[h=1]Common crop chemical leaves bees susceptible to deadly viruses[/h] [h=5]January 16, 2017[/h] A chemical that is thought to be safe and is, therefore, widely used on crops?such as almonds, wine grapes and tree fruits?to boost the performance of pesticides, makes honey bee larvae significantly more susceptible to a deadly virus, according to researchers at Penn State and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"In the lab, we found that the commonly used organosilicone adjuvant, Sylgard 309, negatively impacts the health of honey
bee larvae by increasing their susceptibility to a common bee pathogen, the Black Queen Cell Virus," said Julia Fine, graduate student in entomology, Penn State. "These results mirror the symptoms observed in hives following almond pollination, when bees are exposed to organosilicone adjuvant residues in pollen, and viral pathogen prevalence is known to increase. In recent years, beekeepers have reported missing, dead and dying brood in their hives following almond pollination, and exposure to agrochemicals, like adjuvants, applied during bloom, has been suggested as a cause."
According to Chris Mullin, professor of entomology, Penn State, adjuvants in general greatly improve the efficacy of pesticides by enhancing their toxicities....
