Month: October 2023

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PESTICIDES RESIDUES IN HONEY – CORRECTED VERSION OF NEWSLETTER OF THE 31TH SEPTEMEMBER

Pesticides residues in honey

Josef van der Steen

September 2023

Summary
Pesticides can be detected in honey. There is nothing that a beekeeper can do about it, because pesticides are in the environment and bees collect these pesticide residues along with their food. Based on the recent EFSA report on pesticides in food, the most detected pesticides in honey are the agricultural pesticides thiacloprid, acetamiprid, bimoxystrobin, glyphosate, chlorpyriphos, fosetyl, flonicamid, boscalid, and chlorfluazuron. The varroa control substances amitraz and coumaphos were also detected. In about 4 out of 5 honey samples no pesticides were found in quantifiable amounts, and in 1 out of 5 honeys pesticides could be detected. Only in a few cases did the amount of pesticides exceed the MRL (Maximum Residue Level) threshold, but in all cases, the honey samples analysed met the food safety / trade threshold. How pesticides enter the hive, how the honey bee colony cleans the honey, and how pesticides in honey may relate to honey consumption and toxic effects, is described in this newsletter. Continue reading “PESTICIDES RESIDUES IN HONEY – CORRECTED VERSION OF NEWSLETTER OF THE 31TH SEPTEMEMBER”

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Worlds northernmost beekeeper

Sissel Goodgame is the worlds northernmost beekeeper. More then 2000 km north of Oslo, Norway. We found it so exciting to have her on the team, since she is so far away for everything – read “pollution”. On the annual Vossa møtet 2 hours from Bergen, Sissel made a great talk about her participation in the INSIGNIA project. INSIGNIA would not survive without our beekeepers or Citizens Scientist as we call them. They are all volunteers. We handed over our honor certificate for being an important part of INSIGNIA. “Sissel thanks a lot”. Hope there will be a next time and hope to have you on the team.

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The diversity of the pollen image of a bee colony

Within the INSIGNIA project we did sample pollen samples from our test colonies every second week from the 20.-23. April to the end of the project 24.-27. august. Every second week the Citizens Scientist went out an activated the pollen trap on the evening before and then did empty the trap next days evening. There was always an eye on the weather forecast. Should we move the collection with one or 2 days. The main part of the samplings were done over one day, few times 2 days.

Continue reading “The diversity of the pollen image of a bee colony”

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