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Dryad

Examining the effects of multistage pesticide exposure on bumblebee queen survival and reproduction

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Jan 10, 2025 version files 56.84 KB

Abstract

Bees are key pollinators, and thus declines in their populations around the world may lead to negative consequences for both the environment and agricultural systems. While these declines are caused by multiple factors, the use of pesticides in agricultural systems has been identified as a key potential driver. Most bee species have an annual life cycle, with the potential for pesticide exposure throughout their life span. However, most studies have looked at either single or continuous exposure within a season. Bumblebees, like most annual species, have an overwintering stage - in their case, the queen. Such stages could be exposed to pesticides both before and after physiologically stressful periods such as hibernation and nest foundation, leading to the potential for increased health impact. However, studies of such multiple exposures are lacking. Here we used a novel exposure regime, exposing bumblebee queens to the pesticide sulfoxaflor both prior to and after hibernation, using a fully-crossed design, in order to assess the impact of such multiple exposures on bee health. We observed queens through two important life stages, hibernation and colony foundation, following field realistic exposures to sulfoxaflor. We measured the effects on hibernation success, the likelihood of colony foundation, and brood production. We found that neither exposure to sulfoxaflor pre- or post-hibernation, or their combination, impacted hibernation survival or colony foundation. Our study is the first study to highlight the multifaceted pesticide exposure bumblebee queens experience over their life cycle. Our results suggest that single or repeated exposure to sulfoxaflor is unlikely to impact queen health at key points in their lifecycle. Future studies should explicitly incorporate stressful lifecycle stages in assessing the impacts of anthropogenic stressors on bee health.