PESTICIDES AND THE INVESTIGATION OF THEIR EFFECTS ON BEES

Abstract

Pesticides are used to remove or eliminate microorganisms and pests that damage food from the first production to the last consumption of foodstuffs, as well as to regulate the growth of plants. In agriculture, these substances have been used directly or indirectly for centuries as a priority and widely used in pest control. Significant increases in product quantity and quality are observed with the use of these substances. However, these pesticides remain intact in water, soil, fruits and vegetables for a long time and cause environmental pollution and thus cause various damages that can reach human beings through the food chain. Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) produce valuable products such as honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly for humans, as well as pollination in nature. In recent years, the decrease of pollinators, especially honey bee, causes great worries in the world. Pesticide residues in nectar and pollen of cultivated plants also play an important role in the reduction of honey bees. As a result of this study; pesticides are examined and evaluated economically and ecologically in the context of their definition, usage, historical process, classification and their effects on bees.