Current knowledge of the effect of nicotine-derived insecticides (neonicotinoids) on pollinating bee populations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26423/rctu.v2i3.66Keywords:
Neonicotinoids, CCD, bees, pollinationAbstract
The decline in the number of hives of Apis mellifera in many countries of the European Union and the United States has worried beekeepers, farmers, environmentalists, governments and corporations. Among the factors considered are: poor nutrition of bees, artificial supplements and to a lesser extent to a decrease in the abundance and diversity of flowers in the wild plant species all of which makes bees susceptible to diseases caused by viruses, bacteria and microsporidia which, in turn, are considered cofactors for the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). It also noted that the mites as Acarapis woodi and Varroa destructor may be causing the CCD by feeding on the hemolymph of larvae and adults thus lowering their defenses and favoring the spread of infectious diseases. Another hypothesis points to a general weakening in bee populations due to low genetic diversity by producing large amounts of colonies from a restricted set of queen bees and artificial insemination of the same. But of all the above factors, pesticides, primarily the so-called neonicotinoids, are considered as one of the main causes of the disappearance of bees worldwide in recent years. In this article we examine the evidence about
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