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Study shows honeybees aren’t just picking up pesticides via ag crops

A recent study from Purdue University shows honeybees collect the majority of their pollen from plants other than crops and if given the option bees will opt to forage for pollen where homeowner pesticide is often used.

Purdue University entomologist Christian Krupke says it is likely because homeowners plant a wide diversity of plants that bees might like.  He says they collected pollen from Indiana honeybee hives at three different sites over a four-month period and the results were surprising.

“We found a lot of pesticides form a lot of different plants, including a lot of weeds in non-cultivated, non-crop plants,” he says.  “Agricultural pesticides, even besides the corn field – the amounts were not correlated with agricultural practices.”

He tells Brownfield the highest concentrations of pesticides found in bee pollen were from pyrethroids not labeled for agricultural use.  “They are pesticides that are used more by homeowners and municipalities for control of things like mosquitos, yellow jackets, or wasps,” he says.  “Things that we call nuisance pests.”

He says homeowners need to think twice before treating for the nuisance pests because it potentially exposes honeybees to higher levels of chemicals on a more frequent basis.

AUDIO: Christian Krupke, Purdue University