Transfer of Active Ingredients from Plant Protection Products to a Honeybee (Apis mellifera F.) Hive from Winter Oilseed Rape Crops Protected with Conventional Methods

Field tests verified and evaluated a pesticide's active ingredient transfer to honeybee hives from rapeseed crops protected according to current programs. Samples of rapeseed flowers, leaves, and soil were collected, as well as of worker honeybees, the brood, and honey from hives located in the crops. They were evaluated for the presence of four insecticides and five fungicides. In flower samples and leaf samples flutriafol at plantation 1 and azoxystrobin at plantation 2 were found at the highest levels. In honeybees and in the brood, five AIs were detected at plantation 1, of which the highest levels were observed for flutriafol (25.5 mu g/kg of honeybee) and picoxystrobin (7.3 mu g/kg of brood). At plantation 2, residues of three and two AIs were detected in honeybees and in the brood, respectively, of which chlorpyrifos was at the highest level (19.5 mu g/kg of honeybee, and 2.8 mu g/kg of brood). For both plantations, residues of three AIs were found in honey. The AI levels in honey did not exceed 3.8% of acceptable maximum residue level at plantation 1, and 2.8% at plantation 2. The percentage of acceptable daily intake did not exceed 0.01%.