Postdoctoral Research Fellow University College Dublin Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Background/Question/Methods
The European honey bee (Apis mellifera) is an important pollinator species, both for agricultural systems and for sustaining biodiversity. Honey bees have been transported worldwide by humans due to their utility for pollination and honey production, however honey bee colony collapse is an increasing problem. Recent research suggests that honey bee colony losses are driven by the cumulative effect of multiple stressors, including pathogens, pesticides and climate change. Many honey bee pathogens have been spread worldwide alongside their hosts, leading to widespread co-infection and co-parasitism of honey bee hives by pathogens from different parts of the honey bee’s native range. Additionally honey bees are often exposed to pesticides in agricultural systems. Therefore it is imperative that multiple, interacting stress factors are investigated in concert to effectively determine reasons for colony losses, and develop mitigation strategies. Here we investigate the effect of all major honey bee pathogens and pesticide levels on colony losses, and also determine behavioural thresholds to start to estimate adaptation to a changing climate.
Results/Conclusions
We collected samples of worker bees, brood, pollen and honey from the colonies of over 150 beekeepers across the island of Ireland. Using both observational and molecular techniques, all samples have been screened for the prevalence of the major honey bee pathogens, including the detection of spores of the highly destructive American foulbrood disease, and all major honey bee viruses. Additionally, using analytical chemistry techniques all samples have been screened for the most commonly used insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and plant growth regulators across Ireland. By analysing this data together with colony loss data reported by beekeepers, we determine which major stressors are contributing to colony losses across Ireland, and by extension around the world.
