ABSTRACT
Until 1985 discussions of pesticides and honey bee toxicity in the United States were focused on pesticides applied to crops and the unintentional exposure of foraging bees to them.The recent introduction of arthropod pests of honey bees, Acarapis woodi (1984), Varroa destructor (1987), and Aethina turn/do (1997) to the United States have resulted in the intentional introduction of pesticides into beehives to suppress these pests. Both the unintentional and the intentional exposure of honey bees to pesticides have resulted in residues in hive products, especially beeswax.This review examines pesticides applied to crops, pesticides used in apicul-ture, and pesticide residues in hive products. We discuss the role pesticides and their residues in hive products may play in Colony Collapse Disorder and other colony problems. Although no single pesticide has been shown to cause CCD, the additive and synergistic effects of multiple pesticide exposures may contribute to declining honey bee health.
