Research progress on the effects of fungicide exposure on honey bee health

Honey bees are the primary pollinators in nature, playing a crucial role in increasing crop yield, improving quality, and maintaining ecosystem balance. In recent years, with the rapid development of modern agriculture, fungicides, a class of low-toxicity pesticides effective in preventing and controlling fungal pathogens in crops, have been widely used in both field and facility agriculture. However, their potential threats to the survival and health of non-target organisms, such as honey bees, are often overlooked during application. This article reviewed the domestic and international research progress on honey bee exposure to fungicides and their sublethal effects. The content primarily covered the development and mechanisms of fungicides, the pathways through which honey bees were exposed to fungicides, the toxicological effects of fungicides on honey bees, and their synergistic effects with other pesticides. It analyzed the negative impacts and potential threats of fungicide exposure on honey bee health. The paper recommended that relevant management and research institutions place greater emphasis on the regulations governing fungicide use during crop flowering periods, particularly by strengthening scientific risk assessments of fungicide exposure to honey bees, in order to safeguard the survival and health of honey bees and other wild pollinators.