Populations of Foraging Honey Bees in Midsouth Crops

In recent years there has been a global decline in populations of both native and managed pollinators.  Pesticides are suggested to contributing in these declines.  A study was conducted to see when and at what densities honey bees forage agronomic crops in the Midsouth.  Fields of corn, cotton, and soybean were visually sampled for foraging honey bees across Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee.  Honey bees were observed at three time intervals and at four distances into each field.  Significantly more honey bees were observed in soybean during the middle of the day than in any other crop and time interval combination.  To limit interactions between pesticides and foraging honey bees in soybean, pesticides should be applied in the evening rather than at night.  This allows for the most time for the residual activity of pesticides to diminish before foraging honey bee numbers increase in the middle of the next day.