scholarly journals Honey bees as biomonitors of environmental contaminants, pathogens, and climate change

2022 ◽  
Vol 134 ◽  
pp. 108457
Author(s):  
Morgan M. Cunningham ◽  
Lan Tran ◽  
Chloe G. McKee ◽  
Rodrigo Ortega Polo ◽  
Tara Newman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Environmental Contaminants

scholarly journals Changing climate patterns risk the spread of Varroa destructor infestation of African honey bees in Tanzania

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A. Giliba ◽  
Issa H. Mpinga ◽  
Sood A. Ndimuligo ◽  
Mathew M. Mpanda
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Potential Risk ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Varroa Destructor ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Economic Implications ◽  
Pests And Diseases ◽  
Future Risk ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Climate change creates opportune conditions that favour the spread of pests and diseases outside their known active range. Modelling climate change scenarios is oftentimes useful tool to assess the climate analogues to unveil the potential risk of spreading suitability conditions for pests and diseases and hence allows development of appropriate responses to address the impending challenge. In the current study, we modelled the impact of climate change on the distribution of Varroa destructor, a parasitic mite that attacks all life forms of honey bees and remains a significant threat to their survival and productivity of bee products in Tanzania and elsewhere. Methods The data about the presence of V. destructor were collected in eight regions of Tanzania selected in consideration of several factors including potentials for beekeeping activities, elevation (highlands vs. lowlands) and differences in climatic conditions. A total of 19 bioclimatic datasets covering the entire country were used for developing climate scenarios of mid-century 2055 and late-century 2085 for both rcp4.5 and rcp8.5. We thereafter modelled the current and future risk distribution of V. destructor using MaxEnt. Results The results indicated a model performance of AUC = 0.85, with mean diurnal range in temperature (Bio2, 43.9%), mean temperature (Bio1, 20.6%) and mean annual rainfall (Bio12, 11.7%) as the important variables. Future risk projections indicated mixed responses of the potential risk of spreads of V. destructor, exhibiting both decrease and increases in the mid-century 2055 and late-century 2085 on different sites. Overall, there is a general decline of highly suitable areas of V. destructor in mid- and late-century across all scenarios (rcp4.5 and rcp8.5). The moderately suitable areas indicated a mixed response in mid-century with decline (under rcp4.5) and increase (under rcp8.5) and consistent increase in late century. The marginally suitable areas show a decline in mid-century and increase in late-century. Our results suggest that the climate change will continue to significantly affect the distribution and risks spread of V. destructor in Tanzania. The suitability range of V. destructor will shift where highly suitable areas will be diminishing to the advantage of the honey bees’ populations, but increase of moderately suitable sites indicates an expansion to new areas. The late century projections show the increased risks due to surge in the moderate and marginal suitability which means expansion in the areas where V. destructor will operate. Conclusion The current and predicted areas of habitat suitability for V. destructor’s host provides information useful for beekeeping stakeholders in Tanzania to consider the impending risks and allow adequate interventions to address challenges facing honey bees and the beekeeping industry. We recommend further studies on understanding the severity of V. destructor in health and stability of the honey bees in Tanzania. This will provide a better picture on how the country will need to monitor and reduce the risks associated with the increase of V. destructor activities as triggered by climate change. The loss of honey bees’ colonies and its subsequent impact in bees’ products production and pollination effect have both ecological and economic implications that need to have prioritization by the stakeholders in the country to address the challenge of spreading V. destructor.

scholarly journals Potential Risk to Pollinators from Nanotechnology-Based Pesticides

Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (24) ◽  
pp. 4458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louisa A. Hooven ◽  
Priyadarshini Chakrabarti ◽  
Bryan J. Harper ◽  
Ramesh R. Sagili ◽  
Stacey L. Harper
Keyword(s):  
Potential Risk ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Environmental Contaminants ◽  
Particle Sizes ◽  
Multiple Factors ◽  
Pesticide Formulations ◽  
Insect Pollinators ◽  
Global Concern ◽  
Structural Adaptations ◽  
Multiple Particle

The decline in populations of insect pollinators is a global concern. While multiple factors are implicated, there is uncertainty surrounding the contribution of certain groups of pesticides to losses in wild and managed bees. Nanotechnology-based pesticides (NBPs) are formulations based on multiple particle sizes and types. By packaging active ingredients in engineered particles, NBPs offer many benefits and novel functions, but may also exhibit different properties in the environment when compared with older pesticide formulations. These new properties raise questions about the environmental disposition and fate of NBPs and their exposure to pollinators. Pollinators such as honey bees have evolved structural adaptations to collect pollen, but also inadvertently gather other types of environmental particles which may accumulate in hive materials. Knowledge of the interaction between pollinators, NBPs, and other types of particles is needed to better understand their exposure to pesticides, and essential for characterizing risk from diverse environmental contaminants. The present review discusses the properties, benefits and types of nanotechnology-based pesticides, the propensity of bees to collect such particles and potential impacts on bee pollinators.

scholarly journals Global climate change and environmental contaminants: A SETAC call for research

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Wenning ◽  
Susan E. Finger ◽  
Lúcia Guilhermino ◽  
Roger C. Helm ◽  
Michael J. Hooper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Environmental Contaminants

scholarly journals A Qualitative Analysis of Beekeepers’ Perceptions and Farm Management Adaptations to the Impact of Climate Change on Honey Bees

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 228
Author(s):  
Monica Vercelli ◽  
Silvia Novelli ◽  
Paola Ferrazzi ◽  
Giada Lentini ◽  
Chiara Ferracini
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Climate Change Effects ◽  
Sugar Feeding ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
Strong Motivation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Varroa Control

(1) Background: Bees are the primary animal pollinators in most ecosystems, and honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are important providers of pollination ecosystem services and products. Climate change is one of the major threats for honey bees. (2) Objectives and methods: Qualitative research using focus group discussions was carried out in northwestern Italy, to investigate the beekeepers’ perceptions of climate change effects, the relevant management adaptations, and the main issues affecting the sector. (3) Results: Beekeepers reported several consequences related to severe weather events (weakening or loss of colonies; scarcity of nectar, pollen, and honeydew; decrease or lack of honey and other bee products; greater infestation by varroa; decline in pollination), making it necessary to provide supplemental sugar feeding, intensive transhumance, more effective and sustainable techniques for varroa control, and increased production of nuclei. A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis was completed, displaying the factors able to strengthen or weaken the resilience of the beekeeping sector to climate change. (4) Conclusions: Thanks to their strong motivation and collaborative attitude, beekeepers succeed in adopting farm and bee hive adaptation strategies that are able to limit the climatic adverse effects. However, these findings highlight how the institutional and financial support for the beekeeping sector should be strengthened and better targeted.

scholarly journals The toxicology of climate change: Environmental contaminants in a warming world

2009 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 971-986 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela D. Noyes ◽  
Matthew K. McElwee ◽  
Hilary D. Miller ◽  
Bryan W. Clark ◽  
Lindsey A. Van Tiem ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Contaminants ◽  
Warming World

scholarly journals Comparative toxicity of pesticides and environmental contaminants in bees: Are honey bees a useful proxy for wild bee species?

2017 ◽  
Vol 578 ◽  
pp. 357-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew S. Heard ◽  
Jan Baas ◽  
Jean- Lou Dorne ◽  
Elma Lahive ◽  
Alexander G. Robinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Environmental Contaminants ◽  
Wild Bee ◽  
Comparative Toxicity

scholarly journals One Health, One Hive: A scoping review of honey bees, climate change, pollutants, and antimicrobial resistance

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Etienne J. de Jongh ◽  
Sherilee L. Harper ◽  
Shelby S. Yamamoto ◽  
Carlee J. Wright ◽  
Craig W. Wilkinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
One Health ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Environmental Pollutants ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Multi Drug Resistance

AbstractAnthropogenic climate change and increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) together threaten the last 50 years of public health gains. Honey bees are a model One Health organism to investigate interactions between climate change and AMR. The objective of this scoping review was to examine the range, extent, and nature of published literature on the relationship between AMR and honey bees in the context of climate change and environmental pollutants.The review followed systematic search methods and reporting guidelines. A protocol was developed a priori in consultation with a research librarian. Resulting Boolean search strings were used to search Embase® via Ovid®, MEDLINE®, Scopus®, AGRICOLA™ and Web of Science™ databases. Two independent reviewers conducted two-stage screening on retrieved articles. To be included, the article had to examine honey bees, AMR, and either climate change or environmental pollution. Data, in accordance with Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, were extracted from relevant articles and descriptively synthesized in tables, figures, and narrative form.A total of 21 articles met the inclusion criteria, with almost half of all articles being published in the last five years (n=10). These articles predominantly investigated hive immunocompetence and multi-drug resistance transporter downregulation (n=10), susceptibility to pests (n=15), especially American foul brood (n=9), and hive product augmentation (n=3).This review identified key themes and gaps in the literature, including the need for future interdisciplinary research to explore the link between AMR and environmental change evidence streams in honey bees. We identified three potential linkages between pollutive and climatic factors and risk of AMR. These interconnections reaffirm the necessity of a One Health framework to tackle global threats and investigate complex issues that extend beyond honey bee research into the public health sector. It is integral that we view these “wicked” problems through an interdisciplinary lens to explore long-term strategies for change.

scholarly journals Geographical Information System for Beekeeping Development

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-16
Author(s):  
Hossam F. Abou-Shaara
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Information System ◽  
Geographical Information System ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Geographical Locations

AbstractGeographical Information System (GIS) is a computer-based system that can perform analysis for various datasets in relation to specific geographical locations and has been widely applied in agriculture. So far, GIS has been used in relatively few studies related to honey bees and beekeeping, but this article aims to review those previously performed and to present trends to apply GIS in beekeeping and then to help and guide researchers to perform more studies utilizing it. GIS can clearly be utilized to select suitable locations for apiaries, to map bee plants, to study bee behavior, diseases and pests, and to predict the effects of climate change on honey bees beside other benefits for beekeeping. Many obstacles and problems facing beekeeping can be mapped and analyzed using GIS, and other techniques can be used with it to perform the required tasks as presented in this review.

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