Fungicides and Bee Health
I have had a lot of questions/concerns regarding bee health and bloom fungicides sprays. Even though bloom is nearing its end, I thought I would try and answer a few questions I have received – and finally had some time to research and formulate an answer to these questions. Do fungicides applied during bloom affect bee health?The short answer is “We don’t know.” Research has shown that fungicides that are applied around or at bloom do adhere to the pollen, and are brought back to the hive during the process of pollination. The fungicides then inhibit the growth of different fungi within the bee hive, decreasing the the microbial diversity of the bee’s food source. As of the Almond Board of California 2009 Research Proceedings, it is unknown whether or not the fungi affected benefit or harm the overall health of the hive. Which Fungicides are transported back to the hive?Researchers at the Carl Hayden Bee Research Center in Tuscon AZ found five commonly used fungicides in the bee bread (food source) of hives placed in almond orchards. These fungicides include Chlorothalonil, Cyprodinil, Fenbuconazole, Iprodione, Boscalid, and Pyraclostrobin. The amounts of fungicide appear to vary by orchard and timing of application – BUT – this data was only based on hives placed in three orchards with two or three samplings- for now. Also, it is not known which fungicides target which fungi, if they negatively affect bee health directly, and if they have a negative impact on the entire hive by reducing the quality of the food source. The research group headed by Dr. DeGrandi-Hoffman will be looking into these questions through this year. What about Pristine (Pyraclostrobin-Boscalid) applications?Essentially, we don’t know exactly how this fungicide affects fungal growth in the hive. In vitro studies from Dr. DeGrandi-Hoffman’s lab indicates
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