Winter honey bee colony losses, Varroa destructor control strategies, and the role of weather conditions: Results from a survey among beekeepers

Honey bee colony losses are triggered by interacting stress factors consistently associated with high loads of parasites and/or pathogens. A wealth of biotic and abiotic stressors are involved in the induction of this complex multifactorial syndrome, with the parasitic mite Varroa destructor and the associated deformed wing virus (DWV) apparently playing key roles. The mechanistic basis underpinning this association and the evolutionary implications remain largely obscure. Here we narrow this research gap by demonstrating that DWV, vectored by the Varroa mite, adversely affects humoral and cellular immune responses by interfering with NF-κB signaling. This immunosuppressive effect of the viral pathogen enhances reproduction of the parasitic mite. Our experimental data uncover an unrecognized mutualistic symbiosis between Varroa and DWV, which perpetuates a loop of reciprocal stimulation with escalating negative effects on honey bee immunity and health. These results largely account for the remarkable importance of this mite–virus interaction in the induction of honey bee colony losses. The discovery of this mutualistic association and the elucidation of the underlying regulatory mechanisms sets the stage for a more insightful analysis of how synergistic stress factors contribute to colony collapse, and for the development of new strategies to alleviate this problem.

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Honey bee colony losses in Canada

Journal of Apicultural Research ◽

10.3896/ibra.1.49.1.18 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

pp. 104-106 ◽

Cited By ~ 91

Author(s):

Robert W Currie ◽

Stephen F Pernal ◽

Ernesto Guzmán-Novoa

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Colony Losses ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Honey Bee Colony ◽

Honey Bee Colony Losses

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A survey of honey bee colony losses in the United States, fall 2008 to spring 2009

Journal of Apicultural Research ◽

10.3896/ibra.1.49.1.03 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

pp. 7-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 133

Author(s):

Dennis vanEngelsdorp ◽

Jerry Hayes ◽

Robyn M Underwood ◽

Jeffery S Pettis

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Honey Bee ◽

The United States ◽

Colony Losses ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Honey Bee Colony ◽

Honey Bee Colony Losses

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Emotionalization in the Media Coverage of Honey Bee Colony Losses

Media and Communication ◽

10.17645/mac.v8i1.2498 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 141-150 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Brigitte Huber ◽

Ingrid Aichberger

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Media Coverage ◽

Colony Losses ◽

Daily News ◽

News Stories ◽

Rhetorical Devices ◽

Bee Colony ◽

The Media ◽

Honey Bee Colony ◽

Honey Bee Colony Losses

Emotionalization is increasingly used in the daily news. However, communication scholars have only just begun to explore how journalists use emotionalization in coverage of scientific and environmental topics. This study contributes to filling this research gap by investigating emotionalization in reporting on honey bee colony losses. The aim of the study is to analyze the amount of emotionalization that took place, as well as to observe changes over time. Emotionalization is assessed in two ways; by analyzing to what extent journalists (1) <em>explicitly mentioned</em> discrete emotions in news stories (joy, hope, fear, anger, etc.) and/or (2) used <em>rhetorical devices</em> to evoke emotions (affective vocabulary, metaphors, colloquial language, superlatives, etc.). Results from a quantitative content analysis of four Austrian newspapers in 2010/2011, 2013/2014, and 2017/2018 show that the coverage is highly emotionalized across all three time periods studied. Emotionalization occurs far more often by using rhetorical devices than by explicitly mentioning positive or negative emotions. Interestingly, the incorporation of emotional elements and scientific expertise in the news items do not exclude one another. Hence, there seems to be no strict dichotomy between rational/objective and emotional reporting.

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Honey bee colony losses and declines

10.1603/ice.2016.106105 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Nathalie Annick Steinhauer

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Colony Losses ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Honey Bee Colony ◽

Honey Bee Colony Losses

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Monitoring of Honey Bee Colony Losses: A Special Issue

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d12100403 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (10) ◽

pp. 403

Author(s):

Aleš Gregorc

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Special Issue ◽

Colony Losses ◽

Colony Management ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Honey Bee Colony ◽

The Impact ◽

Bee Colonies ◽

Honey Bee Colony Losses

In recent decades, independent national and international research programs have revealed possible reasons for the death of managed honey bee colonies worldwide. Such losses are not due to a single factor, but instead are due to highly complex interactions between various internal and external influences, including pests, pathogens, honey bee stock diversity, and environmental change. Reduced honey bee vitality and nutrition, exposure to agrochemicals, and quality of colony management contribute to reduced colony survival in beekeeping operations. Our Special Issue (SI) on ‘’Monitoring of Honey Bee Colony Losses’’ aims to address specific challenges facing honey bee researchers and beekeepers. This SI includes four reviews, with one being a meta-analysis that identifies gaps in the current and future directions for research into honey bee colonies mortalities. Other review articles include studies regarding the impact of numerous factors on honey bee mortality, including external abiotic factors (e.g., winter conditions and colony management) as well as biotic factors such as attacks by Vespa velutina and Varroa destructor.

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