants, just like most pesticides, but are

more harmful to the bees than pesticides. Their research states that fungicides can have direct

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effects on bees. They directly affect bee health by increasing the mortality rate of bees in the fall,

which can lead to a growth decrease in the winter. They also increase the larvae mortality rate

and may indirectly affect bee colony growth. Since fungicides were found in bee colonies with

disorders, there appears to be a negative relationship to the bees’ wellbeing.

This research directly opposes Krupke’s study where he found neonicotinoids

everywhere. Simon-Delso et al. and Pettis et al. said that neonics were hardly present in their

research. They were only found on two plants, and not in high enough amounts to cause harm to

the bees. According to Simon-Delso et al. and many others, fungicides are a larger problem than

neonics, presenting them as a stress factor in the bee disorder. Nevertheless, neonics are still

harmful to bees. As proven, they can lower bees’ senses and weaken their immune system.

Fungicides can have the same effect on bees and though controversy continues as to whether the

greater harm results from neonicotinoids or fungicides, much evidence exists to show that both

have negative effects on bee colonies. The challenge then is to find a way to stop the use of

neonics and fungicides and prevent them from remaining prominent factors in bee deaths.

The solution lays with another type of bee that is not prone to diseases, like the ordinary

European or the Asian honeybee, and is not harmed by chemicals. That bee is the less common

Africanized honeybee, more commonly known as the “killer bee”. It is characterized as a very

strong and aggressive bee that can survive without chemical treatment and little care. This bee is

a result of scientists in Brazil trying to create a bee suited for high climates. It migrated up to

North America after escaping a lab in Brazil. Because it does not need treatment to live well,

many believe this bee will survive when the ordinary honeybee is gone.

In More Than Honey, Fred, a beekeeper, discusses why he thinks Africanized honeybees

will survive. When he first started keeping Africanized honeybees, he didn’t treat them with

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chemicals so the mite infecting the Europeans bees would kill them. The Africanized bees were

not killed by the mite and “thrived off of no treatment” (Imhoof). These bees do not need to be

treated to prevent mite infestation and they appear to escape the effects of neonics and

fungicides. In order to support the bees, Americans need to embrace and accept Africanized bees

into their culture. Instead, Americans, brainwashed by Hollywood films, are afraid of them.

Despite popular belief, the Africanized honeybees can pollinate and make honey very well

without the use of chemicals. If America does not integrate the African bee into their culture, it

might end up like China, having to pollinate by hand.

However, scientists are afraid of Africanized honeybees mating with the European

honeybees, many believing the impact could cause immense negative effects. In Africanized

Honey Bees, Kevin Hackett explains that the Africanized honeybees are a threat to agriculture

and society. To society, they are seen as a menace, stinging unprovoked and being naturally

aggressive, but Hackett does not mention how or what kind of threat specifically they pose to

agriculture. The United States relies heavily on honeybees for agricultural pollination. Hackett

suggests the Africanized honeybees would affect agriculture in unfavorable ways, but h does not

offer a specific example. Hackett also mentions how breeders are afraid of the normal honeybees

and the Africanized honeybees mating and disturbing the stock of bees, but he does not mention

what consequences this might produce. The only clear examples Hackett uses shows the effects

the bees have in society and everyday living. For instance, with outdoors activities like hiking,

people need to be more careful as to not provoke unwanted attacks (Hackett). Cases like this give

the Africanized honeybees a villainous reputation, but they are not and have beneficial qualities.

While the European honeybees need chemicals to survive and help protect them from parasites,

infections, and diseases, the Africanized honeybees do not need chemicals and can survive in

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very tough conditions, withstanding parasites, diseases, and infections. This gives them the upper

hand in the long run. Scientists are so focused on the negative consequences the Africanized

honeybees might present, that they are not considering the possibilities of favorable

consequences. If these bees are integrated into society, farmers will not need to use pesticides

and fungicides as much, and may be able to stop using them completely.

Pesticide users are afraid that if they stop using pesticides, their crops will die, but

organic farmers do very well without pesticides. Planting organic is not only a healthier option

for the bees, but also for the planter. It allows the plant to have the good insects as well as the

bad, letting the plant and the bee obtain as many nutrients possible. Lucas Criswell, a corn

farmer, stopped using pesticides on his corn because they kill the good insects as well as the bad

(Aubrey). Since he has stopped using pesticides, his crops are still growing and are very healthy.

The average citizen of the world is also responsible for promoting bee health. For starters, people

can stop using pesticides in their own garden. Since bees can travel six to seven miles away from

their hive, it is very possible for bees to come in contact with pesticides or herbicides.

Albert Einstein sums up the problem by saying, man has four years to live after bees die,

“no more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man”. What he

says might seem extreme, but it is very relevant. If the rest of the world doesn’t want to end up

like China where the citizens must take jobs as manual laborers to pollinate every orchard by

hand, then people must become aware of the problem and help fix it. There are many

organizations such as, American Beekeeping and Pan UK Bees, around the world that want to

ban the use of neonics. They work hard to be noticed and get the message across to all citizens of

the world because bee extinction will affect everyone. To help save the bees, more research must

be done on how to integrate and cross breed Africanized honeybees with the European or Asian

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honeybee. Farmers and all types of gardeners should refrain from using pesticides and

fungicides. These steps must be taken in order for life to remain, as it is, comfortable and full of

beauty and food.

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Works Cited

Einstein, Albert. "A Quote by Albert Einstein." Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.

Are Pesticides to Blame for the Massive Bee Die-Off. Perf. Allison Aubrey. PBS News

Hour. PBS, 24 Nov. 2015. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.

Hackett, Kevin J. "Africanized Honey Bees: A Concern, Not A Hollywood Villain." Agricultural

Research 55.2 (2007): 2. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Nov. 2015.

Lundin, Ola, et al. "Neonicotinoid Insecticides And Their Impacts On Bees: A Systematic

Review Of Research Approaches And Identification Of Knowledge Gaps." Plos

ONE 10.8 (2015): 1-20.Academic Search Premier. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.

More than Honey. Dir. Markus Imhoof. Perf. Robert Hunger-Bühler. 01 Distribution,

2012. Netflix.

"Neonicotinoids." Pan UK Bees Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

Pettis, Jeffery S., et al. "Crop Pollination Exposes Honey Bees To Pesticides Which Alters Their

Susceptibility To The Gut Pathogen Nosema Ceranae." Plos ONE 8.7 (2013): 1-

9. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.

Simon-Delso, Noa, et al. "Honeybee Colony Disorder In Crop Areas: The Role Of Pesticides

And Viruses." Plos ONE 9.7 (2014): 1-16.Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Nov. 2015.

Tan, Ken, et al. "Imidacloprid Alters Foraging And Decreases Bee Avoidance Of

Predators." Plos ONE 9.7 (2014): 1-8. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Dec. 2015.

Wallace, Ryan. "Neonicotinoid-Laced Nectar Proves to Be Addictive Additive for Bees."

Science Times RSS. Science Times, 27 Apr. 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.