Bumblebees – their usage in agriculture and the effect of pesticide on them

Abstract

Bumbari su važni oprašivači i jedni od rijetkih opnokrilaca koji se polenom hrane čitav život. Njihov životni ciklus je godišnji i posebna se pažnja pridaje matici koja je odgovorna za stvaranje košnice. U poljoprivredi je opažena njihova korisnost te se već duže vremena koriste kao oprašivači za staklenički uzgojene vrste. Vrste oprašene bumbarima brže sazriju i daju veće plodove. Međutim, valja biti oprezan pri korištenju komercijalno uzgojenih vrsta jer su oni češća meta štetnih nametnika i time mogu ugrožavati autohtone vrste bumbara. Utjecaj pesticida na bumbare je zamjetniji jer, za razliku od pčela, oni stvaraju manje zajednice koje su podložnije vanjskim utjecajima. Insekticidi poput imidakloprida remete prehrambene navike bumbara te utječu na rast matice dok piretroidi utječu na veličinu jedinki koje su češće manje u slučaju da se izlažu ovoj kemikaliji. Valja detaljnije istražiti utjecaj pesticida na populacije bumbara.Bumblebees are one of the most useful pollinators and one of the rare Hymenoptera that feed on pollen their entire life. Their life cycle is annual, and the queen is of major importance as she takes care of the hive. The agricultural potential of bumblebees is notable, and they are commonly used as pollinators in glasshouses. Species that were pollinated by bumblebees gave bigger fruits and matured faster. However, the usage of bred species should be cautious, as they are more often affected by various parasites and therefore may endanger native species. In comparison to honey bees, the pesticide effect on bumblebees is more pronounced, as the bumblebees make smaller communities. Insecticides such as imidacloprid interfere with the eating habits of bumblebees and affect the growth of the queen, while pyrethroids affect the size of individuals, which are often smaller when exposed to this chemical. Consequently, they are more sensitive to outer impacts. More details on the pesticide effect on bumblebee populations are yet to be explored