Influence of Pesticide Residues on Honey Bee Colony Health in France
MARIE-PIERRE CHAUZAT, et a

A 3-yr field survey was carried out in France, from 2002 to 2005, to study
honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colony health in relation to pesticide
residues found in the colonies. This study was motivated by recent massive
losses of honey bee colonies, and our objective was to examine the
possible relationship between low levels of pesticide residues in
apicultural matrices (honey, pollen collected by honey bees, beeswax) and
colony health as measured by colony mortality and adult and brood
population abundance.

Residues of imidacloprid and 6- chloronicotinic acid were the most
frequently detected in pollen loads, honey, and honey bee matrices.

In our study, we found that pesticide residues were
present at low levels in all apicultural matrices.
The concentrations were comparable with those
found in other studies from Europe and the United
States (Waller et al. 1984, Wallner 1999). We found no
association between the presence of pesticide residues
and with variation in populations of adult or
broods or with colony mortality.

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