TY - JOUR
T1 - Seasonal Effects and the Impact of In-Hive Pesticide Treatments on Parasite, Pathogens, and Health of Honey Bees
AU - Traver, Brenna E.
AU - Feazel-Orr, Haley K.
AU - Catalfamo, Katelyn M.
AU - Brewster, Carlyle C.
AU - Fell, Richard D.
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to thank Jackson Means, Grace Mulholland, Sean Smith, and James Wilson for field and technical assistance. We would also like to thank Troy Anderson for use of the microplate reader for the GOX and POX assays. This project was supported in part by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant No. 2012-67012-19924 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Additional funding was provided through grants from the Virginia Beekeepers Association, the National Honey Board, the Virginia Agricultural Council, and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
PY - 2018/4/2
Y1 - 2018/4/2
N2 - Honey bee, Apis mellifera (L.; Hymenoptera: Apidae), populations are in decline and their losses pose a serious threat for crop pollination and food production. The specific causes of these losses are believed to be multifactorial. Pesticides, parasites and pathogens, and nutritional deficiencies have been implicated in the losses due to their ability to exert energetic stress on bees. While our understanding of the role of these factors in honey bee colony losses has improved, there is still a lack of knowledge of how they impact the immune system of the honey bee. In this study, honey bee colonies were exposed to Fumagilin-B, Apistan (tau-fluvalinate), and chlorothalonil at field realistic levels. No significant effects of the antibiotic and two pesticides were observed on the levels of varroa mite, Nosema ceranae (Fries; Microsporidia: Nosematidae), black queen cell virus, deformed wing virus, or immunity as measured by phenoloxidase and glucose oxidase activity. Any effects on the parasites, pathogens, and immunity we observed appear to be due mainly to seasonal changes within the honey bee colonies. The results suggest that Fumagilin-B, Apistan, and chlorothalonil do not significantly impact the health of honey bee colonies, based on the factors analyzed and the concentration of chemicals tested.
AB - Honey bee, Apis mellifera (L.; Hymenoptera: Apidae), populations are in decline and their losses pose a serious threat for crop pollination and food production. The specific causes of these losses are believed to be multifactorial. Pesticides, parasites and pathogens, and nutritional deficiencies have been implicated in the losses due to their ability to exert energetic stress on bees. While our understanding of the role of these factors in honey bee colony losses has improved, there is still a lack of knowledge of how they impact the immune system of the honey bee. In this study, honey bee colonies were exposed to Fumagilin-B, Apistan (tau-fluvalinate), and chlorothalonil at field realistic levels. No significant effects of the antibiotic and two pesticides were observed on the levels of varroa mite, Nosema ceranae (Fries; Microsporidia: Nosematidae), black queen cell virus, deformed wing virus, or immunity as measured by phenoloxidase and glucose oxidase activity. Any effects on the parasites, pathogens, and immunity we observed appear to be due mainly to seasonal changes within the honey bee colonies. The results suggest that Fumagilin-B, Apistan, and chlorothalonil do not significantly impact the health of honey bee colonies, based on the factors analyzed and the concentration of chemicals tested.
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U2 - 10.1093/jee/toy026
DO - 10.1093/jee/toy026
M3 - Article
C2 - 29471479
AN - SCOPUS:85045133909
SN - 0022-0493
VL - 111
SP - 517
EP - 527
JO - Journal of Economic Entomology
JF - Journal of Economic Entomology
IS - 2
ER -
