Overwintered brood comb honey: colony exposure to pesticide residues

SummaryTo address beekeeper concerns about pesticide residues in overwintered honey, paired samples were obtained from the extracted supers and the brood chamber of the same colony. Only eight residues were detected: coumaphos, fluvalinate, boscalid, dimethoate, atrazine, bentazon, dichlorobenzene and thymol. Honey from extracted supers was significantly less likely to contain pesticide residues than honey from brood comb. Fluvalinate was detected only in overwintered brood comb honey, and coumaphos was found at significantly higher levels in the overwintered samples from the brood comb-honey super pairs. Pesticide residues in honey, while low in comparison to other substrates in the hive, contribute to the overall pesticide exposure of honey bees, with overwintered brood comb honey contributing more than honey stored in other locations in the hive.