Honey bee colony-level exposure and effects in realistic landscapes: an application of BEEHAVE simulating clothianidin residues in corn pollen.

Discerning potential effects of insecticides on honey bee colonies in field studies conducted under realistic conditions can be challenging due to concurrent interactions with other environmental conditions. Honey bee colony models can control exposures and other environmental factors, as well as assess links among pollen and nectar residues in the landscape, their influx into the colony, and the resulting exposures and effects on bees at different developmental stages. We extended the colony model BEEHAVE to represent exposure to clothianidin via residues in pollen from treated corn fields set in real agricultural landscapes in the Midwest of the Unites States. We assessed their potential risks to honey bee colonies over a one-year cycle. Clothianidin effects on colony strength were only observed if unrealistically high residue levels in the pollen were simulated. The landscape composition significantly impacted the collection of pollen (residue exposure) from the corn fields, resulting in higher colony-level effects in landscapes with lower proportions of semi-natural land. The application of the extended BEEHAVE model with a pollen exposure-effects module provides a case study for the application of a mechanistic honey bee colony model in pesticide risk assessment integrating the impact of a range of landscape compositions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.