Kit de Herramientas para el Registro de Plaguicidas

#1014 Effects on bees - honeybee - acute contact toxicity

Objective of the study

 
This study is designed to assess the acute contact toxicity of pesticides to adult worker honeybees.
 
The results of this test can be used to define the need for further evaluation, in particular in a step-wise procedure for evaluating the risks of pesticides to bees, based on sequential progression from laboratory toxicity tests to semi-field and field experiments.
 

Circumstances under which the study is recommended to be required

 
Data with the active ingredient are recommended to support all outdoor end-use product uses, including turf.
 
Data are generally not recommended to support end-use products in the form of a gas, a highly volatile liquid, a highly reactive solid, or a highly corrosive material.
 
This study may also not be required in situations where bees are not likely to be exposed, including (but not limited to): food storage in enclosed spaces; soil applications with non-systemic pesticides (except granules, which may release dust if drilled); non-systemic dipping treatments for transplanted crops and bulbs, non-systemic rodenticidal baits; use in greenhouses without bees as pollinators.
 

Test organism

 
The study is conducted with adult worker honeybees (Apis mellifera).
 

Test substance

 
  • Technical grade active ingredient
  • A study with the end-use product is recommended to be required if:
    • the pesticide product contains more than one active substance; or
    • the toxicity of the pesticide product cannot be reliably predicted on the basis of the active ingredient alone.
 

Typical endpoints of the study

 
  • Mortality: contact LD50 (μg a.i. / bee)
  • Other biological effects observed or measured, e.g. abnormal behaviour of the bees, rate of consumption of diet in treated and untreated groups.
 

Test guidelines

 
The following test guidelines may be used for determination of the acute contact toxicity: