Thriving Hive
Funder
British Beekeepers Association
British Ecological Society
Value
British Beekeepers Association £34,000
British Ecological Society small research grant
Team
Barbara Smith, April Webb, Blandine Forsans, Anna Bogush, Martin Wilkes, Gemma Foster
Duration
April 2020 - November 2021
CAWR Research Theme
Resilient Food and Water Systems in Practice
Sustainable Development Goals
Project Overview
Air pollution potentially impacts the health and productivity of honeybees directly by causing physiological damage that impairs function (such as vision or scent detection) or indirectly by weakening the immune system. These are sub-lethal effects at the hive scale but may potentially lead to negative outcomes such as poor larval development, increased susceptibility to diseases and parasites, or poor foraging ability.
We have found that pesticides have these effects on honeybees and Thriving Hive will investigate whether air pollution components may have similar effects.
Air pollution consists of various contaminants, and Thriving Hive is focusing on particulate matter (PM) and microplastics. PM includes a mixture of solid and liquid particles suspended in the air, while microplastics are small plastic particles less than 5mm in size. The specific PM types under investigation are PM10 (particles 10 microns or smaller, composed mainly of dust and minerals) and PM2.5 (particles 2.5 microns or smaller, generated by combustion from sources such as vehicles, power plants, and industrial processes). Information on both PM10s and PM2.5s are regularly mapped in the UK and are publicly available, but, importantly, it is unknown if this data is available at an appropriate scale for bees.
Project Objectives
The long-term aim of Thriving Hive is to determine whether there is a link between particulate air pollution and honeybee health and productivity. Using methods that we have developed in the context of agricultural pesticides, we will undertake a three-stage research programme.
Stage 1: A correlative study to map air particulate levels, particulate levels on honeybee bodies, and correlate this with health. This will be achieved through two funded projects, using a citizen science approach to engage directly with 44 beekeepers from across the Midlands (UK).
- Mapping Particulate Presence in Apiaries in the UK (MAPPA). Funded by the BBKA. To establish whether particulate matter can be detected on honeybee bodies in apiaries, understand what those particles are composed of and determine whether particle presence is correlated with the concentration of particulate matter measured locally.
- Physiological response of pollinators to air pollution (POLL2POLL). Funded by BES.
To determine whether the diameter of ommatidia (corneal facet lenses) of honeybee compound eyes is correlated with levels of PM2.5 in sampled air.
Stage 2: A laboratory study to investigate the physiological effects of particulate pollution on honeybees using molecular and neuroethological techniques. This will include testing for stress enzymes that indicate sub-lethal effects on honeybee health and protein regulation that indicate impacts on cell function.
Stage 3: A field study to investigate whether the effects recorded in laboratory conditions are replicated in field conditions, using method from stage 2.
Latest Update
We have completed stage one of the research programme.
MAPPA
Particles from seven contaminants were detected on sampled honeybees and quantified in the CAWR lab. The particles and the percentage of bees they were found on are as follows: car tyres (97%), polyethylene terephthalate/PET (89%), cellophane (67%), nylon (11%), polypropylene (6%), polydimethylsiloxane (3%) and polyvinyl chloride/PVC (3%). A further three plastics were detected at low frequency: polythene, polyacrylamide and urea-formaldehyde/urea-methanal. We recorded most types of materials on both forager and nurse bees, suggesting that foragers bring particles back to the hive.
Air quality across the 44 apiary locations was variable. There were sites with very low levels of airborne particulate matter, and these were all in urban and suburban areas. Agricultural landscapes in rural areas had the poorest air quality, with most sites exceeding the UK Air Quality Standards Regulations.
The data indicates a trend towards higher numbers of particles on honeybees from hives located in areas of high airborne particulate matter, and on honeybees collected form apiaries in farmed landscapes. However, results were not statistically significantly different, possibly due to low statistical power as there was high variability in the honeybees collected from areas of high airborne particulate matter.
We found no linear relationship between airborne particulate matter and the number of particles found on honeybees, the weight of honeybees, or the predicted amount of honey produced. Estimates of honey production were highest in urban areas, and lowest in farmed landscapes, and the difference was statistically significant.
POLL2POLL
The ommatidia facets in the compound eyes of honeybees were found to be significantly smaller in those collected from areas with high airborne particulate matter levels compared to those from areas with lower levels. Ommatidium diameter was negatively correlated with levels of PM10, PM2.5 and PM1. These findings suggest that honeybees in areas with higher airborne particulate matter concentrations may face additional challenges when foraging, as ommatidium diameter is known to influence object identification.
Impact
We demonstrate that airborne particulates are ubiquitous on honeybee bodies, and that particulates are not only found on foraging bees but on nurse bees within the hive too. The most commonly observed particles came from car tyres, which has implications for how we assess the risk of developing ever heavier vehicles. Results from POLL2POLL indicate that exposure to high levels of airborne particulates could potentially lead to changes in the diameter of honeybee ommatidia that that could potentially impact foraging behaviour. As far as we know this is the first time that this observation has been made.
Outputs
Project report: Mapping Particulate Presence in Apiaries in the UK (MAPPA).
