Surveying the levels of pesticide residues in bees and stored pollen and their effects on bees.

最近世界范围内养蜂业的高水平蜂群损失导致了对这些损失原因的大量猜测。蜂群突然死亡的一个潜在原因是蜂群健康状况的普遍下降。因此，一个需要解决的重要问题是，为什么蜜蜂健康状况会出现这种下降。一些推测表明，杀虫剂或蜂箱中的杀虫剂残留物可能对蜜蜂的行为产生相当大的负面影响。这种影响是什么还有待观察，但它可能会导致蜜蜂行为的巨大变化，例如蜜蜂需要更长的时间来寻找食物，很难找到食物，或者蜜蜂变得更容易迷失方向，从而迷路。由于这个原因，一些杀虫剂在德国和法国已经被禁止，因为人们认为这些杀虫剂是蜜蜂死亡的原因。最近的国际研究表明，杀虫剂可以在花粉中积累，但也表明了对蜜蜂行为的潜在负面影响。在基尔大学（Keele University）和谢菲尔德大学（Sheffield University）合作的研究项目中，将从英国四个地区的许多蜂群中收集成年蜜蜂和储存的花粉；都有不同的农业实践。这些样本都将进行化学分析，以确定农药残留的痕量水平，并相互比较。由于杀虫剂对蜜蜂健康的影响可能与蜜蜂的行为（迷失方向）有关，而不是直接影响（死亡），因此分析将检测到低于致死剂量的水平。通过对养蜂人的调查，还将获得与蜂群损失和蜂群健康有关的数据。然后可以将这些数据与现有的农药水平进行比较。如果在蜜蜂或储存的花粉中发现了杀虫剂，这项研究将揭示在英国不同地区发现了哪些杀虫剂。这些数据将与其他欧洲国家的类似数据进行比较，这些国家已经禁止使用特定的农药。要测试这些农药可能产生的真实效果是相当复杂的，因为不是所有的农药在相同的浓度下都会产生类似的效果。另一个复杂的问题是，农药残留的影响可能是长期的。蜜蜂的行为会受到影响，导致蜜蜂迷失方向，蜜蜂无法返回巢穴。但是，除非有关于农药存在的数据，否则就无法开发或开展生物测定。因此，该项目将为生物测定法的发展奠定坚实的基础，生物测定法是检测农药对蜜蜂行为影响的重要手段。尽管养蜂人协会反对使用杀虫剂，但在英国还没有进行全面的调查来确定杀虫剂的真正（长期）影响。因此，该项目将为农药是否对蜜蜂健康有害提供宝贵的指示，并将澄清先前获得的一些相互矛盾的结果。这就是这个项目的真正影响所在。创建一套关于蜂箱中农药存在的大量基线数据，将直接有利于整个养蜂业，也有利于那些参与农药生产、使用和监管的人。

The recent high levels of colony losses in the beekeeping industry worldwide have led to considerable speculation as to the cause of these losses. One of the potential reasons for the sudden death of colonies is a general decline in the health of bee colonies. Hence, an important question to address is why this decline in bee health is occurring. Several speculations have indicated that pesticides or the residue of pesticides in the bee hive could have a considerable negative effect on the behaviour of honeybees. What this effect is remains to be seen, but it could result in a dramatic change in bee behaviour e.g. bees taking longer to find food, having difficulty in finding food or bees becoming more prone to disorientation and hence becoming lost. Due to this some pesticides have already been banned in Germany and France, as it was thought that these pesticides are responsible for the death of honeybees. Recent international studies revealed that pesticides can accumulate in pollen, but also indicated a potential negative effect on bee behaviour. In the research project, a collaboration between Keele University and Sheffield University, adult bees and stored pollen will be collected from many bee colonies originating from four regions of the UK; all having different agricultural practices. These samples will all be chemically analysed for trace levels of any pesticide residues and compared to each other. Since the effect of pesticides on bee health is likely to be related to the bees' behaviour (disorientation) rather than a direct effect (mortality), the analysis will detect levels below lethal doses. Through a survey given out to bee keepers data related to colony losses and colony health will also be obtained. This data can then be compared to the levels of pesticides present. If pesticides are found in either bees or stored pollen, this study will reveal which pesticides are found in the different areas in the UK. This data will be compared to similar data from other European countries, where specific pesticides have been banned. To test the real effect these pesticides may have is quite complicated, as not all pesticides will have a similar effect at a similar concentration. Another complication is that the effect of pesticides residues is likely to be a long-term effect. Bees' behaviour can be affected resulting in disorientation of bees and bees not being able to return to their nests. But unless data on the presence of pesticides are available, bioassays cannot be developed or carried out. Therefore this project will lay a firm foundation for the development of bioassays, an important means of testing the effect of pesticides on bee behaviour. Although beekeeping associations have protested against the use of pesticides, no full investigation has been undertaken in the UK to ascertain the real (long-term) effect of pesticides. Therefore this project will give an invaluable indication of whether pesticides are harmful to the health of honeybees and will clarify some of the contradictory results obtained earlier. This is where the real impact of this project lies. Creating a substantial set of baseline data regarding the presence of pesticides in bee hive, will benefit the whole beekeeping industry directly but also those involved in the manufacturing, use and regulation of pesticides.