Effects of a Bacillus thuringiensis toxin, two Bacillus thuringiensis biopesticide formulations, and a soybean trypsin inhibitor on honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) survival and food consumption

Newly emerged adult honey bees, Apis mellifera L., were fed with a pollen-b ased food containing various additives: purified and activated Cry1Ba delta -endotoxin, from Bacillus thuringiensis Bt4412 (Bt) (1, 0.25 and 0.025 % w/ w), Bt biopesticide preparations, Dipel 2X (1 and 0.25 %) and Foray 48B (0. 25 %), and Kunitz soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI) (1, 0.5 or 0.05 %). The bees received these foods for 7 days and were then given control food witho ut additives for the rest of their lives, Bee survival time was unaffected, and the food was consumed at the same rate as control food For all treatme nts, except 1 % Dipel, where both survival and food consumption were signif icantly reduced. A second experiment showed that bees completely deprived o f the pollen-based food also had poorer survival than those fed with the co ntrol food. Adult bees are unlikely to be harmed by trans genic plants expr essing Cry1Ba or SBTI, or by Bt biopesticides that are used as recommended. (C) Inra/DIB/AGIB/Elsevier, Paris.