Forwarded from Jerry Bromenshenk:

The following abstract is from one of two papers on neonics using RFID
tagged bees. This paper is available ON-LINE, accessible to everyone. I
suggest downloading and reading.

Citation: Schneider CW, Tautz J, Gru¨newald B, Fuchs S (2012) RFID Tracking
of Sublethal Effects of Two Neonicotinoid Insecticides on the Foraging
Behavior of Apis mellifera. PLoS ONE 7(1): e30023.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0030023

Tomorrow, there is a scheduled release of two new papers on neonics, one of
which also uses RFID methodology. These new papers are embargoed, so I
can't comment more at this time. In the meantime, I suggest reading this
one:

Abstract
The development of insecticides requires valid risk assessment procedures
to avoid causing harm to beneficial insects and especially to pollinators
such as the honeybee Apis mellifera. In addition to testing according to
current guidelines designed to detect bee mortality, tests are needed to
determine possible sublethal effects interfering with the animal’s vitality
and behavioral performance. Several methods have been used to detect
sublethal effects of different insecticides under laboratory conditions
using olfactory conditioning. Furthermore, studies have been conducted on
the influence insecticides have on foraging activity and homing ability
which require time-consuming visual observation. We tested an experimental
design using the radiofrequency identification (RFID) method to monitor the
influence of sublethal doses of insecticides on individual honeybee
foragers on an automated basis. With electronic readers positioned at the
hive entrance and at an artificial food source, we obtained quantifiable
data on honeybee foraging behavior. This enabled us to efficiently retrieve
detailed information on flight parameters. We compared several groups of
bees, fed simultaneously with different dosages of a tested substance. With
this experimental approach we monitored the acute effects of sublethal
doses of the neonicotinoids imidacloprid (0.15–6 ng/bee) and clothianidin
(0.05–2 ng/bee) under field-like circumstances. At field-relevant doses for
nectar and pollen no adverse effects were observed for either substance.
Both substances led to a significant reduction of foraging activity and to
longer foraging flights at doses > 0.5 ng/bee (clothianidin) and >1.5
ng/bee (imidacloprid) during the first three hours after treatment. This
study demonstrates that the RFID-method is an effective way to record
short-term alterations in foraging activity after insecticides have been
administered once, orally, to individual bees. We contribute further
information on the understanding of how honeybees are affected by sublethal
doses of insecticides.

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