Scholer, Jamison D.2013-11-142013-11-142013-07https://hdl.handle.net/11299/160291University of Minnesota M.S. thesis July 2013. Major: Entomology. Advisor: Dr.Vera Krischik. 1 computer file (PDF); vi, 58 pages, appendices p. 53-58.The 20 year research focus on residue levels below 10 ppb of neonicotinyl insecticides found in nectar and pollen of seed-treated crops (corn, canola, and sunflower) has not demonstrated a reduction in bee colony health in most field studies. However, the label rate of neonicotinyl use on crops and landscape plants is much higher than seed treatments. In addition, crops and flowers can be retreated multiple times a season which can contribute to chronic exposure to bees at higher residue levels. In an 11 week greenhouse cage study with queenright colonies of Bombus impatiens Cresson, provided 0, 10, 20, 50 and 100 ppb imidacloprid or clothianidin in sugar syrup, neither neonicotinyl reduced production of brood, workers, and queens. Male production decreased in 10-100 ppb imidacloprid and 50-100 ppb clothianidin treatments. However, starting at 6 weeks queen mortality was significantly higher in 20-100 ppb imidacloprid or clothinaidin. The largest impact was the reduction in worker movement, consumption, number of syrup filled wax pots, and the addition of wax to the colony, which resulted in reduced colony weight. Queens and nest bees fed on the sugar syrup stored in wax pots that were filled prior to the start of the experiment. Foraging bees did not return sugar syrup to the nest, but remained on the floor of the flight box. We argue that queen mortality at 20, 50, and 100 ppb was related to lack of syrup in storage pots. We speculate that as queens started to die at week 6, workers in 20-100 ppb treatments produced fewer males and instead provisioned cells to produce new queens, since queen production was not reduced at higher doses, but male production was reduced. Since neonicotinyls in this and other studies were shown to reduce food consumption and foraging, wild bumblebee colonies that depend on workers to forage will be negatively affected by exposure to imidacloprid above 20 ppb. Solitary bees will be greatly impacted as the foraging queens solely provision the larvae.en-USBee declineBombus impatiensBumblebeeClothianidinImidaclopridNeonicotinoidThesis or Dissertation