Topical Application and Insecticide Resistance Studies on the Honey Bee

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Abstract
The toxicological response of the honey bee, Apis mellifera L., to DDT and other selected insecticides was studied, using the topical application technique. Results of these studies indicate the following: (1) Bees caged individually after treatment with DDT required a greater amount of toxicant to achieve the same response than when caged in groups of 15. (2) DDT was more toxic to workers, queens, and drones held at a post-treatment temperature of 70°F than at 80°F. (3) Tests conducted with bees caged individually at 70°F after treatment were more reproducible than those conducted at 80°F. (4) Under the conditions tested, 2- and 8-day-old bees were more susceptible to DDT than those 4 or 6 days old. (5) Under the conditions tested, insecticides applied to the dorsum of the abdomen gave essentially the same response as when applied to the dorsum of the thorax. (6) A toxaphene-DDT (2:1) mixture exhibited synergistic action at 80°F. (7) All colonies tested, including colonies started from gravid queens from the California colonies reported as DDT resistant (Atkins and Anderson 1962, J. Econ. Entomol. 56, 442–4) gave similar responses to DDT. (8) Resistance to DDT was not increased by 2 generations of selection.