Unfortunately bees all over the world are under pressure from pesticides mites viruses bacteria fungi and environmental changes among other things.
and crops have a suite of advantages over their conventional counterparts including more antioxidants and fewer less frequent pesticide residues.
As a result the harvested portion of the plant will often contain lower concentrations of other nutrients including health-promoting antioxidants Without the synthetic chemical pesticides applied on conventional crops organic plants also tend to produce more phenols
The researchers also found pesticide residues were three to four times more likely in conventional foods than organic ones as organic farmers are allowed not to apply toxic synthetic pesticides.
While crops harvested from organically managed fields sometimes contain pesticide residues the levels are usually 10-fold to 100-fold lower in organic food compared to the corresponding conventionally grown food.
Using this cover domestic products can be produced for consumers using less or even no pesticides.
Bio-covers by contrast will be needed growing in importance as pesticides are being removed from the market he says.
#Taking account of environment of bees to better evaluate insecticide-related risksa study coordinated by INRA
and ITSAP-Institut de l'Abeille has shown that the level of sensitivity of bees to the adverse effects of pesticides varies as a function of environmental conditions.
The scientists observed that a neonicotinoid insecticide disturbed their ability to find their bearings particularly in a complex landscape and under unfavourable weather conditions.
and ITSAP-Institut de l'Abeille had shown already that low doses of an insecticide could disturb the orientation of bees and increase losses during their foraging activities.
or had not been exposed previously in the laboratory to nonlethal doses of Thiamethoxam the active substance in a pesticide used by farmers.
revealed a significant influence of weather conditions and landscape complexity on bee sensitivity to the insecticide.
The scientists were able to establish that the pesticide induced an average risk of loss that rose from 3%to 26
This insecticide-related loss rate was modulated also by the landscape environment reaching 35%(one bee in three) in bocage landscapes versus 18%in open landscapes with a less complex structure.
The sensitivity of bees to the insecticide was therefore not identical everywhere and in all types of weather
or weather context the effects of a pesticide could be overestimated under -or by a factor of six.
if they had been exposed to the insecticide. Exposure to low doses of pesticide thus appeared to alter their ability to call upon their spatial memory.
A dense network of trees and hedges (bocage) thus became a veritable maze for these bees who had become less able to recognise their landmarks.
Several years ago they had evidenced already the interactive effects of different insecticides (the cocktail effect)
or between insecticides and pathogenic agents--the effects of the insecticides being exacerbated in bees already weakened by viruses or parasites.
between pesticides and the environmental context. By characterising the environmental conditions that constitute the most risks for bees scientists will be better able to evaluate toxicological risks in the field
#Bee foraging chronically impaired by pesticide exposure: Studya study co-authored by a University of Guelph scientist that involved fitting bumblebees with tiny radio frequency tags shows long-term exposure to a neonicotinoid pesticide hampers bees'ability
to forage for pollen. The research by Nigel Raine a professor in Guelph's School of Environmental sciences and Richard Gill of Imperial College London was published today in The british Ecological Society's journal Functional Ecology.
The study shows how long-term pesticide exposure affects individual bees'day-to-day behaviour including pollen collection and
Exposure to this neonicotinoid pesticide seems to prevent bees from being able to learn these essential skills.
But bees exposed to neonicotinoid insecticides became less successful over time at collecting pollen. Neonicotinoid-treated colonies even sent out more foragers to try to compensate for lack of pollen from individual bees.
Raine and Gill studied the effects of two pesticides--imidacloprid one of three neonicotinoid pesticides currently banned for use on crops attractive to bees by the European commission
Although pesticide exposure has been implicated as a possible cause for bee decline until now we had limited understanding of the risk these chemicals pose especially how it affects natural foraging behaviour Raine said.
Neonicotinoids make up about 30 per cent of the global pesticide market. Plants grown from neonicotinoid-treated seed have the pesticide in all their tissues including the nectar and pollen.
If pesticides are affecting the normal behaviour of individual bees this could have serious knock-on consequences for the growth
and survival of colonies explained Raine. The researchers suggest reform of pesticide regulations including adding bumblebees
and solitary bees to risk assessments that currently cover only honeybees. Bumblebees may be much more sensitive to pesticide impacts as their colonies contain a few hundred workers at most compared to tens of thousands in a honeybee colony Raine said.
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by University of Guelph. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
but for dairy farms insecticides are the practical choice. Flies spread disease and a host of pathogens that cost farms hundreds of millions of dollars in annual losses.
Unfortunately with the repeated use of the same insecticides flies develop resistance through genetic mutations that make these products less effective.
Cornell entomologist Jeff Scott and colleagues analyzed levels of resistance to six insecticides in flies and they have identified the mutations that led to resistance in houseflies and from cattle farms in nine states around the country.
They found high levels of resistance to the most common insecticide permethrin used by farmers around the country.
Only use insecticides when they are needed he said. Some farmers decide it's Tuesday and
and only use an insecticide when they will benefit from spraying. In addition Scott suggests alternating insecticides over a season
or each month and using biological control agents such as tiny parasitoid wasps. Genetic mutations are random
When you use an insecticide and one mutation lets a fly survive then that mutation is carried forward in the population.
Scott and colleagues published findings last fall in the journal Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology and are working to understand three main mutations that confer pesticide resistance in houseflies.
Unexpectedly one of the mutations--which was not the most common--caused the highest resistance to permethrin
We think it is due to fitness costs where a mutation allows the fly to survive insecticides
and pesticide application) and processing of oil palm fruits to make crude palm oil can all send sediment nutrients
Our findings validate those of previous studies that found that input costs of production processes (machinery water fertilizers pesticides
and Rocky mountain spotted fever and mosquitoes can spread West Nile Virus. Insect repellents are used to avoid exposure to pests that can bite attach
Common insect repellent products contain up to 30%DEET for maximum protection says Christina Hantsch MD toxicologist at Loyola.
and washing off insect repellent with soap and water when you come inside. DEET and other insect repellents such as citronella are generally safe for individuals over 2 months of age.
To use a specific product correctly follow the directions on the package. Check labels to use a product that is approved by the Environmental protection agency as an added measure of safety says Layden.
Layden recommends that adults administer insect repellent to children. Kids can have a difficult time manipulating cans and bottles.
#Habitat loss, not poison, better explains grassland bird declinecontrary to recent well-publicized research habitat loss not insecticide use continues to be the best explanation for the declines in grassland bird populations
Last year a pair of researchers linked the drop in the populations of grassland bird species such as the upland sandpiper and the Henslow's sparrow to insecticide use rather than to a rapid decline of grasslands a more commonly accepted theory.
whereas the insecticide use greatly declined prior to the 1990s said Hill. The researchers cited earlier studies that documented a loss of approximately 97000 square kilometers--an area larger than the stats of Indiana--of grasslands in the U s. between 1982 and 1997 primarily due to the expansion and intensification of agricultural practices.
and found 1. 3 to 21 times more support that habitat loss was connected more strongly to grassland bird declines than insecticide use said Hill.
Erroneously emphasizing insecticides as the principle cause of grassland bird declines may inadvertently divert attention and funding away from land conservation programs such as CRP according to the researchers.
In addition to information provided by the researchers on the study of insecticides and grassland birds they also used data from the U s. Department of agriculture and the National Resources Conservation Services.
The researchers evaluated the effects of hot water treatments on symptomless lucky bamboo planting material and tested fungicides for the control of Colletotrichum in asymptomatic
Application of the systemic fungicide Azoxystrobin was found to be effective both at preventing new infections by C. dracaenophilum
training and disease management at the source careful inspection of plants at ports of entry fungicide treatment of rooted cuttings to eliminate latent infection and training and disease management in nurseries at lucky
#Association found between maternal exposure to agricultural pesticides and autismpregnant women who lived in close proximity to fields
and farms where chemical pesticides were applied experienced a two-thirds increased risk of having a child with autism spectrum disorder
The large multisite California-based study examined associations between specific classes of pesticides including organophosphates pyrethroids
Statewide approximately 200 million pounds of active pesticides are applied each year most of it in the Central Valley north to the Sacramento Valley and south to the Imperial Valley on the California-Mexico border.
While pesticides are critical for the modern agriculture industry certain commonly used pesticides are neurotoxic
The study was conducted by examining commercial pesticide application using the California Pesticide Use Report and linking the data to the residential addresses of approximately 1000 participants in the Northern California-based Childhood Risk of Autism from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE) Study.
Twenty-one chemical compounds were identified in the organophosphate class including chlorpyrifos acephate and diazinon. The second most commonly applied class of pesticides was pyrethroids one quarter
of which was followed esfenvalerate by lambda-cyhalothrin permethrin cypermethrin and tau-fluvalinate. Eighty percent of the carbamates were methomyl and carbaryl.
The addresses then were overlaid on maps with the locations of agricultural chemical application sites based on the pesticide-use reports to determine residential proximity.
In California pesticide applicators must report what they're applying where they're applying it dates
What we saw were several classes of pesticides more commonly applied near residences of mothers
The researchers found that during the study period approximately one-third of CHARGE Study participants lived in close proximity--within 1. 25 to 1. 75 kilometers--of commercial pesticide application sites.
Organophosphates applied over the course of pregnancy were associated with an elevated risk of autism spectrum disorder particularly for chlorpyrifos applications in the second trimester.
Exposures to insecticides for those living near agricultural areas may be problematic especially during gestation because the developing fetal brain may be more vulnerable than it is in adults.
Because these pesticides are neurotoxic in utero exposures during early development may distort the complex processes of structural development
and may well be where these pesticides are operating and affecting neurotransmission Hertz-Picciotto said.
While it's impossible to entirely eliminate risks due to environmental exposures Hertz-Picciotto said that finding ways to reduce exposures to chemical pesticides particularly for the very young is important.
I wouldn't want to live close to where heavy pesticides are being applied. Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by University of California-Davis Health System.
rodenticides (SGARS) substances the Environmental protection agency has moved recently to regulate more strictly. Veterinarians at the Tufts Wildlife Clinic performed Ruby's necropsy
and detected signs of lethal rodenticide poisoning which the screen results now confirm. Ruby had high concentrations of an SGAR called brodifacoum in her system
The fund's initial goal is to raise $10000 for research to monitor the health effects of rodenticides on birds of prey.
and that we hope will protect future generations of raptors from dying needlessly from rodenticide poisoning.
Murray has been studying rodenticide poisoning in birds of prey for years and published research in 2011 that has been cited frequently by the EPA.
The paper showed anticoagulant rodenticide residues in 86 percent of 161 birds that were tested over five years at the Tufts Wildlife Clinic.
Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides are more potent than their first-generation cousins. Rodents and other species need a much smaller amount of the poisons to suffer their effects.
and monitor any long-term changes in rodenticide exposure in birds of prey as a result of the new EPA regulations said Murray.
and harvesting fruit in orchards to mechanical weeders eliminating the need for herbicides to produce affordable safer food.
Though herbicides are available to kill poison ivy Jelesko and Kasson said that if this fungus were developed into a commercial application it would
We have to keep in mind that the chemicals used to control poison ivy are general herbicides meaning that they will affect
#Mosquito control pesticide use in coastal areas poses low risk to juvenile oysters, hard clamsfour of the most common mosquito pesticides used along the east and Gulf coasts show little risk to juvenile hard clams and oysters according to a NOAA study.
However the study published in the on-line journal Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology also determined that lower oxygen levels in the water known as hypoxia
and increased acidification actually increased how toxic some of the pesticides were. Such climate variables should be considered
when using these pesticides in the coastal zone the study concluded. What we found is that larval oysters
and hard clams can withstand low levels of pesticide use but they are more sensitive to pesticides
if their ecosystem is suffering from local climate stressors like hypoxia and acidification said the study's lead author Marie Delorenzo Ph d. NOAA environmental physiology
and environmental resource agencies as they manage the use of mosquito control pesticides near their coastal ecosystems.
Shellfish growers however are concerned that pesticide spraying near the coastlines may contaminate both their hatcheries and source waters.
This is compounded by a lack of data on the toxicity of mosquito insecticides for these shellfish.
and West Nile virus. One approach to controlling mosquitoes is to apply pesticides by spraying from planes or trucks over a large area.
However to effectively control mosquitoes the pesticides must target species which live in aquatic habitats that are also home to sensitive estuarine species This may pose a risk to coastal environments.
Also since many residential communities where the pesticides may be used are near these coastal aquatic habitats the potential for direct overspray
The study sought to address a lack of toxicity data for mosquito control pesticide effects on shellfish early life stages.
The research team examined the toxicity of four mosquito control pesticides (naled resmethrin permethrin and methoprene) to larval and juvenile life stages of hard clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) and Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica.
Lethal thresholds were determined for the four pesticides and differences in sensitivity were found between chemicals species
Overall clams were more susceptible to mosquito control pesticides than oysters. Naled an organophosphate chemical was the most toxic compound in oyster larvae
while resmethrin was the most toxic compound in clam larvae. Decreased swimming activity was observed after four days in larval oysters
which compared the toxicity thresholds to concentrations expected in the environment the researchers calculated a low-level of risk to clams and oysters from application of these pesticides for mosquito control.
The researchers also tested the pesticides'toxicity under climate stress conditions. The more extreme climate conditions caused increased pesticide toxicity.
The study did not address the impacts of the pesticides on other shellfish such as shrimp or lobsters.
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by NOAA. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
We're also looking at doing some scans over our herbicide studies to see if the drone photography can help us identify where crops are stressed by postemergence herbicide applications.
For farmers aerial photographs taken by drones offer a quick and easy way to check on the progress of crops
and determine where they may need to replant or direct pesticide applications. I spent two summers as a commercial crop scout before I went into Extension
Palmer amaranth is becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides and spreads so prolifically that it could drastically reduce farmers'yield potential in affected fields.
A novel bio-pesticide created using spider venom and a plant protein has been found to be safe for honeybees
New research led by Newcastle University UK has tested the insect-specific Hv1a/GNA fusion protein bio-pesticide--a combination of a natural toxin from the venom of an Australian funnel web spider
Publishing their findings today in the academic journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B the authors say the insect-specific compound has huge potential as an environmentally-benign'bee-safe'bio-pesticide and an alternative to the chemical neonicotinoid pesticides
which means it has real potential as a pesticide and offers us a safe alternative to some of those currently on the market.
During the study the bees were exposed to varying concentrations of the spider/snowdrop bio-pesticide over a period of seven days.
This is an oral pesticide so unlike some that get absorbed through the exoskeleton the spider/snowdrop recombinant protein has to be ingested by the insects.
Unlike other pesticides Hv1a/GNA affects an underexplored insecticidal target calcium channels. These are more diverse than commonly-targeted insecticide receptors such as sodium channels
and therefore offer the potential for more species-specific pesticides. Calcium channels are linked to learning and memory in bees so it's vital that any pesticide targeting them does not interfere with this process explains Erich.
Although Hv1a/GNA was carried to the brain of the honeybee it had no effect on the insect
which suggests the highly selective spider-venom toxin does not interact with the calcium channels in the bee.
If we destroy the biodiversity of pollinators then it will be irrelevant how effective our pesticides are
There is now substantial evidence linking neonicotinoid pesticides to poor performance and survival in bees and
and insect-specific pesticides will be just one part of that. Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Newcastle University.
And it is becoming resistant to the most common herbicides used to combat it he said.
That means treating young plants with herbicides when they are less than 4 inches tall. Once it is taller than 4 inches the effectiveness of herbicide treatments drops off very dramatically
and very quickly Hager said. Catching the plant that early is problematic however. As a seedling Palmer amaranth looks a lot like waterhemp another problematic weed that is difficult to control.
In about half of those counties the weed is already resistant to glyphosate the most commonly used herbicide on Midwest farms Hager said.
Many farmers think they can use the same techniques that tend to work against other common weeds--a onetime application of glyphosate herbicide for example--to control Palmer amaranth Hager said.
There is not one magic herbicide that a farmer could use one time and be done with it he said.
#Insect repellents more important than ever as tropical tourism increasesholidaymakers are being urged to use insect repellent to protect themselves against bites
& Tropical Medicine today launch Bug Off--the first ever Insect repellent Awareness Day to highlight the issue.
Insect repellent Awareness Day aims to dispel myths and misconceptions about how to repel mosquitoes and other biting insects which can leave people at risk of harm to their health.
Key facts on insect repellents: Dr James Logan Senior Lecturer in Medical Entomology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Director of arctec said:
but not all and so the best way to keep as safe as possible is to use an insect repellent containing DEET and reapply it regularly.
We hope Insect repellent Awareness Day will cause people to stop and think this summer and pack their repellents.
and at least $6 billion a year is spent to combat it mostly due to the cost of fungicides and substantial yield losses.
Finding ways to genetically resist the potato late blight scientists say could help reduce the use of fungicides
versus chemical pesticides offers multiple benefits to farmers and the environment Bais says. Rice blast quickly learns how to get around synthetics--most humanmade pesticides are effective only for about three years Bais says.
So it's really cool to find a biological that can attenuate this thing. Bais who also has conducted multiple studies with beneficial microbes in the Bacillus family envisions a day
If consumers can distinguish between local and organic then by buying organic they will be able to reduce their exposure to synthetic pesticides said Khachatryan with the Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka part of the Institute of food and agricultural sciences.
and Canadian governments both mandate organic production to mean grown without synthetic pesticides among other things.
Farmers spray their crops with fungicides to control these plant diseases but their effectiveness is limited as disease pathogens mutate to become insensitive to the fungicides.
By exploiting new molecular and genetic insights the research done in collaboration with Pierre de Wit from Wageningen Agricultural University in The netherlands provides a better understanding of the defense system of crop plants against the damaging pathogens that grow in the spaces between plant cells.
As a result pink bollworm has been eradicated all but in the southwestern U s. Suppression of this pest with Bt cotton is the cornerstone of an integrated pest management program that has allowed Arizona cotton growers to reduce broad spectrum insecticide use by 80
Pest control with Bt proteins--either in sprays or genetically engineered crops--reduces reliance on chemical insecticides.
and cropping systems weed physiology and interactions among herbicides soil and crops. The weed scientist was the first woman to serve as president of the American Society of Agronomy.
Herbicides are used sometimes to kill Brazilian peppertree but researchers are looking for environmentally friendlier biological agents to permanently suppress growth and reproduction of the tree.
#Link between insecticides and collapse of honey bee colonies strengthenedtwo widely used neonicotinoids--a class of insecticide--appear to significantly harm honey bee colonies over the winter particularly during colder winters according to a new study
or parasites as a result of exposure to pesticides the new study found that bees in the hives exhibiting CCD had almost identical levels of pathogen infestation as a group of control hives most
Experts have considered a number of possible causes including pathogen infestation beekeeping practices and pesticide exposure.
While the 12 pesticide-treated hives in the current study experienced a 50%CCD mortality rate the authors noted that in their 2012 study bees in pesticide-treated hives had a much higher CCD mortality rate--94%.
Currently there are no in-home insecticides labeled for use against brown marmorated stink bugs so that presented us with a challenge Aigner said.
The homemade trap is not only inexpensive it is also pesticide-free Unfortunately the traps are only practical in homes.
because the insecticides required to control it are broad spectrum toxicants that are highly disruptive to integrated pest management programs.
The few native natural enemies they have can easily be killed with the same insecticide used to target the stink bugs themselves he said.
#Pesticides: New insights into their effects on shrimps and snailsgroundbreaking research by an international team of scientists has resulted in greater understanding of the effects of pesticides on aquatic invertebrates such as shrimps and snails.
Research published in the journal Environmental science & Technology by a team of scientists from the UK Switzerland and Finland provides an important new approach for systematically measuring
and modelling the sensitivity of aquatic invertebrates to various pesticides. Aquatic invertebrate species are abundant in European freshwaters
due to exposure to a variety of pesticides entering surface waters after application due to spray drift leaching
At the same time farmers need better pesticides to grow food while pesticide manufacturers aim to design effective pesticides without unacceptable side effects based on our understanding of pesticide effects in nature.
We produced images of the pesticide distribution within the shrimps and snails to better understand which organs are at risk.
It turns out that for some pesticides the distribution in the body matters a lot whereas for other pesticides it is the organism's ability to detoxify.
Our study introduces a systematic way of understanding the differences between species'reactions to pesticides.
As there are so many species in our waters we need a systematic understanding. In the end it is all about developing effective modern pesticides.
We need to better understand species'differences because we want to kill the pests but not all the other species in our environment.
The research team looked at the effects of three pesticides--diazinon imidacloprid and propiconazole--on the aquatic invertebratesgammarus pulex (freshwater shrimp) Gammarus fossarum (freshwater shrimp) and Lymnaea stagnalis (pond snail.
When we think about pesticides and how to kill the pests without harming other organisms we have to start with mechanisms of toxic action.
Diazinon and imidacloprid for example are neurotoxic insecticides which are designed to kill pest insects. Toxicity of these neurotoxicants does vary a lot among species--in our study the shrimps turned out to be much more sensitive than the pond snail.
I am convinced that imaging the chemical distribution inside aquatic species in general holds great promise to better understand their sensitivity to pesticides and other chemicals.
www. cream-itn. eu). Ground breaking research by an international team of scientists has resulted in greater understanding of the effects of pesticides on aquatic invertebrates such as shrimps and snails.
and modelling the sensitivity of aquatic invertebrates to various pesticides. Aquatic invertebrate species are abundant in European freshwaters
due to exposure to a variety of pesticides entering surface waters after application due to spray drift leaching
At the same time farmers need better pesticides to grow food while pesticide manufacturers aim to design effective pesticides without unacceptable side effects based on our understanding of pesticide effects in nature.
We produced images of the pesticide distribution within the shrimps and snails to better understand which organs are at risk.
It turns out that for some pesticides the distribution in the body matters a lot whereas for other pesticides it is the organism's ability to detoxify.
Our study introduces a systematic way of understanding the differences between species'reactions to pesticides.
As there are so many species in our waters we need a systematic understanding. In the end it is all about developing effective modern pesticides.
We need to better understand species'differences because we want to kill the pests but not all the other species in our environment.
The research team looked at the effects of three pesticides--diazinon imidacloprid and propiconazole--on the aquatic invertebratesgammarus pulex (freshwater shrimp) Gammarus fossarum (freshwater shrimp) and Lymnaea stagnalis (pond snail.
When we think about pesticides and how to kill the pests without harming other organisms we have to start with mechanisms of toxic action.
Diazinon and imidacloprid for example are neurotoxic insecticides which are designed to kill pest insects. Toxicity of these neurotoxicants does vary a lot among species--in our study the shrimps turned out to be much more sensitive than the pond snail.
I am convinced that imaging the chemical distribution inside aquatic species in general holds great promise to better understand their sensitivity to pesticides and other chemicals.
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