Variability in insecticide tolerance of eighteen honey-bee colonies

Tolerance to two chlorinated hydrocarbon (DDT and endrin) and two organophosphorous insecticides (trichlorfon and ronnel) in 18 Italian bee colonies was studied using topical applications. The LD₅₀ values obtained for each insecticide were subjected to a component of variance analysis. Correlation coefficients between LD₅₀'s for the various insecticides and between LD₅₀ and body weight and fat content were also calculated. From a consideration of the variation between colonies, it is suggested that selection based on the exploitation of existing polygenic variation can provide only minor increases in LD₅₀'s, and that development of resistant bee strains will require methods that capitalize upon major gene mutations.