Expression of Molecular Markers of Resilience against and Bee Viruses in Ethiopian Honey Bees () Focussing on Olfactory Sensing and the RNA Interference Machinery.

mites and the viruses it vectors are two major factors leading to high losses of honey bees () colonies worldwide. However, honey bees in some African countries show resilience to varroa infestation and/or virus infections, although little is known about the mechanisms underlying this resilience. In this study, we investigated the expression profiles of some key molecular markers involved in olfactory sensing and RNA interference, as these processes may contribute to the bees' resilience to varroa infestation and virus infection, respectively.

Evaluating the Impact of Commonly Used Pesticides on Honeybees () in North Gonder of Amhara Region, Ethiopia.

Global honeybee losses and colony decline are becoming continuous threat to the apicultural industry, as well as, for food security and environmental stability. Although the putative causes are still unclear, extensive exposure of bees to pesticides could be the possible factor for worldwide colony losses. This study was aimed at evaluating the impact of nine commonly used pesticide incidents on adult worker honeybees () under the laboratory condition, in North Gonder of Amhara region, Ethiopia.

Performance evaluation of local honey bee race (Apis melifera secutellata) in the Metekel Zone of North Western Ethiopia.

Background: Honeybee colonies differ in performance due to variations in their traits in terms of production, productivity and behaviour. The objective of this study was to identify and evaluate the performance of honey bee race at their geographical location.

Methods: A total of 20 honey bee colonies from traditional hives were transferred into frame hives and arranged randomly with enough space between the colonies.

Metagenomic Approach with the NetoVIR Enrichment Protocol Reveals Virus Diversity within Ethiopian Honey Bees ().

Metagenomics studies have accelerated the discovery of novel or divergent viruses of the honey bee. However, most of these studies predominantly focused on RNA viruses, and many suffer from the relatively low abundance of viral nucleic acids in the samples (i.e.

Factors restraining the population growth of Varroa destructor in Ethiopian honey bees (Apis mellifera simensis).

Worldwide, the ecto-parasitic mite Varroa destructor has been assigned as an important driver of honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony losses. Unlike the subspecies of European origin, the honey bees in some African countries such as Uganda and Ethiopia may not be as threatened or suffer less from mite-infestations. However, only little is known about the factors or traits that enable them to co-exist with the mite without beekeepers' intervention.