The honeybee is a social insect and an essential pollinator that is vital for agriculture, horticulture, and the maintenance of the ecological environment and species diversity. Imidacloprid is a new type of neonicotinoid insecticide with a widespread insecticidal spectrum that is potentially harmful to pollinating insects such as bees. This paper reviews recent research on the toxic mechanism, exposure pathway, metabolic processes and behavioral effects, of imidacloprin on honeybees. We reassess the "safety threshold" of pesticides with respect to honeybees, thereby promoting the safe and effective application of pesticides. This paper provides a useful reference for evaluating the effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on bees in China.