EN
The aim of investigations was to estimate the influence of consumed pollen in colonies infected with Varroa on the concentration of chlorinated hydrocarbons in bees. Studies were carried out in September in 4 apiaries, from which approximately 300 bees were collected from the randomly chosen colonies. The midgut from 10 insects was isolated and pollen grains were counted. The remaining insects served for the estimation of the level of chlorinated hydrocarbons and Varroa infection. In bee samples only residues of HCH and DDE were found. In the presence of 3.1-3.2 pollen grains in the microscope eyeshot, the HCH and DDE content was the lowest, and it was the highest in the presence of 22.8-37.5 pollen grains. In the other colonies with similar numbers of pollen grains and considerable differences in bee infection with Varroa (about 8 times), the HCH and DDE concentration was respectively: 25 and 13 units higher than in bees with a lesser extensiveness of invasion. In the next apiary, where the number of pollen grains fluctuated between 4.4-4.8 and the invasion extensiveness was 5.95% and 15.4%, the concentration of both pesticides was lower than in the previous one. Similar differences in HCH and DDE levels occurred in bees in which in the ground abdomens were found 10.4 and 22.8 pollen grains. In bees with marginal Varroa infection (0.7%) and the greatest number of pollen (37.5), the concentration of HCH and DDE was respectively: 0.00293 µg/g l.m. and 0.00312 µg/g l.m, and it was the highest in comparison to bees from previous apiaries. The results indicate that bees from highly infected with Varroa destructor colonies consume less protein food than from faintly infected ones.