Determining the realistic toxicity of Imidacloprid for a native bee species Bombus impatiens

The agriculture industry relies on pesticides for crop production, but growing evidence suggests that sublethal effects of pesticides are a primary factor in the worldwide decline of insect pollinators. Neonicotinoids are a widely-used, advanced class of insecticides that are highly toxic to bees. Even at low levels, neonicotinoids can have pronounced sublethal effects. However, our understanding of bee toxicology comes primarily from studies on honeybees, and the few studies on bumblebees (genus Bombus) have assessed toxicity on a colony level. We investigated how imidacloprid affects individual bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) by assessing lethal and sublethal effects after 48 hours of dietary exposure. By taking daily weights, video footage, thermal images and conducting baseline metabolic assessments, we hope to better understand the physiological response to imidacloprid for bumblebees at a range of field realistic concentrations.