The Varroa mite can clearly be seen on the back of this honey bee ... Box 2. Issues with Imidacloprid in France
1999 - Gaucho is suspended for use on sunflowers after some beekeepers claim that there may be a relationship between bee mortality and the use of Gaucho on sunflowers.
2004 - The French Minister of Agriculture decides to suspend the registration of Gaucho in maize despite “no scientific data linking the use of these products with bee issues”.
2007 - After no improvement in bee health, French food safety authority (AFSSA) demonstrate a multitude of factors are responsible for bee deaths. The French Minister of Agriculture Michel Barnier admits that bee deaths occur in regions where Gaucho had not been applied.
2008 - AFSSA stated that there is no statistical correlation between bee losses and imidacloprid residues in pollen or from spray applications.
2009 - Most recent AFSSA study identifies the Varroa mite as the main cause of bee losses and that it is not possible to confirm that pesticides play any direct or indirect role in bee losses.
2009 - French regulators start to approve neonicotinoids uses again.
“Bee losses are occurring in both the UK and elsewhere in the world, and their root causes have to be managed to safeguard this economically important pollinator”
Africa and South America, also have better bee health because the Africanised bee is better adapted to the presence of Varroa mites.
Neonicotinoid Insecticides and Seed Treatments
Despite being approved for use across the world as a safe and appropriate method for pest management when used as directed, some groups and individuals have suggested that the use of
neonicotinoids, such as imidacloprid, in a seed
52
treatment may have issues when it comes to bee safety. So, what are seed
treatments? They involve putting a layer of a pesticide on the surface of a seed, which then protects the seed and the young plant as it grows. Farmers prefer this to crop sprays because it is more effective, reduces the number of sprays, reducing the impact on non-target species inhabiting adjacent areas. All this has contributed to almost the entire oilseed rape crop in the UK being treated via
... and their effects can be devastating to a colony
its seeds. The argument against seed treatment with
neonicotinoids stems from laboratory studies that show that low doses have an impact on bees. It extrapolates from such results that, although the insecticide will not kill the bee or colony outright, it somehow weakens the bee, or diminishes its overall health. Such arguments have, sometimes, put political pressure on policymakers in some countries to make rapid decisions without real scientific evidence, for example, in the case of imidacloprid in France (see Box 2). In reality, pesticide
regulators are well aware of potential effects in the laboratory and, where they are found, further studies are demanded to determine what happens under realistic conditions in the field before such products can be commercialised. Likewise, it is important to note that the commercialisation of a product is not the end of the story - the updating of the regulatory files is a continuous process, and will take into account any new scientific evidence that comes to light.
So, in the case of this class of insecticides, there have been numerous tests done post-registration, including four large ‘multifactorial’ studies in the US, Belgium, France and Germany, in which all the possible issues concerning bee safety have been analysed under real field conditions. In all such studies, poor bee health correlates well with the presence of Varroa and bee diseases, but there is little correlation with the use of neonicotinoids.
This does not stop some people blaming insecticide use, of course, and recent newspaper headlines continue to put
neonicotinoids into the spotlight. But, as one researcher whose work had been misquoted said in response to suggestions that his work definitely showed a link between bee health and insecticide use, “It is not possible to make a direct comparison with a lab study and what might occur in the field,” and that the results “do not provide a direct link to [bee] colony losses...”
Conclusion
Bee losses are occurring in both the UK and elsewhere in the world, and their root causes have to be managed to safeguard this economically important pollinator. Whilst bee losses do not seem to correlate with the use of insecticides, farmers should handle them properly; indeed the industry has recently launched a campaign highlighting the need to “bee careful” when using insecticides for any reason. Likewise, companies such as Bayer CropScience have recently announced joint research programme with Bayer Animal Health to bring to the market new products to control the Varroa mite, a basic tool to manage bee health in the UK. We believe that tackling the
root causes of a problem is the most responsible way forward for us to take - just blaming the nearest chemical whenever there is a problem is not.
With thanks to Dr Julian Little, Communications &
Government Affairs Manager, Bayer CropScience Limited.
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