D3164: Comparing Nosema spp. levels in wild and managed honey bee (Apis mellifera) populations at the Welder wildlife refuge

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) populations around the world have been declining due to a variety of parasites and pathogens. One such pathogen that has been shown to cause population decline is Nosema. This is a microsporidian gut pathogen, caused by Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae. When a honey bee is infected with Nosema, spores rapidly grow in the individual’s stomach which leads to developmental issues or death by dysentery. In south texas, we have honey bees of both Africanized (Apis mellifera scutellata) and European descent (Apis mellifera ligustica) and both of these lineages can become infected with Nosema. A unique study site to look at wild Africanized honey bees is at the Welder Wildlife Refuge (WWR). This population has been extensively documented over the past twenty years. One such study examined the prevalence of N. apis and N. ceranae over a twenty year period at WWR and found that N. ceranae is present at extremely low levels and did not detect N. apis. This study did not compare the wild WWR population to a nearby managed apiary. In the Spring of 2022, we collected honey bees from each population and in our preliminary results, we found lower levels of Nosema in the wild population. We hypothesize that the honey bees in WWR will have a significantly lower level of Nosema than managed colonies. We still have much to learn about wild honey bees, such as how they are able to survive without human interaction.