Effects of Carbon Dioxide and Low Temperature Narcosis on Honey Bees,Apis mellifera1

Short exposure of less than 2 min to pure CO 2 or 3 min to −20°C did not alter the orientation and successful return of released forager honey bees to colonies. Narcosis for 15 sec with CO 2 and 3 min at −20°C did not affect survival or pollen foraging behavior, but CO 2 treatments of 30, 60, and 120 sec reduced survival and pollen gathering behavior. Narcosis with pure CO 2 should not exceed 15 sec to reduce the risks of inducing abnormal physiological and behavioral changes in worker bees.