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

French, Sarah K.; Pepinelli, Mateus; Conflitti, Ida M.; Jamieson, Aidan; Higo, Heather; Common, Julia; Walsh, Elizabeth M.; Bixby, Miriam; Guarna, M. Marta; Pernal, Stephen F.; Hoover, Shelley E.; Currie, Robert W.; Giovenazzo, Pierre; Guzman-Novoa, Ernesto; Borges, Daniel; Foster, Leonard J.; Zayed, Amro

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.039

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…A subset of the primary dataset’s honey bee colonies and pathogen/parasite data have been previously described by French et al 44 (240 colonies sampled in 2020 and 2021) along with additional colonies (a further 240 in both years) described here and partially reported in McAfee et al . 45 As described further below, samples for M. plutonius and Vairimorpha spp.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Climatic predictors of prominent honey bee (Apis mellifera) disease agents:Varroa destructor,Melissococcus plutonius, andVairimorphaspp

McAfee,

Alavi-Shoushtari,

Tran

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Improving our understanding of how climate influences honey bee parasites and pathogens is critical as weather patterns continue to shift under climate change. While the prevalence of diseases vary according to regional and seasonal patterns, the influence of specific climatic predictors has rarely been formally assessed. To address this gap, we analyzed how occurrence and intensity of three prominent honey bee disease agents (Varroa destructor― hereonVarroa―Melissococcus plutonius, andVairimorphaspp.) varied according to regional, temporal, and climatic factors in honey bee colonies across five Canadian provinces. We found strong regional effects for all disease agents, with consistently highVarroaintensity and infestation probabilities and highM. plutoniusinfection probabilities in British Columbia, and year-dependent regional patterns ofVairimorphaspp. spore counts. Increasing wind speed and precipitation were linked to lowerVarroainfestation probabilities, whereas warmer temperatures were linked to higher infestation probabilities. Analysis of an independent dataset shows that these trends forVarroaare consistent within a similar date range, but temperature is the strongest climatic predictor of season-long patterns.Vairimorphaspp. intensity decreased over the course of the summer, with the lowest spore counts found at later dates when temperatures were warm.Vairimorphaspp. intensity increased with wind speed and precipitation, consistent with inclement weather limiting defecation flights. Probability ofM. plutoniusinfection generally increased across the spring and summer, and was also positively associated with inclement weather. These data contribute to building a larger dataset of honey bee disease agent occurrence that is needed in order to predict how epidemiology may change in our future climate.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As previously described, 44 the colonies were located in five provinces (British Columbia (BC), Alberta (AB), Manitoba (MB), Ontario (ON), and Quebec (QC)), and eight different regions. Within these regions, colonies were derived from the same beekeeping operation; therefore, operational and regional differences are indistinguishable.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climatic predictors of prominent honey bee (Apis mellifera) disease agents:Varroa destructor,Melissococcus plutonius, andVairimorphaspp

McAfee,

Alavi-Shoushtari,

Tran

et al. 2024

Preprint

Self Cite

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“…In the long term, emerging threats like the potential spread of other parasites (e.g., Tropilaelaps and L. passim) and the continual stresses brought on by widespread pesticide usage, global climate change, and extreme weather events maintain the need for rapid responses and long-term outlooks to improve bee health and resiliency. In the largest study of honey bee stressor networks so far, French et al (2024) found that honey bees near crop agriculture experience complex stressor networks composed of various pesticide exposure, viruses, parasites, and nutritional deficiencies that tend to interact with each other. Richardson et al (2023) clearly showed that across Canada, herbaceous land covers were associated with factors that further positively correlated with overwintering survival such as fall colony weight and other nutritional factors.…”

Section: Conclusion and Future Research Needsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Current honey bee stressor investigations and mitigation methods in the United States and Canada

Walsh,

Simone-Finstrom

2024

Journal of Insect Science

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Honey bees are the most important managed insect pollinators in the US and Canadian crop systems. However, the annual mortality of colonies in the past 15 years has been consistently higher than historical records. Because they are eusocial generalist pollinators and amenable to management, honey bees provide a unique opportunity to investigate a wide range of questions at molecular, organismal, and ecological scales. Here, the American Association of Professional Apiculturists (AAPA) and the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA) created 2 collections of articles featuring investigations on micro and macro aspects of honey bee health, sociobiology, and management showcasing new applied research from diverse groups studying honey bees (Apis mellifera) in the United States and Canada. Research presented in this special issue includes examinations of abiotic and biotic stressors of honey bees, and evaluations and introductions of various stress mitigation measures that may be valuable to both scientists and the beekeeping community. These investigations from throughout the United States and Canada showcase the wide breadth of current work done and point out areas that need further research.

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“…In agriculture, bees provide invaluable pollination services, essential for the cultivation of various crops, including high-value ones like apple, coconut, coffee, cucurbits, mangoes, sunflower, among others [5,6]. However, their pivotal role faces numerous challenges, including the impacts of climate change, colony collapse disorder, pesticide use, and the prevalence of diseases [7][8][9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Beehives are typically placed in areas with abundant floral resources to support the foraging activities of bee colonies [10,12]. Strategic placement of beehives is crucial for maximizing the benefits bees provide, such as effective pollination, while simultaneously mitigating challenges like competition, food scarcity, predation, parasitism, exposure to toxic substances like pesticides, and adverse human practices that are not conducive to bee well-being [1,[7][8][9][10]13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bee pasture as a buffer against flower-mediated disease transmission

Rabajante

2024

Preprint

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Bees play a crucial role as pollinators in ecosystems, yet they face the risk of flower-mediated diseases that can spread among their communities. Infected bees can inadvertently transmit infective agents, such as microbial spores, to other bee colonies through shared floral resources during foraging. To address this challenge, we propose a solution involving the strategic planting of bee pasture as buffer zones around foraging areas, coupled with the careful placement of beehives to segregate bee colonies. However, this strategy presents dual potential outcomes: the buffer zone could act as a protective barrier, reducing disease transmission; or attract more bees from other colonies, thereby increasing infection risk. Employing mathematical modeling, we explore the intricate dynamics of this strategy to minimize negative outcomes, considering factors such as colony strength, optimal foraging behavior, and foraging area locations. Our results recommend implementing the following measures to safeguard the target bee colony against disease: (i) ensuring ample food sources are available in the vicinity of the target bee colony, and (ii) establishing bee pasture in a distinct, outlying area to serve as a buffer zone. While the bee pasture buffer zone cannot guarantee complete immunity from infection, it can effectively delay the spread of inter-colony diseases. This proposed strategy should be combined with other sound beekeeping practices for comprehensive disease management. Our analysis aims to provide insights into optimizing practices to protect the health of both managed and wild bee populations, and bolster ecological resilience.

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

Cited by 8 publications

References 50 publications

Climatic predictors of prominent honey bee (Apis mellifera) disease agents:Varroa destructor,Melissococcus plutonius, andVairimorphaspp

Climatic predictors of prominent honey bee (Apis mellifera) disease agents:Varroa destructor,Melissococcus plutonius, andVairimorphaspp

Current honey bee stressor investigations and mitigation methods in the United States and Canada

Bee pasture as a buffer against flower-mediated disease transmission

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