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Cornell University: Pesticides detected in beeswax (insecticide, herbicide and fungicide)
Pesticides detected in beeswaxBy Krishna Ramanujan, Cornell Chronicle
November 9, 2023
An analysis of beeswax in managed honeybee hives in New York finds a wide variety of insecticide, herbicide and fungicide residues, exposing current and future generations of bees to long-term toxicity.
The study, “Pesticide Contamination of Beeswax from Managed Honey Bee Colonies in New York State,” which published in the November issue of the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, notes that people may be similarly exposed through contaminated honey, pollen and wax in cosmetics. Though the chemicals found in wax are not beneficial to humans, the small amounts in these products are unlikely to pose a major risk to human health, as compared to their impact on bees.
Bees reuse wax over years, causing chemicals to accumulate, including those that are no longer in use in New York but remain in beeswax.
“Because pesticides can accumulate in wax, it’s important for beekeepers to keep removing old wax every few years and having the bees replace it to make sure the colonies and the bee products remain healthy,” said Dr. Karyn Bischoff, a veterinarian and associate professor of practice in the Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine and the study’s lead author.
…
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10406387231199098November 9, 2023
An analysis of beeswax in managed honeybee hives in New York finds a wide variety of insecticide, herbicide and fungicide residues, exposing current and future generations of bees to long-term toxicity.
The study, “Pesticide Contamination of Beeswax from Managed Honey Bee Colonies in New York State,” which published in the November issue of the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, notes that people may be similarly exposed through contaminated honey, pollen and wax in cosmetics. Though the chemicals found in wax are not beneficial to humans, the small amounts in these products are unlikely to pose a major risk to human health, as compared to their impact on bees.
Bees reuse wax over years, causing chemicals to accumulate, including those that are no longer in use in New York but remain in beeswax.
“Because pesticides can accumulate in wax, it’s important for beekeepers to keep removing old wax every few years and having the bees replace it to make sure the colonies and the bee products remain healthy,” said Dr. Karyn Bischoff, a veterinarian and associate professor of practice in the Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine and the study’s lead author.
…