China is the largest beekeeping and honey consumption country globally. Neonicotinoids in honey can pose adverse effects on honey bees and human, but data on neonicotinoids residues in honey and its health risk remain limited in China. A total of 94 honey samples were selected from Chinese market based on production region and sale volume in 2020. Eight neonicotinoids and four metabolites were determined by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Health risk of neonicotinoids in honey on honey bees and human was assessed by hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI). Neonicotinoids and their metabolites were overall detected in 97.9% of honey samples. Acetamiprid, thiamethoxam, and imidacloprid were top three dominant neonicotinoids in honey with the detection frequencies of 92.6%, 90.4%, and 73.4%, respectively. For honey bees, 78.7% of honey samples had a HI larger than one based on the safety threshold value of sublethal effects. Top three neonicotinoids with the highest percent proportion of HQ larger than one for honey bees were acetamiprid (43.6%), imidacloprid (31.9%), and thiamethoxam (24.5%) and their maximum HQs were 420, 210, and 41, respectively. Based on oral median lethal doses for honey bees, both HQ and HI were lower than one in all honey samples. For human, both HQ and HI were lower than one based on acceptable daily intakes in all honey samples. Neonicotinoids concentrations and detection frequencies in honey samples and its health risk varied with production region, commercial value of nectariferous plants, number of nectariferous plants, and sale price. The results suggested extensive residues of neonicotinoids in honey in Chinese market with a variation by the characteristics of honey. The residues were likely to affect the health of honey bees, but showed no detectable effect on human health.

Mites are considered the worst enemy of honey bees, resulting in economic losses in agricultural production. In apiculture, flumethrin is frequently used to control mites. It causes residues of flumethrin in colonies which may threaten honey bees, especially for larvae. Still, the impact of flumethrin-induced dysbiosis on honey bees larval health has not been fully elucidated, and any impact of microbiota for decomposing flumethrin in honey bees is also poorly understood. In this study, 2-day-old larvae were fed with different flumethrin-sucrose solutions (0, 0.5, 5, 50 mg/kg) and the dose increased daily (1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 μL) until capped, thereafter the expression level of two immune genes (hymenoptaecin, defensin1) and two detoxication-related genes (GST, catalase) were measured. Meanwhile, the effect of flumethrin on honey bee larvae (Apis mellifera) gut microbes was also explored via 16S rRNA Illumina deep sequencing. We found that flumethrin at 5 mg/kg triggered the over expression of immune-related genes in larvae, while the larval detoxification-related genes were up-regulated when the concentrations reached 50 mg/kg. Moreover, the abundance and diversity of microbes in flumethrin-treated groups (over 0.5 mg/kg) were significantly lower than control group, but it increased with flumethrin concentrations among the flumethrin-treated groups. Our results revealed that microbes served as a barrier in the honey bee gut and were able to protect honey bee larvae to a certain extent, and reduce the stress of flumethrin on honey bee larvae. In addition, as the concentration of flumethrin increases, honey bee larvae activate their immune system then detoxification system to defend against the potential threat of flumethrin. This is the first report on the impact of flumethrin on gut microbiota in honey bees larvae. The findings revealed new fundamental insights regarding immune and detoxification of host-associated microbiota.

Among insect pollinators, honey bees, Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae), are universally acknowledged, most important managed pollinators that also provide honey production. In recent years, neonicotinoids are widely used against a broad spectrum sucking pests. However, they also pose a major threat to the beekeeping industry. The present study aimed to quantify the impact of thiamethoxam, a second-generation, broad-spectrum neonicotinoid on foraging behavior, colony performance, and survival of Apis mellifera L. in mustard crop under semi-field (cage) and field conditions. Under semi-field conditions, the foraging activity of A. mellifera on mustard bloom reduced significantly on the 2nd day after spray of thiamethoxam as compared to pre-count and control. Significant decrease in brood area (7th to 21st day), nectar stores (7th to 28th day), and pollen stores (7th to 21st day) were also recorded after the spray. The bee mortality under semi-field conditions was significantly higher on the 1st and 2nd day after spray in comparison to control. Under field conditions, average bee activity remained statistically low up to the 12th day after spray on mustard bloom in comparison to pre-count and control. The effect of thiamethoxam under field conditions was less pronounced for bee mortality and colony parameters. Based on LD₅₀, thiamethoxam was proved toxic to adults and larvae of A. mellifera.

The aim of this study was to determine residue levels of pesticides in Swiss commercial beeswax. Foundation samples were collected in 2019 from nine commercial manufacturers for analysis of 21 pesticides using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography. Individual samples showed the variability and residue ranges and pooled samples represented the average annual residue values of the Swiss production. In total, 17 pesticides were identified and 13 pesticides were quantified. They included 13 acaricides and/or insecticides, two fungicides as well as a synergist and a repellent. The means calculated from individual samples were similar to the average annual residue values for most tested pesticides. Mean values of 401, 236, 106 and 3 μg·kg⁻¹ were obtained for the beekeeping-associated contaminants coumaphos, tau-fluvalinate, bromopropylate and N-(2,4-Dimethylphenyl)-formamide (DMF; breakdown product of amitraz), respectively. For the other pesticides, the mean values were 203 μg·kg⁻¹ (synergist piperonyl butoxide), 120 μg·kg⁻¹ (repellent N,N-Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide, DEET), 19 μg·kg⁻¹ (chlorfenvinphos) and 4 μg·kg⁻¹ ((E)-fenpyroximate), while the means for acrinathrin, azoxystrobin, bendiocarb, boscalid, chlorpyrifos, flumethrin, permethrin, propoxur and thiacloprid were below the limit of quantification (< LOQ). Individual samples contained from seven to 14 pesticides. The ranges of values for coumaphos and piperonyl butoxide (from 14 to 4270 μg·kg⁻¹; from 6 to 1555 μg·kg⁻¹, respectively) were larger as compared to the ranges of values for DEET and tau-fluvalinate (from < LOQ to 585 μg·kg⁻¹; from 16 to 572 μg·kg⁻¹, respectively). In conclusion, the most prominent contaminants were the pesticides coumaphos and tau-fluvalinate, which are both acaricides with previous authorization for beekeeping in Switzerland, followed by piperonyl butoxide, a synergist to enhance the effect of insecticides.

The concentration of certain heavy metals in various foods (fruits, cereals, legumes, and bee products) produced in industrial and urban cities is increasing each year following industrial development. Quality of honey and its contamination by different polluting agents are related essentially to its production environment, or it can arise from beekeeping practices. In the present study, the determination of physicochemical properties: moisture, pH, total acidity, electric conductivity, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), sugars, and chloramphenicol (CAP) residues; the metal content by determination of two toxic metals levels: lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd); and other trace elements: magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and nickel (Ni) in 23 different honey samples collected from North regions of Algeria were investigated. The physicochemical properties and the metal contents were found within the ranges established by the international standards. For the antibiotic residues, only four honey samples are contaminated by CAP. Metals were found in non-significant values and are in safety baseline levels for human consumption except Mg which exceed the limits. These results suggested that honey could be used as an indicator to detect contaminating agents from the environment since bees are excellent sentinels for assessing environmental contamination because of their physiological and biological characteristics.

Honey has multifaceted beneficial properties, but polluted environment and unapproved apicultural practices have led to its contamination. In this study, QuEChERS method followed by chromatographic analysis by GC-μECD/FTD and GC-MS was validated and used for determination of 24 pesticides in 100 raw honey samples from various floral origins of Northern India. Matrix-matched calibrations showed that the method was selective and linear (r² > 0.99) with detection limit < 9.1 ng g⁻¹ for all the studied pesticides except for monocrotophos (21.3 ng g⁻¹). The average recoveries at different fortification levels ranged from 86.0 to 107.7% with relative standard deviation < 20%. Pesticide residues were detected in 19.0% samples, and most prevalent compounds detected were dichlorvos in 6.0% samples followed by monocrotophos (5.0%), profenofos (5.0%), permethrin (4.0%), ethion (3.0%), and lindane (3.0%) with concentrations ranging from 58.8 to 225.5, from 96.0 to 430.1, from 14.6 to 43.2, from 27.8 to 39.6, from 25.6 to 28.0, and from 19.6 to 99.2 ng g⁻¹, respectively. Honey samples originating from cotton, sunflower, and mustard crops (33.3%) that tested positive for pesticide residues were found to be significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the honey originating from natural and fruity vegetation (13.5%). Therefore, considering the contamination of environmental compartments due to extensive application of pesticides in the study area and their potential for subsequent transfer to honey by the expeditious bees, the results of present study proclaim that honey may be used as an indicator of environmental pollution. Further, estimated daily intakes of all contaminants were found to be at levels well below their acceptable daily intakes suggesting that consumption of honeys at current levels does not pose deleterious effects on human health. However, precautionary measures should always be taken considering the customary honey feeding in infants and cumulative effect of these chemicals in the foreseeable future.