Vol. 10, Special Issue 7 (2021)

Author(s):
Sapna Devi, Diksha Devi and Sawraj Jit Singh

Abstract:
Honeybees are highly valued resource-insects that help in pollination, increasing fruit yield and also reduce fruit drop in many fruit crops. But in recent years, there has been a global decline in the honeybee population. Honeybees are exposed to different types of natural and artificial chemical substances such as pesticides during foraging. Over 98% of sprayed pesticides reach a destination other than their target species, including non-target species, air, water and soil. Compared to other insects, honeybees are extremely sensitive to pesticides, due to a deficiency in the number of genes encoding de­toxification enzymes. Most pesticides are applied as sprays, droplets and dust, from the applications can fall directly on the bees that fly across the treated fields. Typical clinical symptoms of acute insecti­cide poisoning include cramping, disorient­ed behaviour of bees, and abnormal wing movements. After the intoxication with neonicotinoids symptoms such anomalous behaviour of worker bees as rolling, was observed in 71.4% of the affected hives. In the present review, we will discuss about all the aspects related to pesticide poisoning in honeybees.