Honey bee colony mortality and productivity with single and dual infestations of parasitic mite species

Abstract

-Colony mortality and productivity were compared between honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies infested by zero, one or both species of parasitic mites (Acarapis woodi or Varroa destructor). Mortality, bee and mite populations, sealed brood, and stores were monitored for 16 months, beginning in May. By the following March, 5 out of 6 colonies with both mites were dead, but no other colonies died until September, when 3 out of 4 V. destructor colonies were dead. Dually infested colonies initially had more honey stores, but were dead by March. At that point V. destructor colonies had significantly less worker brood, fewer adult bees and more honey than colonies with no mites or tracheal mites (Acarapis woodi). The colonies with tracheal mites (n = 9) and no mites (n = 8) did not differ in any productivity parameter measured. These results suggest a synergistic interaction between tracheal and V. destructor mites, treatments against tracheal mites should be applied in dually infested colonies, even if tracheal mites alone are not having an impact.Varroa destructor / Acarapis woodi / colony productivity / colony mortality

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

“…Instead, vanEngelsdorp et al (2009) suggested that CCD might be due to an interaction between pathogens and other stress factors, or a possible legacy effect of mite parasitism. Downey et al (2000) demonstrated that the two parasites, V. destructor and Acarapis woodi, have biologically synergistic interactions at the individual and colony level that are detrimental to their host colonies (Downey et al, 2000;Downey and Winston, 2001). What about interactions between Varroa and other stressors?…”

Field Evaluation of Neem and Canola Oil for the Selective Control of the Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Mite Parasites <I>Varroa jacobsoni</I> (Acari: Varroidae) and <I>Acarapis woodi</I> (Acari: Tarsonemidae)

“…These two mites have severely reduced the number of healthy colonies (Matheson 1994, Kraus and Page 1995, Finley et al 1997) available for beekeeping and pollination, a service valued at over $10 billion annually in North America alone (Robinson et al 1989, CAPA 1995. Honey bees are highly susceptible to Varroa, and colony death follows 1Ð2 consecutive years of infestation (Martin et al 1998, Downey et al 2000. Damage caused by tracheal mites varies considerably with environmental conditions (Eischen 1988, Eischen et al 1989, Harbo 1993, Frazier et al 1995 and colony genetics (Page and Gary 1990), but epidemic colony losses of up to 70% and severely reduced colony productivity have been reported (Eischen 1987, Otis et al 1988, Eischen et al 1989).…”

Tracheal mites, Acarapis woodi, greatly increase overwinter mortality in colonies of the Japanese honeybee, Apis cerana japonica

“…These results suggest that Japanese honeybees are more susceptible under a low level of mite infestation. Downey and Winston (2001) suggested a synergistic interaction between tracheal mites and Varroa destructor on the European honeybee; colony mortality in March was much higher when bees were infested by both mites than when they were infected by a single mite. When the experiments on European honeybees were conducted (Bailey and Lee 1959;Otis and Scott-dupree 1992), there was no Varroa mite.…”