scholarly journals Short communication: Survival of honey bees (Apis mellifera) infected with Crithidia mellificae (Langridge and McGhee: ATCC® 30254™) in the presence of Nosema ceranae

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. e05SC02 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariano Higes ◽  
Cristina Rodríguez-García ◽  
Tamara Gómez-Moracho ◽  
Aranzazu Meana ◽  
Carolina Bartolomé ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Post Infection ◽  
Reference Strain ◽  
Nosema Ceranae ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Pathological Effect ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Honey Bee Colony Losses

Crithidia mellificae, a trypanosomatid parasite of Apis mellifera, has been proposed to be one of the pathogens responsible for the serious honey bee colony losses produced worldwide in the last decade, either alone or in association with Nosema ceranae. Since this pathogenic effect contradicts the results of the experimental infections originally performed by Langridge and McGhee nearly 40 years ago, we investigated the potential linkage of this protozoan with colony decline under laboratory conditions. Nosema-free and trypanosomatid-free honey bees from three different colonies were experimentally infected with fresh C. mellificae spheroid forms (reference strain ATCC30254), with N. ceranae fresh spores and with both parasites at the same time. Replicate cages were kept at 27 °C and used to analyse survival. C. mellificae spheroid forms did not reduce significantly the survival of the worker bees (64.5% at 30 days post-infection vs. 77.8% for the uninfected bees used as controls; differences were non statistically significant) under these experimental conditions. In contrast, the cages infected with N. ceranae exhibited higher rates of mortality from the 20th day post-infection onwards, irrespective of the presence of C. mellificae, suggesting that the spheroid forms of the latter have no pathological effect on A. mellifera.

Impacts of Different Winter Storage Conditions on the Physiology of Diutinus Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon K Hopkins ◽  
Priyadarshini Chakrabarti ◽  
Hannah M Lucas ◽  
Ramesh R Sagili ◽  
Walter S Sheppard
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
The United States ◽  
Storage Conditions ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Causative Factors ◽  
Outdoor Environments ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor Environments ◽  
Physiological Markers ◽  
Honey Bee Colony Losses

Abstract Global decline in insect pollinators, especially bees, have resulted in extensive research into understanding the various causative factors and formulating mitigative strategies. For commercial beekeepers in the United States, overwintering honey bee colony losses are significant, requiring tactics to overwinter bees in conditions designed to minimize such losses. This is especially important as overwintered honey bees are responsible for colony expansion each spring, and overwintered bees must survive in sufficient numbers to nurse the spring brood and forage until the new ‘replacement’ workers become fully functional. In this study, we examined the physiology of overwintered (diutinus) bees following various overwintering storage conditions. Important physiological markers, i.e., head proteins and abdominal lipid contents were higher in honey bees that overwintered in controlled indoor storage facilities, compared with bees held outdoors through the winter months. Our findings provide new insights into the physiology of honey bees overwintered in indoor and outdoor environments and have implications for improved beekeeping management.

scholarly journals A National Survey of Managed Honey Bee Colony Winter Losses (Apis mellifera) in China (2013–2017)

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 318
Author(s):  
Jiao Tang ◽  
Cuiyan Ma ◽  
Wei Shi ◽  
Xiao Chen ◽  
Zhiguang Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Potential Risk Factors ◽  
Honey Bee Colony ◽  
Overwintering Mortality ◽  
Winter Losses ◽  
Honey Bee Colony Losses

Surveys of managed honey bee colony losses worldwide have become fundamental for engineering a sustainable and systematic approach to protect honey bees. Though China is a member of the world’s apiculture superpowers, the investigation of honey bee colony losses from Chinese government was not formally launched until recently. In this study, we investigated the colony winter losses of the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) of four consecutive years in 2013–2017 from 19 provinces in China, with a total of 2387 responding Chinese beekeepers (195 hobby beekeepers, 1789 side-line beekeepers, 403 commercial beekeepers) providing the records of overwintering mortality of honey bee colonies. The calculated colony losses were 8.7%, a relatively low mortality below the world average. There still exist considerable variations in total losses among provinces (ranging from 0.9% to 22.0%), years (ranging from 8.1% to 10.6%) and scales of apiaries (ranging from 7.5% to 10.0%). Furthermore, we deeply analyzed and estimated the effects of potential risk factors on the colonies’ winter losses, and speculated that the queen problems, the operation sizes and proportion of new queens are leading causes of the high honey bee colony mortality in China. More research and advanced technical methods are still required for correlation analysis and verification in future surveys of managed honey bee colony winter losses.

scholarly journals Response of adult honey bees treated in larval stage with prochloraz to infection with Nosema ceranae

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e6325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uros Glavinic ◽  
Tanja Tesovnik ◽  
Jevrosima Stevanovic ◽  
Minja Zorc ◽  
Ivanka Cizelj ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Larval Stage ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Nosema Ceranae ◽  
Immune Gene ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Altered Expression ◽  
Immune Gene Expression ◽  
Bee Colony

Among numerous factors that contribute to honey bee colony losses and problems in beekeeping, pesticides and Nosema ceranae have been often reported. In contrast to insecticides, whose effects on bees have been widely studied, fungicides did not attract considerable attention. Prochloraz, an imidazole fungicide widely used in agriculture, was detected in honey and pollen stored inside hives and has been already proven to alter immune gene expression of honey bees at different developmental stages. The aim of this study was to simulate the realistic conditions of migratory beekeeping, where colonies, both uninfected and infected with N. ceranae, are frequently transported to the vicinity of crop fields treated with prochloraz. We investigated the combined effect of prochloraz and N. ceranae on honey bees that faced fungicide during the larval stage through food consumption and microsporidium infection afterwards. The most pronounced changes in gene expression were observed in newly emerged Nosema-free bees originating from colonies previously contaminated with prochloraz. As exclusively upregulation was registered, prochloraz alone most likely acts as a challenge that induces activation of immune pathways in newly emerged bees. The combination of both stressors (prochloraz and Nosema infection) exerted the greatest effect on six-day-old honey bees. Among ten genes with significantly altered expression, half were upregulated and half downregulated. N. ceranae as a sole stressor had the weakest effects on immune gene expression modulation with only three genes significantly dysregulated. In conclusion, food contaminated with prochloraz consumed in larval stage could present a threat to the development of immunity and detoxification mechanisms in honey bees.

scholarly journals RNA Interference-Mediated Knockdown of Genes Encoding Spore Wall Proteins Confers Protection against Nosema ceranae Infection in the European Honey Bee, Apis mellifera

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 505
Author(s):  
Nan He ◽  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Xin Le Duan ◽  
Jiang Hong Li ◽  
Wei-Fone Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Rna Interference ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Spore Wall ◽  
Nosema Ceranae ◽  
Host Responses ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Nosema Disease

Nosema ceranae (Opisthosporidia: Microsporidia) is an emergent intracellular parasite of the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) and causes serious Nosema disease which has been associated with worldwide honey bee colony losses. The only registered treatment for Nosema disease is fumagillin-b, and this has raised concerns about resistance and off-target effects. Fumagillin-B is banned from use in honey bee colonies in many countries, particularly in Europe. As a result, there is an urgent need for new and effective therapeutic options to treat Nosema disease in honey bees. An RNA interference (RNAi)-based approach can be a potent strategy for controlling diseases in honey bees. We explored the therapeutic potential of silencing the sequences of two N. ceranae encoded spore wall protein (SWP) genes by means of the RNAi-based methodology. Our study revealed that the oral ingestion of dsRNAs corresponding to SWP8 and SWP12 used separately or in combination could lead to a significant reduction in spore load, improve immunity, and extend the lifespan of N. ceranae-infected bees. The results from the work completed here enhance our understanding of honey bee host responses to microsporidia infection and highlight that RNAi-based therapeutics are a promising treatment for honey bee diseases.

scholarly journals Honey bee colony losses: Why are honey bees disappearing?

Sociobiology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 5851
Author(s):  
Peter Hristov ◽  
Rositsa Shumkova ◽  
Nadezhda Palova ◽  
Boyko Neov
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Main Factors ◽  
Honey Bee Colony ◽  
Honey Bee Colony Losses

The Western honey bee (Apis mellifera L., Hymenoptera: Apidae) is a species of crucial economic, agricultural and environmental importance.In the last ten years, some regions of the world have suffered from a significant reduction of honey bee colonies. In fact, honey bee losses are not an unusual phenomenon, but in many countries worldwide there has been a notable decrease in honey bee families. The cases in the USA, in many European countries, and in the Middle East have received considerable attention, mostly due to the absence of an easily identifiable cause.It has been difficult to determine the main factors leading to colony losses because of honey bees’ diverse social behavior. Moreover, in their daily routine, they make contact with many agents of the environment and are exposed to a plethora of human activities and their consequences. Nevertheless, a number of different factors are considered to be contributing to honey bee losses, and recent investigations have established some of the most important ones, in particular, pests and diseases, bee management, including bee keeping practices and breeding, the change in climatic conditions, agricultural practices, and the use of pesticides. The global picture highlights the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor as a major factor in colony loss. Last but not least, microsporidian parasites, mainly Nosema ceranae, also contribute to the problem.Thus, it is obvious that many factors are involved in honey bee colony losses globally. Increased monitoring and scientific research should throw new light on the factors involved in recent honey bee colony losses.This review focuses on the main factors which have been found to have an impact on the increase in honey bee colony losses.

scholarly journals Pupal cannibalism by worker honey bees contributes to the spread of deformed wing virus

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Posada-Florez ◽  
Zachary S. Lamas ◽  
David J. Hawthorne ◽  
Yanping Chen ◽  
Jay D. Evans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Viral Pathogen ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Hygienic Behaviour ◽  
Pathogen Virulence ◽  
Comprehensive Knowledge

AbstractTransmission routes impact pathogen virulence and genetics, therefore comprehensive knowledge of these routes and their contribution to pathogen circulation is essential for understanding host–pathogen interactions and designing control strategies. Deformed wing virus (DWV), a principal viral pathogen of honey bees associated with increased honey bee mortality and colony losses, became highly virulent with the spread of its vector, the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor. Reproduction of Varroa mites occurs in capped brood cells and mite-infested pupae from these cells usually have high levels of DWV. The removal of mite-infested pupae by worker bees, Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH), leads to cannibalization of pupae with high DWV loads, thereby offering an alternative route for virus transmission. We used genetically tagged DWV to investigate virus transmission to and between worker bees following pupal cannibalisation under experimental conditions. We demonstrated that cannibalization of DWV-infected pupae resulted in high levels of this virus in worker bees and that the acquired virus was then transmitted between bees via trophallaxis, allowing circulation of Varroa-vectored DWV variants without the mites. Despite the known benefits of hygienic behaviour, it is possible that higher levels of VSH activity may result in increased transmission of DWV via cannibalism and trophallaxis.

scholarly journals Effects of Prebiotics and Probiotics on Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) Infected with the Microsporidian Parasite Nosema ceranae

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 481
Author(s):  
Daniel Borges ◽  
Ernesto Guzman-Novoa ◽  
Paul H. Goodwin
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Bifidobacterium Bifidum ◽  
Nosema Ceranae ◽  
Food Supplementation ◽  
Microsporidian Parasite ◽  
Single Strain ◽  
Acacia Gum ◽  
Bee Health ◽  
Commercial Probiotics

Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian fungus that parasitizes the midgut epithelial cells of honey bees, Apis mellifera. Due to the role that midgut microorganisms play in bee health and immunity, food supplementation with prebiotics and probiotics may assist in the control of N. ceranae. The dietary fiber prebiotics acacia gum, inulin, and fructooligosaccharides, as well as the commercial probiotics Vetafarm Probotic, Protexin Concentrate single-strain (Enterococcus faecium), and Protexin Concentrate multi-strain (Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus, L. delbrueckii, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Streptococcus salivarius, and E. faecium) were tested for their effect on N. ceranae spore loads and honey bee survivorship. Bees kept in cages were inoculated with N. ceranae spores and single-dose treatments were administered in sugar syrup. Acacia gum caused the greatest reduction in N. ceranae spore numbers (67%) but also significantly increased bee mortality (62.2%). However, Protexin Concentrate single-strain gave similarly reduced spore numbers (59%) without affecting the mortality. In a second experiment, multiple doses of the probiotics revealed significantly reduced spore numbers with 2.50 mg/mL Vetafarm Probotic, and 0.25, 1.25, and 2.50 mg/mL Protexin Concentrate single-strain. Mortality was also significantly reduced with 1.25 mg/mL Protexin Concentrate single-strain. N. ceranae-inoculated bees fed 3.75 mg/mL Vetafarm Probotic had higher survival than N. ceranae-inoculated bees, which was similar to that of non-inoculated bees, while N. ceranae-inoculated bees fed 2.50 mg/mL Protexin Concentrate single-strain, had significantly higher survival than both N. ceranae-inoculated and non-inoculated bees. Protexin Concentrate single-strain is promising as it can reduce N. ceranae proliferation and increase bee survivorship of infected bees, even compared to healthy, non-infected bees.

scholarly journals Effects of Nosema ceranae (Dissociodihaplophasida: Nosematidae) and Flupyradifurone on Olfactory Learning in Honey Bees, Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Christine Bell ◽  
Corina N Montgomery ◽  
Jaime E Benavides ◽  
James C Nieh
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Learning And Memory ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Food Reward ◽  
Nosema Ceranae ◽  
Olfactory Conditioning ◽  
Agricultural Use ◽  
High Doses ◽  
Neonicotinoid Pesticides ◽  
Term Field

Abstract The health of insect pollinators, particularly the honey bee, Apis mellifera (Linnaeus, 1758), is a major concern for agriculture and ecosystem health. In response to mounting evidence supporting the detrimental effects of neonicotinoid pesticides on pollinators, a novel ‘bee safe’ butenolide compound, flupyradifurone (FPF) has been registered for use in agricultural use. Although FPF is not a neonicotinoid, like neonicotinoids, it is an excitotoxic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist. In addition, A. mellifera faces threats from pathogens, such as the microsporidian endoparasite, Nosema ceranae (Fries et al. 1996). We therefore sought 1) to increase our understanding of the potential effects of FPF on honey bees by focusing on a crucial behavior, the ability to learn and remember an odor associated with a food reward, and 2) to test for a potential synergistic effect on such learning by exposure to FPF and infection with N. ceranae. We found little evidence that FPF significantly alters learning and memory at short-term field-realistic doses. However, at high doses and at chronic, field-realistic exposure, FPF did reduce learning and memory in an olfactory conditioning task. Infection with N. ceranae also reduced learning, but there was no synergy (no significant interaction) between N. ceranae and exposure to FPF. These results suggest the importance of continued studies on the chronic effects of FPF.

scholarly journals Nosema ceranae has been infecting honey bees Apis mellifera in Italy since at least 1993

2013 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ezio Ferroglio ◽  
Stefania Zanet ◽  
Nancy Peraldo ◽  
Elisa Tachis ◽  
Anna Trisciuoglio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Nosema Ceranae

scholarly journals Mitochondrial DNA Variation of Feral Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.) from Utah (USA)

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-232
Author(s):  
Dylan Cleary ◽  
Allen L. Szalanski ◽  
Clinton Trammel ◽  
Mary-Kate Williams ◽  
Amber Tripodi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Mitochondrial Dna ◽  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Dna Variation ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
The Us ◽  
Coii Gene

Abstract A study was conducted on the mitochondrial DNA genetic diversity of feral colonies and swarms of Apis mellifera from ten counties in Utah by sequencing the intergenic region of the cytochrome oxidase (COI-COII) gene region. A total of 20 haplotypes were found from 174 honey bee colony samples collected from 2008 to 2017. Samples belonged to the A (African) (48%); C (Eastern Europe) (43%); M (Western Europe) (4%); and O (Oriental) lineages (5%). Ten African A lineage haplotypes were observed with two unique to Utah among A lineage haplotypes recorded in the US. Haplotypes belonging to the A lineage were observed from six Utah counties located in the southern portion of the State, from elevations as high as 1357 m. All five C lineage haplotypes that were found have been observed from queen breeders in the US. Three haplotypes of the M lineage (n=7) and two of the O lineage (n=9) were also observed. This study provides evidence that honey bees of African descent are both common and diverse in wild populations of honey bees in southern Utah. The high levels of genetic diversity of A lineage honey bee colonies in Utah provide evidence that the lineage may have been established in Utah before the introduction of A lineage honey bees from Brazil to Texas in 1990.

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