Vol. 10, Special Issue 9 (2021)

Author(s):
Kishan Tej M

Abstract:
Pesticide usage in today's agriculture has become unavoidable. Pesticide use has increased dramatically over the last four decades. Pesticides poses severe side effects to many non-targeted organisms and one of them is honey bee. Many researchers documented that there is strong evidence to associate pesticide use with bee population decline (Woodcock et al., 2016) and subsequently with potential losses to pollination services and crop yields (Stanley & Raine, 2016; Stanley, et al., 2015). These impacts may occur as a result of bee fauna being exposed to pesticides directly or indirectly through contact with pesticide residues. Direct exposure occurs when pesticides are used to treat bee colonies for disinfestation or when honey bees visit fields during spraying. Spray drift from neighbouring fields or bee foraging in sprayed crops are the sources of indirect exposure. Pesticide contaminated water bodies are also a source of bee poisoning.