Regional patterns and climatic predictors of viruses in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies over time.

Honey bee viruses are serious pathogens that can cause poor colony health and productivity. We analyzed a multi-year longitudinal dataset of abundances of nine honey bee viruses (deformed wing virus A, deformed wing virus B, black queen cell virus, sacbrood virus, Lake Sinai virus, Kashmir bee virus, acute bee paralysis virus, chronic bee paralysis virus, and Israeli acute paralysis virus) in colonies located across Canada to describe broad trends in virus intensity and occurrence among regions and years. We also tested climatic variables (temperature, wind speed, and precipitation) as predictors in an effort to understand possible drivers underlying seasonal patterns in viral prevalence.

Selection of Honey Bee () Genotypes for Three Generations of Low and High Population Growth of the Mite .

Honey bee () population declines have been associated with the parasitic mite, , which is currently primarily controlled by the use of acaricides. An alternative is to breed for resistance to , which was conducted in this study by bidirectional selection for mite fall to obtain colonies with low (resistant) or high (susceptible) population growth (LVG and HVG, respectively). Selection for three generations resulted in approx.

Pollen foraging mediates exposure to dichotomous stressor syndromes in honey bees.

Recent declines in the health of honey bee colonies used for crop pollination pose a considerable threat to global food security. Foraging by honey bee workers represents the primary route of exposure to a plethora of toxins and pathogens known to affect bee health, but it remains unclear how foraging preferences impact colony-level patterns of stressor exposure. Resolving this knowledge gap is crucial for enhancing the health of honey bees and the agricultural systems that rely on them for pollination.

H NMR Profiling of Honey Bee Brains across Varying Ages and Seasons.

Honey bees () provide a useful model for studying aging because of the differences in longevity between the relatively short-lived summer and long-lived winter bees, as well as bees lacking signs of cognitive senescence as they age. Bee brains were dissected from newly emerged, 14-day-, and 28-day- old bees in mid- and late summer, as well as brood nest bees in fall, winter, and spring, before, during, and after overwintering, respectively. Brains were examined with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to analyze their metabolome.

Higher prevalence of sacbrood virus in Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies after pollinating highbush blueberries.

Highbush blueberry pollination depends on managed honey bees (Apis mellifera) L. for adequate fruit sets; however, beekeepers have raised concerns about the poor health of colonies after pollinating this crop. Postulated causes include agrochemical exposure, nutritional deficits, and interactions with parasites and pathogens, particularly Melisococcus plutonius [(ex.

Honey bee stressor networks are complex and dependent on crop and region.

Honey bees play a major role in crop pollination but have experienced declining health throughout most of the globe. Despite decades of research on key honey bee stressors (e.g.

Breeding honey bees ( L.) for low and high population growth: Gene expression of bees performing grooming behavior.

Introduction: Social organisms, including honey bees ( L.), have defense mechanisms to control the multiplication and transmission of parasites and pathogens within their colonies. Self-grooming, a mechanism of behavioral immunity, seems to contribute to restrain the population growth of the ectoparasitic mite in honey bee colonies.

Environmental metagenetics unveil novel plant-pollinator interactions.

Honey bees are efficient pollinators of flowering plants, aiding in the plant reproductive cycle and acting as vehicles for evolutionary processes. Their role as agents of selection and drivers of gene flow is instrumental to the structure of plant populations, but historically, our understanding of their influence has been limited to predominantly insect-dispersed flowering species. Recent metagenetic work has provided evidence that honey bees also forage on pollen from anemophilous species, suggesting that their role as vectors for transmission of plant genetic material is not confined to groups designated as entomophilous, and leading us to ask: could honey bees act as dispersal agents for non-flowering plant taxa? Using an extensive pollen metabarcoding dataset from Canada, we discovered that honey bees may serve as dispersal agents for an array of sporophytes (, , , , , ) and bryophytes (, , , ).

Prevalence of Adult Honey Bee ( L.) Pests and Pathogens in the Five Beekeeping Regions of Mexico.

Mexico is a major honey producer, but not much information exists about the health status of honey bees ( L.) in the country. This study was conducted to determine the sanitary status of adult honey bees in Mexico's five beekeeping regions.

Genetic variability of the honey bee mite, Varroa destructor, from a humid continental climatic region of Canada, and temperate and tropical climatic regions of Mexico.

Varroa destructor is a damaging mite of Western honey bees (Apis mellifera). Genetic variability of the mite in different regions of the world could be related to the movement of infested bees or other factors, such as climate. In this study, V.

The Fungus and a Sublethal Dose of the Neonicotinoid Insecticide Thiamethoxam Differentially Affected the Health and Immunity of Africanized Honey Bees.

Honey bees ( L.) are affected by different biotic and abiotic stressors, such as the fungus and neonicotinoid insecticides, that negatively impact their health. However, most studies so far conducted have focused on the effect of these stressors separately and in European honey bees.

Viral Quantification in Bee Samples Using Synthetic DNA Sequences with Real-Time PCR (qPCR).

Pathogen spillover between honey bees and wild pollinators is a relatively new and exciting field of study. It is known that some viral diseases are a major threat to honey bee health and, thus, the diagnosis and quantification of honey bee viruses in wild pollinators have gained attention. Pathogen spillover from honey bees to wild bees and the consequences of viral replication to their health still need to be investigated.

Genotype, but Not Climate, Affects the Resistance of Honey Bees () to Viral Infections and to the Mite .

This study was conducted to analyze the effect of genotype and climate on the resistance of honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies to parasitic and viral diseases. The prevalence and intensity of parasitism by Varroa destructor, or infection by Nosema spp., and four honey bee viruses were determined in 365 colonies of predominantly European or African ancestry (descendants of A.

Detection and Concentration of Neonicotinoids and Other Pesticides in Honey from Honey Bee Colonies Located in Regions That Differ in Agricultural Practices: Implications for Human and Bee Health.

This is a preliminary study conducted to analyze the presence and concentration of pesticides in honey obtained from honey bee colonies located in two regions with managed ecosystems that differ in the intensity and technification of agricultural practices. Fourteen pesticides at variable concentrations were detected in 63% of the samples analyzed. The pesticides most frequently found at higher concentrations were insecticides (neonicotinoids, followed by organophosphates), herbicides, and fungicides.

First insights into the honey bee () brain lipidome and its neonicotinoid-induced alterations associated with reduced self-grooming behavior.

Introduction: Honey bees () play key roles in food production performing complex behaviors, like self-grooming to remove parasites. However, the lipids of their central nervous system have not been examined, even though they likely play a crucial role in the performance of cognitive process to perform intricate behaviors. Lipidomics has greatly advanced our understanding of neuropathologies in mammals and could provide the same for honey bees.

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Immunity.

At the individual level, honey bees (Apis mellifera) rely on innate immunity, which operates through cellular and humoral mechanisms, to defend themselves against infectious agents and parasites. At the colony level, honey bees have developed collective defense mechanisms against pathogens and pests, such as hygienic and grooming behaviors. An understanding of the immune responses of honey bees is critical to implement strategies to reduce mortality and increase colony productivity.

Effect of feeding chitosan or peptidoglycan on Nosema ceranae infection and gene expression related to stress and the innate immune response of honey bees (Apis mellifera).

Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite that causes nosema disease, an infection of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) midgut. Two pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), chitosan and peptidoglycan, and N. ceranae spores were fed to worker bees in sucrose syrup and compared to non-inoculated and N.

Infections in Honey Bees () Treated with Pre/Probiotics and Impacts on Colonies in the Field.

Alternatives to the antibiotic fumagillin for the control of , a gut parasite of the honey bee, are needed. The prebiotics eugenol, chitosan, and naringenin and the probiotic Protexin () provided in sugar syrup or protein patty either in spring or fall were evaluated for their effects on infection, colony population, honey yield and winter survivorship using field colonies. In the first year, spring treatments with eugenol, naringenin, and Protexin significantly reduced infection and increased honey production, while Protexin also increased adult bee populations and chitosan was ineffective.

Effects of Prebiotics and Probiotics on Honey Bees () Infected with the Microsporidian Parasite .

is a microsporidian fungus that parasitizes the midgut epithelial cells of honey bees, . 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 . The dietary fiber prebiotics acacia gum, inulin, and fructooligosaccharides, as well as the commercial probiotics Vetafarm Probotic, Protexin Concentrate single-strain (), and Protexin Concentrate multi-strain (, , , , , , and ) were tested for their effect on spore loads and honey bee survivorship.

Selective Breeding for Low and High Growth in Honey Bee () Colonies: Initial Results of Two Generations.

After two years of bidirectional selection for low and high rates of population growth (LVG and HVG, respectively) in honey bee () colonies in Ontario, Canada, significant differences between the two genotypes were observed. LVG colonies had population increases over the summer of 1.7 fold compared to 9.

Nosema ceranae causes cellular immunosuppression and interacts with thiamethoxam to increase mortality in the stingless bee Melipona colimana.

The microsporidian parasite Nosema ceranae and neonicotinoid insecticides affect the health of honey bees (Apis mellifera). However, there is limited information about the effect of these stressors on other pollinators such as stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Meliponini). We examined the separate and combined effects of N.

Evaluation of Dry and Wet Formulations of Oxalic Acid, Thymol, and Oregano Oil for Varroa Mite (Acari: Varroidae) Control in Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Colonies.

The efficacy and safety of dry and wet formulations of three nonsynthetic compounds, oxalic acid (OA), thymol (T), and oregano oil (OO), for the control of Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman infestations in honey bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus) colonies were determined. The treatments were OA in dust, OA diluted in glycerin solvent embedded in a towel, T in dust, T in glycerin solvent and towel, OO in dry microcapsules, OO in glycerin solvent and towel, and the control. The treatments were applied weekly for 4 wk during the fall season.