Studying combined effects of neonicotinoid-fungicide mixture on wild bees

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The effect of a plant protection product (PPP) mixture on bumble bees was tested. A novel method for quatering a bumble bee colony was developed to treat one colony with all four treatment solutions (control: sucrose water, fungicide: Cantus(R) Gold (non-SBI fungicide), insecticide: Mospilan(R) (neonicotinoid), mixture: fungicide + insecticide). The learning performance of bumble bees was tested in a free-flying learning experiment in flight arenas. The bumble bees were conditioned to colored artificial flowers (differential conditioning following a color preference test). The flight activity was measured with the help of the RFID system. Parameters such as foraging days, trips per foraging day and duration per trip could be analyzed. Additionally, the LD50 of the PPPs was determined in mortality studies.

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