Diversity and pesticide exposures of pollen collected from managed honeybees and wild small carpenter bees from different agricultural landscapes

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

2:06 PM – 2:18 PM MST

Location: Phoenix Convention Center, 224 B, PCC

Presenting Author(s)

ZH

Zhaorigetu Hubhachen (he/him/his)

Research Associate
Central State University
Wilberforce, Ohio

Co-Author(s)

DK

Danielle Kroh

Central State University
Wilberforce, Ohio
SR

Sandra Rehan (she/her/hers)

Associate Professor of Biology
York University
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
RJ

Reed M. Johnson

Associate Professor
The Ohio State University
Wooster, Ohio
Hongmei Li-Byarlay

Associate Professor
Central State University
Wilberforce, Ohio

Bees are critical for crop pollination. Pesticide exposure to pollen collected by bees has been a great concern for researchers in recent years. However, there is limited information on pesticide exposure to pollen in different agricultural landscapes such as conventional and organic farms. Therefore, we analyzed pesticide residues in pollen collected by Apis mellifera and Ceratina calcarata from organic farms, conventional farms, and roadside sites as a control landscape in Ohio during the growing season between 2021 and 2023. We identified 36 different pollens from 27 samples collected by A. mellifera whereas 35 different pollens from 22 samples collected by C. calcarata from three different landscapes in 2021. Furthermore, we identified 16 pesticide residues in the pollen from conventional farms and 14 pesticides residues in the pollen from organic farms. Nine different pesticide residues were identified in the pollen from both farms. Our preliminary data show that it might be one of the main factors affecting bee health.