Identifying the climatic drivers of honey bee disease in England and Wales

AbstractHoney bee colony health has received considerable attention in recent years, with many studies highlighting multifactorial issues contributing to colony losses. Disease and weather are consistently highlighted as primary drivers of colony loss, yet little is understood about how they interact. Here, we combined disease records from government honey bee health inspections with meteorological data from the CEDA to identify how weather impacts EFB, AFB, CBP, varroosis, chalkbrood and sacbrood. Using R-INLA, we determined how different meteorological variables influenced disease prevalence and disease risk. Temperature caused an increase in the risk of both varroosis and sacbrood, but overall, the weather had a varying effect on the six honey bee diseases. The risk of disease was also spatially varied and was impacted by the meteorological variables. These results are an important step in identifying the impacts of climate change on honey bees and honey bee diseases.

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Descriptive Analysis of the Varroa Non-Reproduction Trait in Honey Bee Colonies and Association with Other Traits Related to Varroa Resistance

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects11080492 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 492 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sonia E. Eynard ◽

Christina Sann ◽

Benjamin Basso ◽

Anne-Laure Guirao ◽

Yves Le Conte ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Empirical Bayes ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

Field Studies ◽

Colony Losses ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Bee Health ◽

Honey Bee Health ◽

Varroa Resistance ◽

Resistance Traits

In the current context of worldwide honey bee colony losses, among which the varroa mite plays a major role, the hope to improve honey bee health lies in part in the breeding of varroa resistant colonies. To do so, methods used to evaluate varroa resistance need better understanding. Repeatability and correlations between traits such as mite non-reproduction (MNR), varroa sensitive hygiene (VSH), and hygienic behavior are poorly known, due to practical limitations and to their underlying complexity. We investigate (i) the variability, (ii) the repeatability of the MNR score, and (iii) its correlation with other resistance traits. To reduce the inherent variability of MNR scores, we propose to apply an empirical Bayes correction. In the short-term (ten days), MNR had a modest repeatability of 0.4, whereas in the long-term (a month), it had a low repeatability of 0.2, similar to other resistance traits. Within our dataset, there was no correlation between MNR and VSH. Although MNR is amongst the most popular varroa resistance estimates in field studies, its underlying complex mechanism is not fully understood. Its lack of correlation with better described resistance traits and low repeatability suggest that MNR needs to be interpreted cautiously, especially when used for selection.

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Haemolymph removal by the parasite Varroa destructor can trigger the proliferation of the Deformed Wing Virus in mite infested bees (Apis mellifera), contributing to enhanced pathogen virulence

10.1101/257667 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Desiderato Annoscia ◽

Sam P. Brown ◽

Gennaro Di Prisco ◽

Emanuele De Paoli ◽

Simone Del Fabbro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Varroa Destructor ◽

Viral Evolution ◽

Colony Losses ◽

Viral Pathogen ◽

Deformed Wing Virus ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Bee Health ◽

Honey Bee Health ◽

Mite Feeding

AbstractThe association between the Deformed Wing Virus and the parasitic mite Varroa destructor has been identified as a major cause of worldwide honey bee colony losses. The mite acts as a vector of the viral pathogen and can trigger its replication in infected bees. However, the mechanistic details underlying this tripartite interaction are still poorly defined, and, in particular, the causes of viral proliferation in mite infested bees.Here we develop and test a novel hypothesis - grounded in ecological predator-prey theory - that mite feeding destabilizes viral immune control through the removal of both viral ‘prey’ and immune ‘predators’, triggering uncontrolled viral replication. Consistent with this hypothesis, we show that experimental removal of increasing volumes of haemolymph from individual bees results in increasing viral densities. In contrast, we find no support for alternative proposed mechanisms of viral expansion via mite immune-suppression or within-host viral evolution.Overall, these results provide a new model for the mechanisms driving pathogen-parasite interactions in bees, which ultimately underpin honey bee health decline and colony losses.

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Descriptive Analysis of the Varroa Non-reproduction Trait in Honey Bee Colonies and Association with Other Traits Related to Varroa Resistance

10.20944/preprints202007.0166.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sonia E. Eynard ◽

Christina Sann ◽

Benjamin Basso ◽

Anne-Laure Guirao ◽

Yves Le Conte ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Empirical Bayes ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

Field Studies ◽

Colony Losses ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Bee Health ◽

Honey Bee Health ◽

Varroa Resistance ◽

Resistance Traits

In the current context of worldwide honey bee colony losses, among which the varroa mite plays a major role, hope to improve honey bee health lies in part in the breeding of varroa resistant colonies. To do so, methods used to evaluate varroa resistance need better understanding. Repeatability and correlations between traits such as Mite Non-Reproduction (MNR), Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH) and hygienic behaviour are poorly known, due to practical limitations and to their underlying complexity. We investigate (i) the variability, (ii) repeatability of the MNR score and (iii) its correlation with other resistance traits. To reduce the inherent variability of MNR scores, we propose to apply an Empirical Bayes correction. On the short-term (ten days) MNR had a modest repeatability of 0.4 whereas on the long- term (a month) it had a low repeatability of 0.2, similar to other resistance traits. Within our dataset there was no correlation between MNR and VSH. Although MNR is amongst the most popular varroa resistance estimates in field studies, its underlying complex mechanism is not fully understood. Its lack of correlation with better described resistance traits and low repeatability suggest that MNR need to be interpreted cautiously, especially when used for selection.

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Impacts of Diverse Natural Products on Honey Bee Viral Loads and Health

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app112210732 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (22) ◽

pp. 10732

Author(s):

Dawn L. Boncristiani ◽

James P. Tauber ◽

Evan C. Palmer-Young ◽

Lianfei Cao ◽

William Collins ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Natural Products ◽

Immune Responses ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Food Sources ◽

Deformed Wing Virus ◽

Bee Health ◽

Honey Bee Health ◽

Living Organisms ◽

Bee Disease

Western honey bees (Apis mellifera), a cornerstone to crop pollination in the U.S., are faced with an onslaught of challenges from diseases caused by parasites, pathogens, and pests that affect this economically valuable pollinator. Natural products (NPs), produced by living organisms, including plants and microorganisms, can support health and combat disease in animals. NPs include both native extracts and individual compounds that can reduce disease impacts by supporting immunity or directly inhibiting pathogens, pests, and parasites. Herein, we describe the screening of NPs in laboratory cage studies for their effects on honey bee disease prevention and control. Depending on the expected activity of compounds, we measured varied responses, including viral levels, honey bee immune responses, and symbiotic bacteria loads. Of the NPs screened, several compounds demonstrated beneficial activities in honey bees by reducing levels of the critical honey bee virus deformed wing virus (DWV-A and-B), positively impacting the gut microbiome or stimulating honey bee immune responses. Investigations of the medicinal properties of NPs in honey bees will contribute to a better understanding of their potential to support honey bee immunity to fight off pests and pathogens and promote increased overall honey bee health. These investigations will also shed light on the ecological interactions between pollinators and specific floral food sources.

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RNAseq Analysis Reveals Virus Diversity within Hawaiian Apiary Insect Communities

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v11050397 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 397 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Brettell ◽

Schroeder ◽

Martin

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Large Scale ◽

Pest Species ◽

Insect Communities ◽

Colony Losses ◽

Viral Pathogen ◽

Deformed Wing Virus ◽

Virus Diversity ◽

Bee Health ◽

Honey Bee Health

Deformed wing virus (DWV) is the most abundant viral pathogen of honey bees and has been associated with large-scale colony losses. DWV and other bee-associated RNA viruses are generalists capable of infecting diverse hosts. Here, we used RNAseq analysis to test the hypothesis that due to the frequency of interactions, a range of apiary pest species would become infected with DWV and/or other honey bee-associated viruses. We confirmed that DWV-A was the most prevalent virus in the apiary, with genetically similar sequences circulating in the apiary pests, suggesting frequent inter-species transmission. In addition, different proportions of the three DWV master variants as indicated by BLAST analysis and genome coverage plots revealed interesting DWV-species groupings. We also observed that new genomic recombinants were formed by the DWV master variants, which are likely adapted to replicate in different host species. Species groupings also applied when considering other viruses, many of which were widespread in the apiaries. In social wasps, samples were grouped further by site, which potentially also influenced viral load. Thus, the apiary invertebrate community has the potential to act as reservoirs of honey bee-associated viruses, highlighting the importance of considering the wider community in the apiary when considering honey bee health.

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Varroamites and honey bee health: canVarroaexplain part of the colony losses?

Apidologie ◽

10.1051/apido/2010017 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 41 (3) ◽

pp. 353-363 ◽

Cited By ~ 283

Author(s):

Yves Le Conte ◽

Marion Ellis ◽

Wolfgang Ritter

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Colony Losses ◽

Bee Health ◽

Honey Bee Health

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Total Brood Removal and Other Biotechniques for the Sustainable Control of Varroa Mites in Honey Bee Colonies: Economic Impact in Beekeeping Farm Case Studies in Northwestern Italy

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12062302 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 2302 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Teresina Mancuso ◽

Luca Croce ◽

Monica Vercelli

Keyword(s):

Economic Impact ◽

Case Studies ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Complex Activity ◽

Land Protection ◽

Bee Health ◽

Honey Bee Health ◽

Varroa Mites ◽

Bee Disease ◽

Bee Colonies

Honey bee colonies are affected by many threats, and the Varroa mite represents one of the most important causes of honey bee disease. The control of the Varroa population is managed by different methods, and in recent years, biotechnical practices are considered preferable to chemical approaches in order to safeguard honey bee health and avoid residues in bee products as well as the appearance of acaricide resistance. However, little is known about the economic performance of beekeeping exploitations in relation to the methods used for tackling Varroa. This study aims to investigate the economic impact of total brood removal (TBR) as a biotechnique to keep Varroa mites under control, and compare this to other common biotechniques and chemical Varroa control in numerous Italian beekeeping case studies. A pool of economic and technical indexes was proposed. The proposed index pool can be included in the development of an expert system (such as a decision support system) able to address the optimal management of this very complex activity, which requires natural resources, land protection, capital and high technical skills. The result showed that the adoption of the TBR biotechnique vs. other biotechniques led to an increase in terms of total revenue (increase values ranging from 11% to 28%) even though more labor is needed (increase values ranging from 43 to 83 min/hive) and a loss of honey production could be recorded in some cases. Additionally, the total expenses, represented mainly by supplemental nutrition and treatments with oxalic acid, affected the economic results of the biotechnical practices. The use of biotechniques vs. chemical control resulted in decreased treatment costs and increased feeding costs. The advantages resulting from not using synthetic acaricides (which are dangerous for honey bee and human health as well as the environment) as well as the advantages linked to the production of new nuclei (which are involved in the maintenance of bee stock and counteract the decline in honey bee population) and pollination ecosystem services could make beekeeping farms more resilient over time.

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Pesticide–Virus Interactions in Honey Bees: Challenges and Opportunities for Understanding Drivers of Bee Declines

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v12050566 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 566

Author(s):

Gyan P. Harwood ◽

Adam G. Dolezal

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Colony Losses ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Bee Health ◽

Honey Bee Health ◽

Varroa Mites ◽

The Individual ◽

Inadequate Nutrition ◽

Virus Interactions

Honey bees are key agricultural pollinators, but beekeepers continually suffer high annual colony losses owing to a number of environmental stressors, including inadequate nutrition, pressures from parasites and pathogens, and exposure to a wide variety of pesticides. In this review, we examine how two such stressors, pesticides and viruses, may interact in additive or synergistic ways to affect honey bee health. Despite what appears to be a straightforward comparison, there is a dearth of studies examining this issue likely owing to the complexity of such interactions. Such complexities include the wide array of pesticide chemical classes with different modes of actions, the coupling of many bee viruses with ectoparasitic Varroa mites, and the intricate social structure of honey bee colonies. Together, these issues pose a challenge to researchers examining the effects pesticide-virus interactions at both the individual and colony level.

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Screening of Honey Bee Pathogens in the Czech Republic and Their Prevalence in Various Habitats

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12121051 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 1051

Author(s):

Petr Mráz ◽

Marian Hýbl ◽

Marek Kopecký ◽

Andrea Bohatá ◽

Irena Hoštičková ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Czech Republic ◽

Honey Bee ◽

National Park ◽

Urban Ecosystems ◽

Point Of View ◽

The Czech Republic ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Bee Health ◽

Honey Bee Health ◽

Inadequate Nutrition

Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is one of the most important pollinators in the world. Thus, a recent honey bee health decline and frequent honey bee mass losses have drawn attention and concern. Honey bee fitness is primarily reduced by pathogens, parasites, and viral load, exposure to pesticides and their residues, and inadequate nutrition from both the quality and amount of food resources. This study evaluated the prevalence of the most common honey bee pathogens and viruses in different habitats across the Czech Republic. The agroecosystems, urban ecosystems, and national park were chosen for sampling from 250 colonies in 50 apiaries. Surprisingly, the most prevalent honey bee pathogens belong to the family Trypanosomatidae including Lotmaria passim and Crithidia mellificae. As expected, the most prevalent viruses were DWV, followed by ABPV. Additionally, the occurrence of DWV-B and DWV-C were correlated with honey bee colony mortality. From the habitat point of view, most pathogens occurred in the town habitat, less in the agroecosystem and least in the national park. The opposite trend was observed in the occurrence of viruses. However, the prevalence of viruses was not affected by habitat.

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Risk factors associated with honey bee colony loss in apiaries in Galicia, NW Spain

Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.5424/sjar/2017151-9652 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. e0501 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Aranzazu Meana ◽

Miguel Llorens-Picher ◽

Amaia Euba ◽

José L. Bernal ◽

José Bernal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Varroa Mite ◽

Nw Spain ◽

Acarapis Woodi ◽

Colony Losses ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Colony Loss ◽

Honey Bee Colony ◽

The Impact

A cross-sectional study was carried out in Galicia, NW Spain, in order to estimate the magnitude of honey bee colony losses and to identify potential risk factors involved. A total of 99 samples from 99 apiaries were collected in spring using simple random sampling. According to international guidelines, the apiaries were classified as affected by colony loss or asymptomatic. Each sample consisted of worker bees, brood and comb-stored pollen. All worker bees and brood samples were analysed individually in order to detect the main honey bee pathogens. Moreover, the presence of residues of the most prevalent agrotoxic insecticides and acaricides was assessed in comb-stored pollen. The general characteristics of the apiaries and sanitary information regarding previous years was evaluated through questionnaires, while the vegetation surrounding the apiaries sampled was assessed by palynological analysis of comb-stored pollen. The colony loss prevalence was 53.5% (CI95%=43.2-63.9) and Nosema ceranae was found to be the only risk factor strongly associated with colony loss. The decision tree also pointed out the impact of the Varroa mite presence while variables such as apiary size, the incorrect application of Varroa mite treatments, and the presence of Acarapis woodi and Kashmir bee virus (KBV) were identified as possible co-factors.

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