Bee Issues in Agriculture and Potential Impacts on the

Processing Industry

Hannah Gaines Day and Claudio GrattonDepartment of Entomology

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Thiamethoxam ImidaclopridClothianidin

Is the US next?

What makes systemic pesticides different?

Traditional pesticides

Traditional pesticides

Traditional pesticides

Traditional pesticides

X

Traditional pesticides

Traditional pesticides

Systemic pesticides

Systemic pesticides

Systemic pesticides

Systemic pesticides

X

Systemic pesticides

Systemic pesticides

Systemic pesticides

Systemic pesticides

• Benefits– Very effective– Less toxic to birds and mammals– Effective longer

Systemic pesticides

• Benefits– Very effective– Less toxic to birds and mammals– Effective longer

• Drawbacks– Present in nectar and pollen– Remain in environment longer– Toxic to bees

• 85% of all flowering plants (Ollerton et al. 2011)

• 35% of global crop production (Klein et al. 2007)

R. Winfree

How important are bees?

One in every three bites you eat is dependent on insect pollination.

DIRECTLY

One in every three bites you eat is dependent on insect pollination.

INDIRECTLY

With bees

Without bees

Pollinators

• Birds, bats, bees, moths, butterflies• Bees are the MOST IMPORTANT pollinators

– Actively collect pollen– Floral constancy– Branched hairs

Result of poor pollination

Bees and Midwest agriculture

Crop pollination by honey bees

Photo: USDA-ARS/Scott Bauer

www.gallery.photo.net

Native bees are also great crop pollinators

• Active earlier in season and day

• Collect both pollen and nectar

• Buzz pollination• No rental fees• Keep honey bees

moving• Not susceptible to

honey bee diseases

Solitary bee life cycleSpring

Summer

Fall

Winter

(Photos: Dennis Briggs)

Bee diversity in Wisconsin

• Cranberry ~180 species (H. Gaines Day, unpubl.)

• Pickling cucumber ~60 species (Lowenstein et al. 2012)

• Apple ~70 species (R. Mallinger, unpubl.)

Photo: Bob Hammond, CSU Coop Ext

Photo: Rachael WinfreeWinfree, R. et al.. 2008. Wild bee pollinators provide the majority of crop visitation across land-use gradients in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, USA. Journal of Applied Ecology 45:793-802.

Native bees and crop pollination

Fruit set increases with bee diversity

Klein et al. 2003

Bees are in decline worldwide

© Derrick Ditchburn© Johanna James-Heinz

© Jodi DeLong

© Peter Schroeder

Causes of bee decline

• Mites, disease, pesticide exposure

Photo: USDA-ARS/Scott Bauer

vanEngelsdorp et al. (in prep)

Honey bee rental rates (CA)

1995-2005

Honey bee rental rates (CA)

1995-2005, plus almonds, 2006-20082006

2007

2008

Colony Collapse Disorder

• Disease/pathogen?• Viruses?• Pests?• Stress?• Not cell phones or Bt

crops (Duan et al. 2008)

• Poor diet?• Insecticide exposure?

Colony Collapse Disorder

• Disease/pathogen?• Viruses?• Pests?• Stress?• Not cell phones or Bt

crops (Duan et al. 2008)

• Poor diet?• Insecticide exposure?

Honey bee decline and diet (Alaux et al. 2010)

=

Honey bee decline and diet (Alaux et al. 2010)

• Bees diet is made of pollen and nectar• Diverse diet = healthier bees, stronger immune

system

Honey bee decline and diet (Alaux et al. 2010)

=

Modern agricultural landscapes are food deserts for bees.

Even small flower patches can provide vital floral resources for bees

Honey bee decline and pesticides

• 118 different pesticides found in honey bee hives (Mullin et al. 2010)

Honey bee decline and pesticides

Risk = toxicity x exposure

Honey bee decline and pesticides

Risk = toxicity x exposure

Honey bee decline and pesticides

• Lethal effects• Sub-lethal effects

Honey bee decline and pesticides

• Synergism between chemicals– Combinations of pesticides more toxic

Honey bee decline and pesticides

• Synergism between chemicals– Combinations of pesticides more toxic

• Unexpected effects of “safe” chemicals– Inerts, Fungicides, Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs)

Honey bee decline and pesticides

Risk = toxicity x exposure

Honey bee decline and pesticides

• Multiple routes of exposure (Krupke et al. 2012)

– Planter dust, contaminated soil

Honey bee decline and pesticides

• Multiple routes of exposure (Krupke et al. 2012)

– Planter dust, contaminated soil– Weedy flowers near treated fields

Honey bee decline and pesticides

• Multiple routes of exposure (Krupke et al. 2012)

– Planter dust, contaminated soil– Weedy flowers near treated fields– Contaminated pollen and nectar

Purdue extension Photo: Bob Hammond, CSU Coop Ext

Honey bee decline and pesticides

• Multiple routes of exposure (Krupke et al. 2012)

– Planter dust, contaminated soil– Weedy flowers near treated fields– Contaminated pollen and nectar– Contaminated water

How are we addressing these issues?

• Research• New EPA labeling• Corn Dust Research Consortium

– Industry, government, university, non-profit– Develop new lubricants and polymers to reduce

dust and contamination in dust

Why do these issues matter to you?

• Pollinator-dependent crops• Your actions have broader effects than the

field boundaries• Everyone needs to eat

Purdue extension

What can you do to help?

• Identify and preserve native bees and bee habitat already present on your farm.

© NRCS Lynn Betts

What can you do to help?

• Identify and preserve native bees and bee habitat already present on your farm.

• Provide flowers and nesting resources.

K. UllmannPhoto: Bob Hammond, CO Coop Ext

What can you do to help?

• Identify and preserve native bees and bee habitat already present on your farm.

• Provide flowers and nesting resources.• Adjust current practices to protect bees.

– Spray timing, drift, chemistries

Small actions by many people can make a big change.

Further resources

The Xerces Society (www.xerces.org)

Further resources

The Xerces Society (www.xerces.org)

Further resources

Gratton Lab at UW-Madisonhttp://gratton.entomology.wisc.edu/

My contact information:Email: hgaines@gmail.comCell: 774-392-0498