Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.), among the most important pollinators, commonly encounter insecticides, but the effects have been frequently noted. Melissa C. Hardstone and Jeffrey G. Scottn, Cornell University, Uthaca, NY, USA, conducted an extensive literature review, using data in which adult insects were topically treated with insecticides to determine the relative sensitivity of bees to insecticides.

It was found that honey bees were no more sensitive than other insect species across the 62 insecticides examined and that they were not more sensitive to any of the six classes of insecticides examined: carbamates, nicotinoids, organochlorines, organophosphates, pyrethroids andmiscellaneous.

To minimize possible declines in the number of bees and/or honey contamination, pesticides should be used in a way that minimizes honey bee exposure.

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• Is Apis mellifera more sensitive to insecticides than other insects?
  Melissa C Hardstone, Jeffrey G Scott
  Pest Manag. Sci. 2010, 66, 1171-1180.
  DOI: 10.1002/ps.2001