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15 May 2024 Impact of copper and zinc oral chronic exposure on Carniolan honey bee survival and feeding preference
Gordana Glavan, Grega Benko, Janko Božič
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Abstract

Honey bees are important plant pollinators and honey producers. Contamination of the environment with metals can lead to a decline in honey bee populations. Copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) salts are commonly used as fungicides and foliar fertilizers. In this study, we investigated the effects of 10-day chronic oral exposure to different concentrations of Cu (CuSO4) and Zn (ZnCl2) on survival and feeding rates of Carniolan honey bees in laboratory conditions. We found that mortality in honey bee workers increased in a concentration-dependent manner and that Cu (lethal concentration [LC50] = 66 mg/l) was more toxic than Zn (LC50 = 144 mg/l). There was no difference in the feeding rate of Cu-treated bees for the different concentrations tested, but the feeding rate decreased with the increase in Zn concentration. To determine feeding preference or avoidance for Cu and Zn, we conducted 2-choice 24-h feeding experiments. We demonstrated that honey bees preferred Zn-containing solutions compared to the control diet. A two-choice experiment with Cu showed a tendency for honey bees to be deterred by Cu at high concentrations; however, it was not statistically significant. In summary, our results suggest that honey bee workers may suffer adverse effects when exposed to ecologically relevant concentrations of Cu and Zn.

Gordana Glavan, Grega Benko, and Janko Božič "Impact of copper and zinc oral chronic exposure on Carniolan honey bee survival and feeding preference," Journal of Economic Entomology 117(4), 1485-1492, (15 May 2024). https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toae108
Received: 30 December 2023; Accepted: 6 May 2024; Published: 15 May 2024
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KEYWORDS
CuSO4
LC50
pollinator
pollution
ZnCl2
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