Honeybee pollen can be contaminated with pesticides

Pesticides are a long-term stress factor for bees. Honeybees collect their pollen from commercial crops and non-crop plants, which are often laden with pesticides during the growing season. In a 16 week study at 3 locations, pollen was collected comprising of samples from 30 plant families. The results showed that 31 pesticides were found in pollen from the untreated cornfield, 29 pesticides in pollen from the treated cornfield, and 29 pesticides in pollen from the meadow site. The pesticide chemical pyrethroids were found in the pollen in greatest quantities; they are synthetic products used in a household to repel insects. The pollen collected from soybean and corn pollen contained large amounts of neonicotinoids, a known chemical that is toxic to bees. Other pesticides included phenothrin and prallethrin – used for ticks, fleas, wasps and hornets. It was concluded that the bees were exposed to a wider range of chemicals than they previously thought and that there was many different pesticides found in pollen samples.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/honeybee-pollen-can-contaminated-pesticides-randy-bilesky?published=t

http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-honeybee-pollen-can-be-contaminated-with-pesticides-1.2270455

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