Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) affecting honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies
Dr. Jeff Pettis USDA-ARS Bee Research Lab. Beltsville, Maryland, USA
Pollinator decline, Symptoms of CCD Recent colony losses, research effort and CCD causes North America Pollinators
• National Academies of Science • Status of Pollinators in North America • 2007 • Pollinators are in decline http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11761.html European Pollinators
• J. C. Biesmeijer, S. P. M. Roberts, M. Reemer, R. Ohlemler, M. Edwards, T. Peeters, A. P. Schaffers, S. G. Potts, R. Kleukers, C. D. Thomas, J. Settele, and W. E. Kunin
• 21 July 2006 Science 313 (5785), 351.[DOI:10.1126/science.1127863]
• Parallel declines in pollinators and insect- pollinated plants in Britain and the Netherlands www.sciencemag.org Pesticides
Habitat destruction Urbanization Monocultures 7
Managed Honey Bee Colonies in the U.S. 6
Parasitic mites 5 introduced into U.S.
4 o 3
Colonies (Milli Colonies 2
1
NASS data 0
2005
2000 1995
1990 1985
1980 1975
1970 1965
1960 1955
1950 1945 Major Migratory Routes of Honey Bee Colonies
California almonds require 1.2 million honey bee colonies from January through March each year; that represents almost half of all managed colonies In the U.S. Honey bee colonies needed in California almonds
2.5 Millions 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 Fungi Nosema
Viruses Bacteria
Parasites Other Insects Symptoms of CCD
•Rapid loss of adult worker bees
•Few or no dead bees in colony
•Colonies dead w/ excess brood
•Small cluster w/ queen present
• Pollen and Honey stores intact Working Hypothesis Primary Stress Varroa mites
Management Nutrition Pesticides
Viruses
Secondary Pathogen Nosema
Fungi Bee Forensics Gene Set – New turbo edition Beetox Immune Genes Pathogens Control
Catalase Abaecin A. apis Am52C8
CEst04 Apidaecin ABPV VgMC
CYP306A1 basket Acawood Actin (E)
CYP4G11 Bgluc1 Amoeba RPS5 (E)
CYP6AS14 defensin1 Bact16S
dnc ortholog defensin2 BQCV
GSTS3 dorsal-1 CBPV
PKA-C1 Dredd chitinA
PKA-R1 Dscam DWV
rut ortholog EGFlikeA FungITS
hymenopt germSA
PGRP9710 KBV
PGRPLC710 M. Pluton
PGRPSC2505 Nosapis
PGRPSC4300 Noscer
PPOact SBV
tab Spapis Pathogen Loads and Covariance
Strong Weak
Nosc ABPV Nosc ABPV
KBV KBV BQCV BQCV
DWV IAPV IAPV DWV We tend to conduct research on single factors Nutrition
Pesticides NosemaNosema
Parasitic Mites Viruses We ignore interactions
Nutrition
Pesticides NosemaNosema
Parasitic Mites Viruses CCD is likely an interaction
Nutrition
Pesticides Nosema Parasitic Nosema Mites
Viruses Interactions could be different in different operations, years or countries?
Pesticides Nutrition Parasitic Mites
Nosema Nosema Viruses
Pesticide Detections in Pollen % of samples with detections
Most Frequently Detected Pesticides in Honey Bee Pollen e 80 60 40 20 Percent Frequ Percent 0 ) e s s 1 n l 2 r il t o ri te ni al te on m e an lo tot hlo ra i zi lina ha c mapho trazine obutan u orpyrif A cl benda luva hl dosulf propath lfan sulfa hrin ( Malath Simazin F Co n n u hlorot ndosulfanMetola sfenvale ar C E Fe C alot E E My C Endos Cyh Pesticides 100 500
1000 Control Survival of worker brood from 4-way comb
100 a
80 a b
60 b
of Immature Workers of Immature b
40
20
0 Control 100 500 1,000 % Survival (mean±SE) Concentration (mg/kg) of coumaphos
Lifespan of worker honey bees exposed to coumaphos during development
a a 20 b c
15
10
5
0
Worker bee lifespan (mean±SEM) in days (mean±SEM) lifespan Worker bee control 100 500 1000 Concentration (mg/kg) of coumaphos
Interactions With Other Stressors? Pesticide Interactions? Sublethal Effects?
COLONY HEALTH
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e h
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s a s a
e h
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c m o i v
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r o d e F a n i H C a o r s g h r t e O e d r i y ic P g n u F POLLEN MITE CONTROL WhatWhat isis happeninghappening nownow thisthis fallfall –– winterwinter ??
Surveyed 22 operations that manage 10% of all the colonies in the U.S., plus Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA) repeated survey from 2007
2007 AIA survey found 30% loss
The average loss in 2008 was 35% with a range of 7% to 80%
Reason for colony losses as yet undetermined Research continues in four areas
Stress – Nutrition, moving colonies, management Parasitic mites – Varroa and tracheal Pathogens – bacteria, fungi, viruses Pesticides – in hive mite treatments and Agricultural
100%
75%
CCD
50%
Causes of Colony Loss Causes of Colony 25%
Mites
Media 100%
75%
CCD
50%
Causes of Colony Loss Causes of Colony 25% Mites
Mites
Media Beekeeper 100%
75%
CCD CCD
50%
Causes of Colony Loss Causes of Colony 25% Mites
Mites
Media Beekeeper 100%
Other
75%
CCD CCD
50%
Causes of Colony Loss Causes of Colony 25% Mites
Mites
Media Beekeeper 100% Management
Other
75%
CCD CCD
50%
Causes of Colony Loss Causes of Colony 25% Mites
Mites
Media Beekeeper 100% Management
CCD Other
75%
CCD CCD Management
50%
Other
Causes of Colony Loss Causes of Colony 25% Mites
Mites Mites
Media Beekeeper Reality? HoneyHoney beebee healthhealth continuescontinues toto declinedecline
Crop acres continue to increase
The number of honey bee colonies remains approximately 2.5 million 35% colony losses = few reserves
The ability to feed ourselves with food produced in the U.S. should be a national security issue