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Subject:
From:
Ghislain De Roeck <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 17 May 2013 18:42:17 +0200
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http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0054092


Acaricide, Fungicide and Drug Interactions in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)

Abstract
Background: Chemical analysis shows that honey bees (Apis mellifera) and
hive products contain many pesticides derived
from various sources. The most abundant pesticides are acaricides applied by
beekeepers to control Varroa destructor.
Beekeepers also apply antimicrobial drugs to control bacterial and
microsporidial diseases. Fungicides may enter the hive
when applied to nearby flowering crops. Acaricides, antimicrobial drugs and
fungicides are not highly toxic to bees alone,
but in combination there is potential for heightened toxicity due to
interactive effects.
Methodology/Principal Findings: Laboratory bioassays based on mortality
rates in adult worker bees demonstrated
interactive effects among acaricides, as well as between acaricides and
antimicrobial drugs and between acaricides and
fungicides. Toxicity of the acaricide tau-fluvalinate increased in
combination with other acaricides and most other
compounds tested (15 of 17) while amitraz toxicity was mostly unchanged (1
of 15). The sterol biosynthesis inhibiting (SBI)
fungicide prochloraz elevated the toxicity of the acaricides
tau-fluvalinate, coumaphos and fenpyroximate, likely through
inhibition of detoxicative cytochrome P450 monooxygenase activity. Four
other SBI fungicides increased the toxicity of taufluvalinate
in a dose-dependent manner, although possible evidence of P450 induction was
observed at the lowest
fungicide doses. Non-transitive interactions between some acaricides were
observed. Sublethal amitraz pre-treatment
increased the toxicity of the three P450-detoxified acaricides, but amitraz
toxicity was not changed by sublethal treatment
with the same three acaricides. A two-fold change in the toxicity of
tau-fluvalinate was observed between years, suggesting
a possible change in the genetic composition of the bees tested.
Conclusions/Significance: Interactions with acaricides in honey bees are
similar to drug interactions in other animals in that
P450-mediated detoxication appears to play an important role. Evidence of
non-transivity, year-to-year variation and
induction of detoxication enzymes indicates that pesticide interactions in
bees may be as complex as drug interactions in
mammals.

Editor: Nigel E. Raine, Royal Holloway University of London, United Kingdom
Received July 20, 2010; Accepted December 10, 2012; Published January 29,
2013
Copyright:  2013 Johnson et al. This is an open-access article distributed
under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the
original author and source are credited.

Kind regards,

Ghislain De Roeck,
Belgium.

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