Threat of Extinction:
How Neonics, Fungicides, and Africanized Bees Impact Honeybee Death
In the past fifteen years, the mortality rate of honeybees has increased, causing a rising
fear among beekeepers and scientists all over the world. Many people take bees for granted and
don’t appreciate what such a tiny insect can accomplish, but without bees, agriculture and society
would change immensely. For example, in some parts of China, the bees have died out and the
people are left to pollinate by hand (More Than Honey). Since this problem was identified,
scientists have been intent on discovering how to prevent bee extinction. There are many
possibilities as to why the bees are dying; the most controversial topic is pesticides. The use of
pesticides, mainly neonicotinoids, is one possible cause of bee deaths and colony collapse
disorder. Many studies have proven again and again that neonicotinoids and other pesticides are
killing bees, yet others still don’t believe their dangers. This paper will look at what factors may
cause the high mortality rate, as well as present a solution to lower the mortality rate. Two
solutions to prevent bees from dying are to stop using pesticides, moving towards organic
farming and to introduce the Africanized honeybee into the honeybee gene pool.
Neonicotinoids, neonics for short, are a type of insecticide that affects the nervous system
of insects. They trigger a neuroactive response in the central nervous system, meaning they
stimulate neural tissue and bind enzyme receptors together eventually leading to paralysis and
death (Neonicotinoids). Studies have shown that neonics work the same way nicotine works on
humans, causing addiction. Because bees are showing more interest in neonicotinoid-
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contaminated food, researchers fear that neonics “may not only change foraging behaviors, but
the overall health of the hives too” (Wallace). These changes include their sense of awareness,
lack of appetite, and increased risk of disease.
While neonicotinoids do not directly kill bees, they do leave them more vulnerable to
diseases and parasite infections. In a PBS report, Christian Krupke, a researcher at Purdue
University, explains his beliefs and reasons why this is true. He says high levels of neonics “do
not kill bees, but may leave them more vulnerable” to diseases (Aubrey). Because they can be
found nearly everywhere, in the water they drink and the flowers they pollinate, bees are
virtually exposed to neonics all the time. This constant exposure to neonics ultimately raises the
bee mortality rate, playing a large role in bee deaths.
The bees studied the most are the Apis mellifera, otherwise known as the European
honeybees, and the Apis cerana, the Asian honeybee. Little is known about neonics’ effects on
wild bees, such as the Africanized honeybee, because scientists underestimate their abilities with
the pollination of crops. If more research is done on wild bees, they may offer solutions to
dealing with the decline of the honeybee population (Lundin, et al.).
In a recent study testing the impact the neonic, imidacloprid, has on A. cerana, an Asian
bee species, it was shown that neonics could lower the bees’ sense of danger. Even though most
research has been done on the species A. mellifera, this research provides insight to how closely
related all the bees are since the Asian species is very similar to the European species. Both
European and Asian bees visited the feeder less once it contained at least 40𝜇𝑔/𝐿, not a lethal
amount, but very high. Testing the bees for imidacloprid showed that it was not a neurological
effect, rather that the bees detected contamination within the feeder. The most significant effect
on the bees, however, was the impact it had on their sense of danger. It appeared to decrease as
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the intake of imidacloprid increased (Tan, et al.). This proves that the imidacloprid changed their
foraging behaviors. It directly affects the bees’ sense of danger, making it so they are unaware of
danger. If the bees are not as aware of danger, for example, a hornet’s nest, then they are more
likely to go toward it, resulting in the death of many bees. The imidacloprid changed the way the
bees thought and acted, causing them to act in behavior that would result in their death.
As well as lowering their awareness of danger, the bees’ attitude toward food changed.
The work showed that imidacloprid reduced the waggle dancing. The waggle dance is an
important dance performed by a forager (a bee that pollinates and gathers food) as a way of
communication to tell other bees where good food is located. The bees without increased
amounts of imidacloprid danced less (Tan, et al.). This can mean that they thought food that was
free of imidacloprid to be less important or valuable for the colony. It also can mean that bees
