Mediating a host cell signaling pathway linked to overwinter mortality offers a promising therapeutic approach for improving bee health.

Introduction: Honey bees provides valuable pollination services for world food crops and wild flowering plants which are habitats of many animal species and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, a powerful tool in the fight against climate change. Nevertheless, the honey bee population has been declining and the majority of colony losses occur during the winter.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to understand the mechanisms underlying overwinter colony losses and develop novel therapeutic strategies for improving bee health.

Development and Evaluation of a New Effective Tool and Method for Assessing (Acari: Varroidae) Mite Populations in Honey Bee Colonies.

A new device for assessing Varroa destructor (Anderson−Truman) mite infestations in honey bee colonies was designed, tested, and evaluated against the sugar roll method, a widely used method by beekeepers. The Varroa Shaker Device (VSD) is constructed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe that separates into three parts. Inside the shaker there are two mesh sizes; the larger mesh separates the bees from the mites, and the smaller mesh captures the mites.