Susceptibility of the honey bee, Apis mellifera Linnaeus, infested with Acarapis woodi (Rennie) to infection by airborne pathogens

AbstractThe infestation of honey bees by the endoparasitic tracheal mite Acarapis woodi was first discovered in Apis mellifera on the Isle of Wight, England, and the mite has since spread to all continents except Australia. Since 2010, this tracheal mite has spread rapidly in the Japanese honey bee, Apis cerana japonica, of mainland Japan, causing considerable colony mortality. In contrast, infestations by the mites in the imported and managed European honey bee, A. mellifera, have rarely been observed in Japan. A previous laboratory experiment revealed a difference in susceptibility by demonstrating that the tracheal mite more frequently enters tracheae of A. cerana than those of A. mellifera. In this study, we compared autogrooming responses of A. cerana and A. mellifera by depositing a mite on each honey bee’s mesoscutum, and we then assessed the efficacy of autogrooming to remove the mite. The bees that received mites more frequently showed an autogrooming response compared to unchallenged bees in both bee species. However, a significantly greater proportion of A. mellifera individuals autogroomed compared to A. cerana. In addition, when bees autogroomed, A. mellifera removed the tracheal mite more effectively than A. cerana. When considering all bees in the mite-deposited group, the proportion of mite removal in A. mellifera was almost twice as high as that in A. cerana. Thus, the difference in susceptibility to the tracheal mite between these two bee species is attributed to the difference in the behavioral response threshold to mites and the effectiveness of mite removal by grooming.

Download Full-text

CHEMICAL ACARICIDES IN APIS MELLIFERA (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE) COLONIES; DO THEY CAUSE NONLETHAL EFFECTS?

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/ent131363-3 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 131 (3) ◽

pp. 363-371 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Lynn C. Westcott ◽

Mark L. Winston

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Formic Acid ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Colony Growth ◽

Acarapis Woodi ◽

Honey Production ◽

Brood Survival ◽

Bee Colony ◽

And Control ◽

Production Effects

AbstractColonies of the honey bee, Apis mellifera Linnaeus, infested with the parasitic mites Acarapis woodi (Rennie) (Acari: Tarsonemidae) or Varroa jacobsoni Oudemans (Acari: Varroidae) require acaricidal treatment to control infestations that could affect colony growth and honey production. We investigated the effects of three acaricides, fluvalinate (formulated as Apistan®), formic acid, and menthol, on honey bee colony population growth, foraging activity, adult worker longevity, and honey production. Effects of in-hive treatments of Apistan® and formic acid were measured by examining colony weight gain, brood survival, sealed-brood area, emerged-bee weight, number of returning foragers, pollen-load weight, and worker longevity. These characteristics were not different between fluvalinate-treated colonies, formic-acid-treated colonies, and control colonies. Adult bee population, brood survival, number of returning foragers, and honey production did not vary among menthol-treated colonies, formic-acid-treated colonies, and control colonies. Sealed-brood area was lower in formic-acid-treated colonies than control colonies, but not different from menthol-treated colonies. Although not statistically significant, formic-acid-treated colonies experienced lower honey production than both menthol-treated and control colonies. Numbers of workers attending the queen in the retinue and queen behaviour patterns were not different after colonies were treated with formic acid.

Download Full-text

TRACHEAL MITE ACARAPIS WOODI (RENNIE) (ACARI: TARSONEMIDAE) INFESTATIONS IN THE HONEY BEE, APIS MELLIFERA L. (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE) IN TAMAULIPAS, MEXICO

Journal of Entomological Science ◽

10.18474/0749-8004-24.1.40 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 40-46 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

L. G. Lozano ◽

J. O. Moffett ◽

B. Campos P. ◽

M. Guillen M. ◽

O. N. Perez E. ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Life Stage ◽

The State ◽

Late Spring ◽

Acarapis Woodi ◽

Tracheal Mite ◽

Tracheal Mites ◽

Northeastern Mexico

In a 1986 survey taken in northeastern Mexico, 44% of the 6,200 honey bees, Apis mellifera L., examined were infested with tracheal mites, Acarapis woodi (Rennie). Mites were found in 80% of the 310 colony samples of 20 bees each. These samples were taken monthly from 10 colonies in each of three apiaries located from 130 to 230 km apart in the state of Tamaulipas. Infestation levels varied greatly among apiaries, months, and between samples. Monthly infestations in individual bees ranged from a low of 2% in the Hidalgo apiary in August to a high of 97% in February in the Aldama apiary. The average infestation was 11% of the bees in the Hidalgo apiary, 35% in the Ciudad Mante apiary, and 71% in the Aldama apiary. Mite populations tended to decline in late spring and summer. There was a significant correlation (r = 0.91, p < 0.01) between the percentage of bees infested in the apiary and the number of mites in each infested bee. The number of mites per infested bee ranged from an average of 14 for infested bees from the four monthly apiary samples with the lowest percentage of infested bees to 44 mites/infested bee in the four samples with the highest percent of infested bees. The average number of mites per infested bee was 34.2. The proportion of mites in each life stage varied markedly. Overall, 19% of the 92,392 mites were in the egg stage, 37% were larvae, and 44% were adults. The ratio of males to females was 1:2.43 or 29% males to 71% females. Both right and left tracheae were equally susceptable to becoming infested, as mites were found in 2,144 right and 2,138 left trachea. Both tracheae were infested in 58% of the bees parasitized with mites. There was also a highly significant correlation (r = 0.98, P < 0.01) between percentage of bees infested in each sample and percentage of infested bees with mites present in both tracheae.

Download Full-text

A qualitative model of mortality in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies infested with tracheal mites (Acarapis woodi)

Experimental and Applied Acarology ◽

10.1007/s10493-008-9213-3 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 47 (3) ◽

pp. 225-234 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

John B. McMullan ◽

Mark J. F. Brown

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Qualitative Model ◽

Acarapis Woodi ◽

Tracheal Mites

Download Full-text

Field evaluation of nine families of honey bees for resistance to tracheal mites

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/ent133793-6 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 133 (6) ◽

pp. 793-803 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Dennis van Engelsdorp ◽

Gard W. Otis

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Formic Acid ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Field Evaluation ◽

Acarapis Woodi ◽

Tracheal Mite ◽

Colony Performance ◽

Tracheal Mites ◽

Mite Infestations

AbstractWe evaluated the resistance to tracheal mites, Acarapis woodi (Rennie) (Acari: Tarsonemidae), of colonies of honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), headed by daughters of three queens from each of three honey bee stocks: (i) British Columbia "mite-resistant stock, (ii) Buckfast "mite-resistant" stock, and (iii) Canadian unselected stock. Colonies of all nine families were distributed among four apiaries; half of the colonies in each apiary were treated with formic acid to attempt to control tracheal mites. The study documented significant differences in resistance to tracheal mites among the families of bees, even within each of the three stocks. After the first 4 months of study (by November 1993), differences in mite infestations had developed among the nine families. Formic acid treatments had either short-lived effectiveness (1993) or no effect (1994) on tracheal mite infestations, thereby eliminating the opportunity to evaluate colony performance in the absence of mites. Mite infestations varied significantly among apiary sites. This study highlights the value of evaluating sets of colonies headed by sister queens when identifying mite-resistant stock for breeding purposes.

Download Full-text