Tropilaelaps mercedesae (Delfinado and Baker) is an emerging parasitic mite that can severely impact the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera L.). While T. mercedesae has been reported to be expanding its geographical range, the routes of inter-colony dispersal between A. mellifera colonies are still largely unknown. In this study, we used funnel traps to collect foraging honey bees exiting their colonies before performing an alcohol wash to collect any phoretic T. mercedesae mites. We found T. mercedesae on exiting adult honey bees; however, they were only detected when a colony had an elevated T. mercedesae brood infestation. We show that T. mercedesae can exit colonies through phoresy on adult A. mellifera which demonstrates the potential of these mites to be spread through the natural movement of A. mellifera honey bees among colonies.

Emerging infectious diseases can have a major impact on fitness of novel hosts, thereby contributing to ongoing species declines. In social insects, collaborative brood care by workers and successful mating of male sexuals are key to colony fitness. The microsporidian endoparasite Nosema ceranae has spread almost globally, shifting across honeybee species and now to bumblebees. However, despite N. ceranae being linked to recent population declines, its possible impact on bumblebee colony fitness remains poorly understood. Here, we show that N. ceranae infections can significantly impact Bombus terrestris worker feeding glands, as well as longevity, sperm quality and mating abilities of drones. In the laboratory, workers and drones were either exposed to the parasite or not. Then, parasite infection rates and loads, as well as lethal and sublethal parameters, were assessed. Infected drones revealed higher parasite infection rates and spore titres, as well as mortality compared with female workers, suggesting sex-specific susceptibility. Furthermore, infections impaired feeding glands, affected sperm traits and altered mating behaviour, all of which are key to colony fitness. Our findings provide a mechanistic explanation on how N. ceranae contributes to the ongoing decline of wild bumblebee populations, calling for respective mitigation measures.

DNA analysis of environmental samples (eDNA) provides a non-intrusive approach to identify organisms, characterize biological communities, and assess biodiversity, including the detection and monitoring of invasive plant effects. However, the use of eDNA for specific applications, such as targeted-species detection, geographic and floral source tracing, and assessment of invasive plant ecological and environmental effects, requires the development of species-specific genetic primers. Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera (L.) Small) is a non-native high-impact invader, capable of changing fire regimes, native biodiversity, nutrient cycling, and wildlife habitat and populations, that is expanding in range and abundance throughout the southern United States. In this study, we investigated and identified specific genetic sites, markers, in the tallow chloroplast genome and developed sets of primers for tallow eDNA detection. Two sets of tallow primers were developed, tallow-specific primers and tallow-related primers. Both sets of primers can be used for tallow eDNA detection, with higher target specificity for tallow-specific primers. Primers were subsequently validated for target specificity against closely related species, samples of tallow tissue, and honey and honey bee-collected pollen from areas with tallow. We found that tallow-specific primers differentiated tallow eDNA from closely related species, demonstrating target specificity. Furthermore, a sequence analysis of the tallow-related primers in the polymerase chain reaction accurately distinguished members of the Hippomaninae subtribe, including tallow, from other subtribe or subfamily members within the Euphorbiaceae. Ultimately, the genetic markers and the corresponding sets of primers will facilitate eDNA analysis of tallow for several applications, including detection and monitoring in water and soil, assurance of honey quality and floral source tracing, and perhaps serving as a model for determining plant use by pollinators.

Bees are crucial for food security and biodiversity. However, managed bees are increasingly considered drivers of wild bee declines, leading to stakeholder conflicts and restrictive policies. We propose avenues to reconcile wild and managed bee proponents and point out knowledge gaps that hinder the development of evidence-based policies.

Functional Apis mellifera honey bee colonies rely on collaborative brood care typically performed by nurse bees with well-developed hypopharyngeal glands (HPGs). Neonicotinoids, widely used insecticides, have been shown to negatively affect HPG development when worker bees were exposed to field-realistic concentrations either as brood or adults. To date, it is unknown whether timing of neonicotinoid exposure influences the severity of these observed negative effects on HPGs. To address this, we conducted a fully-crossed field experiment assessing potential effects of a neonicotinoid blend (clothianidin and thiamethoxam combined) on worker HPGs when exposed during different life stages. We found that neonicotinoid exposure during the brood stage, but not the adult stage, significantly influenced subsequent HPG development. Since HPG morphogenesis begins during the brood stage, neonicotinoid-induced stress possibly impaired this process, resulting in smaller glands once these individuals became adult nurses. Because HPG productivity is correlated to their size, smaller glands as a result of neonicotinoid exposure could negatively affect colony functionality.

This paper describes methods for estimating honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony strength by which mean population measures of adult bees and brood are obtained. Additionally, secondary measures, such as the quantity of stored honey and pollen, brood pattern, flight activity, comb construction, and the expression of visible disease or parasite symptoms are addressed. There are generally two contexts in which an investigator wishes to measure colony strength: (1) at the beginning of a study as part of manipulations to produce uniform colonies and reduce experimental error, and (2) as a response variable during or at the end of an experiment. Moreover, there are two general modes for measuring colony strength: (1) an objective mode that uses quantitative measures, and (2) a subjective mode that relies on visual estimates by one or more observers. Other parameters that do not directly measure colony strength are described because they give important indicators of colony state. These parameters include flight activity at the hive entrance, comb construction, and two proxy measures of colony fitness: production of queen cells and drone brood.

In recent years, high losses of Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies have been reported in the United States. Because honey bees are important to agricultural systems, it is critical to document when high losses occur and to explore patterns of loss among beekeeper subgroups. We used a voluntary, retrospective questionnaire to ask U.S. beekeepers (backyard, sideline, and commercial) about their colony loss during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 beekeeping seasons. We found that U.S. beekeepers lost 50.8% (38.0-63.1; 95% b.CI) of their colonies in 2020-21, the highest annual (year-long) loss reported to date. During the following year, 2021-22, beekeepers lost 39.0% (31.5-47.9; 95% b.CI) of their colonies, which is close to the average of previously published annual loss rates (40.9%). In contrast to previous years, backyard beekeepers (managing 50 or fewer colonies) had an elevated summer loss across both years and commercial beekeepers (managing >500 colonies) reported "weather" as an important cause of colony loss in the summer of 2021. Our results show that severe colony losses still occur periodically. From these data on colony loss rates, it does not appear that the health of honey bee colonies in the U.S. has improved since this survey began in 2008. We suggest that research should continue to focus on stressors that beekeepers most often perceive to be leading causes of loss-Varroa destructor mites, queen issues, and weather.

Drug treatment courts (DTC) address substance use disorders (SUD) but not cooccurrencing HIV or hepatitis C virus (HCV). This pilot explored feasibility and preliminary outcomes of the Women's Initiative Supporting Health (WISH) intervention and health-related motivation, both based in self-determination theory (SDT) regarding HIV/HCV and SUD treatment. WISH feasibility study: 79 DTC women completed a one-time survey regarding motivation and willingness to engage in future interventions. WISH intervention: 22 women from DTC with SUD and HIV or HCV received a 6-session, peer motivational enhancement health behavior-oriented interventions. Recruitment strategies were feasible. SDT-based measures demonstrated internal consistency in this under-studied population, with perceived competence/autonomy associationed with motivation to reduce HIV/HCV/SUD risk. Women DTC participants indicated acceptance and showed internally consistent results in SDT-based motivation measures These WISH feasibility and intervention pilot studies lay a foundation for future studies addressing motivation to access healthcare among women DTC participants.

The parasitic mite Varroa destructor (Anderson and Trueman) is one of the greatest stressors of Apis mellifera (L.) honey bee colonies. When Varroa infestations reach damaging levels during fall, rapid control is necessary to minimize damage to colonies. We performed a field trial in the US Southeast to determine if a combination of registered treatments (Apivar, amitraz-based; and Apiguard, thymol-based) could provide rapid and effective control of Varroa. We compared colonies that received this combination treatment against colonies that received amitraz-based positive control treatments: (i) Apivar alone; or (ii) amitraz emulsifiable concentrate ("amitraz EC"). While not registered, amitraz EC is used by beekeepers in the United States in part because it is thought to control Varroa more rapidly and effectively than registered products. Based on measurements of Varroa infestation rates of colonies after 21 days of treatment, we found that the combination treatment controlled Varroa nearly as rapidly as the amitraz EC treatment: this or other combinations could be useful for Varroa management. At the end of the 42-day trial, colonies in the amitraz EC group had higher bee populations than those in the Apivar group, which suggests that rapid control helps reduce Varroa damage. Colonies in the combination group had lower bee populations than those in the amitraz EC group, which indicates that the combination treatment needs to be optimized to avoid damage to colonies.

The western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is severely impacted by the parasitic Tropilaelaps mercedesae mite, which has the capacity to outcompete Varroa destructor mites (the current leading cause of colony losses) and more rapidly overwhelm colonies. While T. mercedesae is native to Asia, it has recently expanded its geographic range and has the potential to devastate beekeeping worldwide if introduced to new regions. Our research exploited the dependence of T. mercedesae on developing honey bees (brood) by combining a cultural technique (brood break) with U.S. registered chemical products (oxalic acid or formic acid) to manage T. mercedesae infestation. To evaluate this approach, we compared four treatment groups: (1) Brood Break; (2) Brood Break + Formic Acid (FormicPro (R)); (3) Brood Break + Oxalic Acid dribble (Api-Bioxal (R)); and (4) untreated Control. We found that the mite infestation rate of worker brood in Control colonies rose from 0.4 to 15.25% over 60 days, whereas all other treatment groups had infestation rates under 0.11% on Day 60. Mite fall assessments showed similar results, whereby Control colonies had 15.48 mites fall per 24 h on day 60 compared to less than 0.2 mites for any other treatment group. Evaluation of colony strength revealed that Brood Break + Formic Acid colonies had slightly reduced adult honey bee populations. No treatment eliminated all mites, so additional measures may be needed to eradicate T. mercedesae if detected in countries that do not currently have T. mercedesae.

Agrochemical exposure is a major contributor to ecological declines worldwide, including the loss of crucial pollinator species. In addition to direct toxicity, field-relevant doses of pesticides can increase species' vulnerabilities to other stressors, including parasites. Experimental field demonstrations of potential interactive effects of pesticides and additional stressors are rare, as are tests of mechanisms via which pollinators tolerate pesticides. Here, we controlled honey bee colony exposure to field-relevant concentrations of 2 neonicotinoid insecticides (clothianidin and thiamethoxam) in pollen and simultaneously manipulated intracolony genetic heterogeneity. We showed that exposure increased rates of Varroa destructor (Anderson and Trueman) parasitism and that while increased genetic heterogeneity overall improved survivability, it did not reduce the negative effect size of neonicotinoid exposure. This study is, to our knowledge, the first experimental field demonstration of how neonicotinoid exposure can increase V. destructor populations in honey bees and also demonstrates that colony genetic diversity cannot mitigate the effects of neonicotinoid pesticides.

Invasive vectors can induce dramatic changes in disease epidemiology. While viral emergence following geographical range expansion of a vector is well known, the influence a vector can have at the level of the host's pathobiome is less well understood. Taking advantage of the formerly heterogeneous spatial distribution of the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor that acts as potent virus vector among honeybees Apis mellifera, we investigated the impact of its recent global spread on the viral community of honeybees in a retrospective study of historical samples. We hypothesized that the vector has had an effect on the epidemiology of several bee viruses, potentially altering their transmissibility and/or virulence, and consequently their prevalence, abundance, or both. To test this, we quantified the prevalence and loads of 14 viruses from honeybee samples collected in mite-free and mite-infested populations in four independent geographical regions. The presence of the mite dramatically increased the prevalence and load of deformed wing virus, a cause of unsustainably high colony losses. In addition, several other viruses became more prevalent or were found at higher load in mite-infested areas, including viruses not known to be actively varroa-transmitted, but which may increase opportunistically in varroa-parasitized bees.

Due to a lack of knowledge on the pollination requirements of kiwifruit cultivars grown within the United States, farmers simultaneously implement multiple pollination methods, like the rental of managed bee species or artificial pollination to achieve high fruit yields. However, implementing multiple pollination methods is costly and possibly an inefficient use of resources. We assessed the contribution of two managed bees (Apis mellifera and Bombus impatiens) to the pollination of kiwifruit by i) determining the relative abundance of kiwifruit pollen collected by foragers of each bee species, and ii) comparing fruit set and fruit quality among insect and artificially pollinated flowers through an insect exclusion experiment. A significant difference was observed between the mean relative abundance of kiwifruit pollen carried in the corbicula of A. mellifera and B. impatiens, with B. impatiens carrying on average 46% more kiwifruit pollen than A. mellifera. Artificially pollinated kiwifruit flowers set significantly greater numbers of fruit per flower at four weeks post-bloom and at harvest compared to insect pollination, wind pollination, and pollen exclusion treatment. Artificial pollination produced fruits of greater weight, size, and seed number compared to insect-pollinated flowers, and few fruits were produced in the pollen exclusion and wind pollination treatments. Kiwifruit producers experiencing similar conditions to ours should focus on artificially pollinating their crops rather than relying on managed or wild insects for kiwifruit pollination. Future research should evaluate other methods of artificial pollination to determine their effectiveness, efficiency, and economics in the pollination of kiwifruit grown within the United States.

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony loss is a widespread phenomenon with important economic and biological implications, whose drivers are still an open matter of investigation. We contribute to this line of research through a large-scale, multi-variable study combining multiple publicly accessible data sources. Specifically, we analyzed quarterly data covering the contiguous United States for the years 2015-2021, and combined open data on honey bee colony status and stressors, weather data, and land use. The different spatio-temporal resolutions of these data are addressed through an up-scaling approach that generates additional statistical features which capture more complex distributional characteristics and significantly improve modeling performance. Treating this expanded feature set with state-of-the-art feature selection methods, we obtained findings that, nation-wide, are in line with the current knowledge on the aggravating roles of Varroa destructor and pesticides in colony loss. Moreover, we found that extreme temperature and precipitation events, even when controlling for other factors, significantly impact colony loss. Overall, our results reveal the complexity of biotic and abiotic factors affecting managed honey bee colonies across the United States.

Various methods exist for collecting pollinating insects; however, colored bowl traps, vane traps, and sweep netting are among the most commonly used approaches, and may yield different estimates of insect abundance and taxa diversity depending on habitat type. Electric transmission rights-of-ways (ROWs) are found throughout the United States and provide early successional habitat which may provide an abundance of floral and nesting resources for many insect pollinators. Despite the potential for harboring pollinating insects, few researchers have focused on ROWs as important pollinator habitat. We surveyed pollinating insects (bees, wasps, flies, and lepidopterans) within ROWs and the surrounding habitat in central Alabama during spring and summer of 2018 using colored bowl traps (blue, yellow, and white), blue vane traps, and targeted sweep netting of insects on flowering plants. Overall, each collection method collected several bee genera and other pollinators that were not collected with the other methods. Blue vane traps collected more bee taxa and overall pollinating insect diversity compared to colored bowl traps and sweep netting. Sweep netting flowering plants collected the fewest pollinating insects but did document some genera that colored bowl traps and vane traps did not. Our data support the use of multiple collecting methods to document pollinator insect diversity and abundance. Implications for insect conservation This study suggests that accurately assessing insect pollinator abundance and diversity should not depend solely on one type of collecting method due to potential collection biases. Alternatively, if specific pollinator taxa are sought, utilizing certain collecting methods over others may enhance the probability of collection.

EDITORIAL article Front. Ecol. Evol., 07 September 2023Sec. Ecophysiology Volume 11 - 2023 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1279774

Patients with an LDL-C ≥ 190mg/dL benefit from a healthy lifestyle and use of medications to lower their risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. Change in autonomous motivation and perceived competence are viable targets for reducing CVD risk according to Self-Determination Theory. A pilot randomized controlled trial of music therapy for 31 very high LDL-C subjects found no between 1 or 2 session group different effects on motivation, LDL-C or non-HDL-C. Perceived competence for healthy lifestyle significantly increased (p<0.05), mean LDL-C decreased from 131 to 87 mg/dL (p<0.0005), and mean non-HDL-C decreased from 155 to 113 mg/dL (p=0.001) after music therapy in all participants. An increase in autonomous motivation for medication use predicted a in the change in LDL-C (p<0.05). Music therapy may enhance motivation for reducing CVD risk. Autonomous motivation for medication use and perceived competence for lifestyle change may be useful targets of future interventions for high cholesterol.

Beekeepers in the United States have experienced high losses of managed honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies for more than a decade. Long-term, multi-year monitoring efforts are crucial to provide a temporal and spatial context to these losses. To document and explain these losses, the Bee Informed Partnership has conducted national surveys on managed honey bee colonies since spring 2011, continuing the work of surveys first commissioned by the Apiary Inspectors of America in spring 2007. Here we present survey results from three years – 2017–18, 2018–19, and 2019–20. Each year, colony loss rates were estimated and compared among three loss periods – summer, winter, and annual – and three beekeeping operation types based on their number of colonies managed – backyard (≤50 colonies), sideline (51-500 colonies), and commercial (>500 colonies). At the national level, we recorded the highest winter colony loss rates (37.7%) in 2018–2019, while 2019 marked the year with the highest summer losses (32.1%). As documented in past surveys, we observed that smaller scale backyard beekeepers experienced the highest winter loss rates when compared to the larger operation types. Similarly, commercial beekeepers experienced higher loss rates during the summer compared to the other operation types. Overall, our results highlight the temporal variability, specifically among loss periods and years, of colony loss rates in the United States, and suggest a strong effect of beekeeping operation size.

Abstract Changes in biomedical ethics have elevated the aim of enhancing patient autonomy to be equivalent to that of enhancing patient well-being. Self-determination theory (SDT) is at the forefront of theories addressing the delivery of effective, autonomy-supportive, healthcare. Meta-analyses of correlational and randomized controlled studies demonstrate that SDT-based health interventions increase basic need satisfaction, which enhances patient well-being and health behavior change. Basic need satisfaction has been found to have its effects on well-being through multiple pathways predicted by at least four different SDT mini-theories, each of which is described in this chapter. Research studies also have associated the basic need satisfaction of healthcare practitioners with greater well-being and less burnout. SDT research demonstrates the importance of these core principles of motivation and medical ethics, as operationalized through shared decision-making and autonomy-supportive professionalism in care delivery.

A significant amount of researcher and practitioner effort has focused on developing new chemical controls for the parasitic Varroa destructor mite in beekeeping. One outcome of that has been the development and testing of "glycerol-oxalic acid" mixtures to place in colonies for extended periods of time, an off-label use of the otherwise legal miticide oxalic acid. The majority of circulated work on this approach was led by practitioners and published in nonacademic journals, highlighting a lack of effective partnership between practitioners and scientists and a possible failure of the extension mandate in beekeeping in the United States. Here, we summarize the practitioner-led studies we could locate and partner with a commercial beekeeper in the Southeast of the United States to test the "shop towel-oxalic acid-glycerol" delivery system developed by those practitioners. Our study, using 129 commercial colonies between honey flows in 2017 split into 4 treatment groups, showed no effectiveness in reducing Varroa parasitism in colonies exposed to oxalic acid-glycerol shop towels. We highlight the discrepancy between our results and those circulated by practitioners, at least for the Southeast, and the failure of extension to support practitioners engaged in research.