Pesticides, pollinators, and pathogens: Linking bee health deficiencies to agrochemical exposures at the colony level

The honey bee is a widely managed crop pollinator that provides the agricultural industry with the sustainability and economic viability needed to satisfy the food and fiber need of our society.  The excessive use of agrochemicals is implicated in the reduced number of managed bee colonies available for crop pollination services.  However, there are several gaps in our knowledge with respect to agrochemical exposures and the health status of managed bee colonies.  Thus, it is necessary to gather information relevant to the areas where knowledge is lacking in order to enhance our ability to predict conditions that are either favorable or unfavorable for bee colony health.  Here, we will summarize our research findings related to agrochemical impacts on the microbial community structure and function of managed bee colonies and the resulting nutrition and immune deficiencies that threaten the health of these colonies.  These data are being used to model the health profiles for managed bee colonies exposed to agrochemicals in order to provide a theoretical framework to explain colony health thresholds and failures.  In turn, the information gathered in this study will be translated into utilizable management practices that can reduce the loss of managed bee colonies for both the apicultural and agricultural industry.