Study of the toxic effect of insecticides on the honey bee: methodological recommendations

Abstract

Goal. Improving the methodology for assessing the toxicity and potential safety of insecticides for the honey bee.
 Methods of determining the toxicity of insecticides for bees — laboratory and field. Laboratory experiments determine the toxicity of insecticides for bees, and field experiments determine the degree of danger of drugs at the concentrations used in production, with the establishment of the terms of detoxification in plants and the nature of the danger for insects. To evaluate the gastric and combined toxicity of insecticides, the principle of group feeding of bees with poisoned feed was used. Contact toxicity of insecticides was assessed using the etched screen method.
 Results. A methodology for studying the toxicity of insecticides is proposed. It provides an opportunity to study the contact, gastric and total toxicity of insecticides for the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.). Experiments were conducted to study the toxicity of biological preparations for honey bees. The speed and duration of the toxic effect of insecticides and their repellent activity on bees were established. The method of processing material for toxicological studies has been improved. Methods for calculating the toxicity criteria of insecticides have been developed.
 Conclusions. Improved methods of determining the contact, gastric (oral) and combined poisoning of honey bees with chemical preparations are given, and the method of assessing the level of toxicity of insecticides for insects is improved.