Bee Safety f Nenictinids - Evidence frm Studies Cnducted Under Realistic Field Cnditins Dr. Christian Maus Glbal Pllinatr Safety Manager Bayer AG
Intrductin Nenictinid insecticides are used as seed treatment in varius crps. Amng these there are bee-attractive crps like ilseed rape, sunflwer, and maize After nenictinid seed treatment, traces f systemic residues can be fund in nectar and pllen f treated crps This has led t cncerns abut their safety t bees and ther pllinatrs Althugh mnitring data d nt suggest a systematic crrelatin between the expsure f bees t nenictinids and bee health issues, the use f nenictinids in bee-attractive crps has been restricted in the EU in 2013 In rder t cmplement existing field data, a large scale field study with nenictinid-treated ilseed rape (treatment with Elad -10 g clthianidin & 2 g β-cyfluthrin/kg seed) was cnducted in Nrthern Germany
Setup and Purpse f the Study Cnceptual apprach f the mnitring study in Mecklenburg Mnitring ptential adverse effects at landscape level Cmparable landscapes fr cntrl und treatment Spatial prximity f bth landscapes: clse enugh t ensure cmparable climatic and tpgraphical cnditins distant enugh t avid hneybees t crss-frage Agricultural landscapes with significant ilseed rape cultivatin and lw abundance f ther flwering crps r wild plants distracting bees frm the target crp Cmmn ilseed rape cultivatin practice with pre-agreed and defined crp prtectin measures Large-scale farm peratins required t ensure regulated crp prtectin regimen Study design Mnitring f the clthianidin residue levels in nectar and pllen during blm Mnitring ptential adverse effects n pllinatrs which differ in life histry traits
Similarity f Cntrl and Treatment Sites Attractiveness fr Bee Pllinatrs Tw sites f apprx. 65 km 2 each were selected accrding t field crpping area, statistic and land cver data Study area Cntrl 16% Oilseed rape Treatment 21% alternative frage areas withut frrage surces Site C Site T
expsure time Similarity f Cntrl & Treatment Sites Crp phenlgy Cntrl fields received 1 2 additinal pyrethrid applicatins t ensure cmparable ilseed rape emergence
Characterizatin f Expsure Residue levels in nectar and pllen f ilseed rape during blm 39 x 50 m² = 0,2 ha [18 fields, Ttal ilseed rape area 792 ha] 1.3 1.06 N residue detects in ilseed rape pllen r nectar in cntrl landscape (n = 34)
Investigatin f Ptential Adverse Effects Three bee pllinatr species with different life histry traits Hneybee (Apis mellifera) Life histry traits: cmplex scial cmmunity with task share Cmb cells f wax Hives with 50.000+ wrkers Thermregulatin Full clny verwintering Winter fd stres Bumblebee (Bmbus terrestris) Life histry traits: Less cmplex scial structure and task share Cmb cells f wax Hives with 500+ wrkers Thermregulatin Only queens verwinter Limited fd strage Red Masn bee (Osmia bicrnis) Life histry traits: Slitary bee Nests in tube-shaped structures e.g. in deadwd Overwinter as pupa (ccns)
Mnitring Results Hney Bees (Apis mellifera) Eight bee clnies per mnitring lcatin (=1 replicate) Six replicates per site (treatment and cntrl) Distributin f replicates per site: 3 replicates adjacent t ilseed rape fields, 3 replicates in 400 m distance. Mnitring lcatin adjacent t field Pst-expsure phase: west-central Germany
Mnitring Results Hney Bees (Apis mellifera) (1) Adult hney bees Typical seasnal clny develpment pattern N statistically significant impact f treatment r distance t fields 1 1 (GLM Mdel, p > 0.05)
Mnitring Results Hney Bees (Apis mellifera) (2) Bee brd Typical seasnal grwth pattern N statistically significant impact f treatment r distance t fields 1 1 (GLM Mdel, p > 0.05)
Mnitring Results Hney Bees (Apis mellifera) (3) Hney yield (Spring) N statistically significant impact f treatment Statistically significant impact f distance t ilseed rape fields
Mnitring Results Hney Bees (Apis mellifera) (4) Residue levels in pllen and nectar Trace residue levels in few f cntrl pllen & nectar samples Residue levels in treatment landscape cmparable t tunnel samples * 1/96 Pllen- & 3/96 Nectar samples with detects < LOQ ** 42/48 Hney samples with detects < LOQ
Cnclusins Hney Bees (Apis mellifera) Hney bees intensively fraged in treated fields (73-83% ilseed rape pllen fund in hney) Residue levels in nectar, pllen and hney ranged between Limit f Detectin (< LOQ) and 1.4 µg Clthianidin/kg There were n treatment-related adverse effects bserved n: clny strength and develpment (adults, brd) hney yield pllen cmpsitin infestatin with parasites and diseases
Mnitring Results Bumblebees (Bmbus terrestris) Three Tripls (= 3 bumblebee clnies) per mnitring lcatin (= 1 replicate) Six replicates per site (treatment and cntrl) Distributin f replicates per site: 3 replicates adjacent t ilseed rape fields, 3 replicates in 400 m distance. Mnitring lcatin adjacent t field Cllectin f bumblebee wrkers fr pllen sampling
Mnitring Results Bumblebees (Bmbus terrestris) (1) Hive weight develpment N statistically significant impact f treatment r distance t ilseed rape fields
Mnitring Results Bumblebees (Bmbus terrestris) (2) Number f wrker bees per clny N statistically significant impact f treatment r distance t ilseed rape fields
Mnitring Results Bumblebees (Bmbus terrestris) (3) Number f queens (including queen brd cells) N statistically significant impact f treatment r distance t ilseed rape fields
Mnitring Results Bumblebees (Bmbus terrestris) (4) Residue detects Oilseed Rape Pllen: 25 100% N residues in cntrl pllen samples Residue levels in treatment landscape cmparable t tunnel samples
Cnclusins Bumblebees (Bmbus terrestris) Bumblebees intensively fraged in treated fields Besides ilseed rape pllen, pllen frm willw, chestnuts and wild berries were identified Residue levels pllen ranged between Limit f Detectin (< LOQ) and 1.3 µg Clthianidin/kg There were n treatment-related adverse effects bserved n: Clny develpment (wrkers, drnes, queens) Seasnal grwth pattern (turning pint t queen prductin)
Mnitring Results Red Masn Bee (Osmia bicrnis) Six Replicates per Cntrl and Treatment with 3 nesting units adjacent t the ilseed rape field and 3 nesting units in 100 m distance 750 ccns per nesting unit = 1500 ccns per replicate released (sex rati 6:5 m:f)
Mnitring Results Red Masn Bee (Osmia bicrnis) N adverse effects n the number f nesting females N adverse effects n the number f ffspring
Cnclusins Red masn bees (Osmia bicrnis) Red masn bees cllected up t 32% f their pllen frm ilseed rape fields (avg: 14%) Besides rape pllen, they cllected pllen f rses and buttercups Residue levels in pllen ranged between Limit f Detectin (< LOQ) and 1.7 µg Clthianidin/kg There were n treatment-related adverse effects bserved n: Reprductive perfrmance (nesting activity, ffspring prductin) Hatching success
Summary f Key Results Bee pllinatrs in the treatment site were expsed t lw and representative levels f systemic Clthianidin residues Bee pllinatrs used ilseed rape pllen t different extent (hneybees > bumblebees > slitary bees) Hneybee (Apis mellifera) N effects n clny develpment (adults & brd) N effects n hney yield and pllen cmpsitin N effects n infestatin by parasites and diseases Bumblebee (Bmbus terrestris) N effects n clny develpment (n. f wrkers, drnes, queens) N effects n seasnal grwth pattern (switch pint t queen prductin) Red Masn bee (Osmia bicrnis) N effect n reprductive perfrmance (nesting activity, ffspring prductin, hatching success)
Overall Cnclusins The chsen landscapes cntrl and treatment were sufficiently similar in terms f tpgraphy, climate, sil types and crp phenlgy t deliver a rbust cnclusin n whether r nt Clthianidin pses an unacceptable risk t ppulatins f insect pllinatrs Residue levels in pllen and nectar f ilseed rape in the treatment landscape were in the range f residue levels fund in previus studies, i.e. highly representative expsure situatin There were n treatment-related shrt- r lng-term adverse effects recrded fr the Clthianidin seed treatment t three bee species with different life histry traits
Overall Cnclusins The chsen landscapes cntrl and treatment were sufficiently similar in terms f tpgraphy, climate, sil types and crp phenlgy t deliver a rbust cnclusin n whether r nt Clthianidin pses an unacceptable risk t ppulatins f insect pllinatrs Residue levels in pllen and nectar f ilseed rape in the treatment landscape were in the range f residue levels fund in previus studies, i.e. highly representative expsure situatin There were n treatment-related shrt- r lng-term adverse effects recrded fr the Clthianidin seed treatment t three bee species with different life histry traits
Further Large-Scale Field Studies Examples fr ther large-scale field studies under realistic field cnditins: Studies in canla in Canada (2005 and 2012). Evaluatin f clny health ver ne seasn and after verwintering Multi-site field study in maize in France. Lcatins in fur different regins, study cnductin ver three cnsecutive years (2008-2010) Field study in Suthwestern Germany (2008). Evaluatin f clny health ver ne seasn and after verwintering. In nne f these studies, adverse effects f nenictinid seed treatment prducts t hney bee clnies have been bserved. Since field studies prvide a direct insight int the interactin f pesticides with bee clnies, they prvide highest-tier evidence fr the ectxiclgical risk assessment
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