Research Strategies to Improve Honeybee Health in Europe Robin F.A
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Research strategies to improve honeybee health in Europe Robin F.A. Moritz, Joachim de Miranda, Ingemar Fries, Yves Le Conte, Peter Neumann, Robert J. Paxton To cite this version: Robin F.A. Moritz, Joachim de Miranda, Ingemar Fries, Yves Le Conte, Peter Neumann, et al.. Research strategies to improve honeybee health in Europe. Apidologie, Springer Verlag, 2010, 41 (3), pp.227-242. 10.1051/apido/2010010. hal-00892092 HAL Id: hal-00892092 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00892092 Submitted on 1 Jan 2010 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Copyright Apidologie 41 (2010) 227–242 Available online at: c INRA/DIB-AGIB/EDP Sciences, 2010 www.apidologie.org DOI: 10.1051/apido/2010010 Review article Research strategies to improve honeybee health in Europe* Robin F.A. Moritz1, Joachim de Miranda2, Ingemar Fries2,YvesLe Conte3, Peter Neumann4, Robert J. Paxton5 1 Institut für Biologie, Martin-Luther Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 4, 06099 Halle a.d. Salle, Germany 2 Department of Ecology, Sveriges Lantsbruks Universitet Uppsala, Sweden 3 UAPV Abeilles et Environnement, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Avignon, France 4 Swiss Bee Research Centre, Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux, Switzerland 5 School of Biological Sciences, Queens University, Belfast, UK Received 5 October 2009 – Revised 26 January 2010 – Accepted 28 January 2010 Abstract – Understanding the fundaments of colony losses and improving the status of colony health will require cross-cutting research initiatives including honeybee pathology, chemistry, genetics and apicultural extension. The 7th framework of the European Union requested research to empirically and experimen- tally fill knowledge gaps on honeybee pests and diseases, including ’Colony Collapse Disorder’ and the impact of parasites, pathogens and pesticides on honeybee mortality. The interactions among these drivers of colony loss will be studied in different European regions, using experimental model systems including selected parasites (e.g. Nosema and Varroa mites), viruses (Deformed Wing Virus, Black Queen Cell Virus, Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus) and model pesticides (thiacloprid, τ-fluvalinate). Transcriptome analyses will be used to explore host-pathogen-pesticide interactions and identify novel genes for disease resistance. Spe- cial attention will be given to sublethal and chronic exposure to pesticides and will screen how apicultural practices affect colony health. Novel diagnostic screening methods and sustainable concepts for disease pre- vention will be developed resulting in new treatments and selection tools for resistant stock. Research ini- tiatives will be linked to various national and international ongoing European, North- and South-American colony health monitoring and research programs, to ensure a global transfer of results to apicultural practice in the world community of beekeepers. Apis mellifera / pathology / diagnosis / disease resistance 1. INTRODUCTION products. More importantly from a strictly economic perspective, honeybees are key pol- 1.1. The value of honeybees linators native to Europe and are crucial for and the costs of colony losses many agricultural crops and the conservation of natural plant biodiversity. Indeed, honey- The management of honeybees, Apis mel- bees are the most economically valued pol- lifera, is deeply rooted in human society, and linators and it is estimated that ∼35% of apiculture provides full or additional fam- human food consumption depends directly ily income. There is a considerable market or indirectly on insect mediated pollination for bee products that are used as food and (Delaplane and Mayer, 2000), a vital ecosys- as additives for pharmaceutical and medical tem service contributing to human health and Corresponding author: R. Moritz, well-being. Although the direct value of the honey produced by the bee industry in the EU [email protected] e * Manuscript editor: Marla Spivak is about 140 Mio, the total added value to Article published by EDP Sciences 228 R.F.A. Moritz et al. 2020 Varroa in Europe crops due to pollination services has recently ) e been estimated at 14.2 billion in 2005 for the 1515 million then 15 members of the EU. Worldwide, the ( total economic value of pollination by honey- 1010 bee colonies amounted to e153 billion in 2005 55 (Gallai et al., 2008), while the value of bee pol- number of colonies 00 lination to biodiversity is simply inestimable; 196111 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 1011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344454647 10111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546471970 1980 1990 2000 it is life itself. In light of the constant decline of year wild non-honeybee pollinators, the importance Figure 1. The annual number of hives reported to of beekeepers and managed bees is greater to- the FAO in western European countries (the former day than ever. 15 EU member states, black circles) and the former Unfortunately, beekeeping is a declining Warsaw Pact countries in Europe (including the for- industry and the past decades have seen a in- mer USSR, open circles). The dramatic decline in crease in colony losses in managed honey- Europe coincides with the political system changes bee colonies (Potts et al., 2010) and an over- in the in eastern Europe, whereas the introduction all decrease of beekeeping activities in Europe of Varroa destructor had no perceptible impact on (van Engelsdorp and Meixner, 2009). In addi- the number of hives reported (data from FAOSTAT, tion and independent of the managed bee pop- 2009). ulations, wild or feral honey bee colonies are also in decline (Kraus and Page, 1995; Moritz et al., 2007;Jafféetal.,2009) most likely due where the lack of state support forced beekeep- to intensification of land-use, pesticide poison- ers to not replace dead colonies, and instead ing, diseases and many parasites (in particu- abandon their apiaries altogether. Moderate lar the ubiquitous ectoparasitic mite Varroa de- and predictable losses can be accommodated structor). and planned for. However, extensive and un- The marked colony losses in Europe at the controllable losses make beekeeping as a pro- continental scale are unlikely to have been fession, with heavy investment in material and driven by pests, pathogens and pesticides. For equipment, an enterprise at permanent risk of example, the losses due to the appearance of bankruptcy (van Engelsdorp et al., 2007). This Varroa destructor in the 1970s and 80s were financial uncertainty also limits recruitment of largely compensated by beekeepers replacing a new generation of beekeepers, especially to their lost colonies with new ones, resulting in the professional ranks. a constant rise in the number of managed hon- Periodic, extensive honeybee colony losses eybee colonies (Fig. 1). The most dramatic are not just a recent phenomenon. For ex- decline in managed colonies in Europe oc- ample, Ireland suffered “The great mortal- curred in the 1990’s coinciding with the so- ity of bees” in 950, and nationwide bee ciocultural changes in eastern Europe whereas losses occurred again in 992 and 1443 colony numbers remained stable in western (Flemming, 1871). Similar repeated honey- Europe. With the lack of state support in the bee mortalities have been recorded in other former socialistic countries many beekeepers countries throughout history. From the late in eastern Europe abandoned their operations 19th century onwards there are references to causing a reduction in colony numbers by such extensive colony losses (Underwood and about 50%. One of the principal reasons for van Engelsdorp, 2007), including the famous the decline in managed honeybee colonies, and “Isle of Wight disease” of the early 1900’s in of beekeepers, is extensive and unpredictable England (Rennie et al., 1921; Bailey and Ball, colony death. While this can be discouraging 1991), the disappearing disease in the 1960– enough for small-scale hobbyist beekeepers to 1970’s in the USA (Wilson and Menapace, drive them to abandon the hobby, for (semi)- 1979), Varroa destructor and the “Bee Para- professional operators this is a crucial limita- sitic Mite Syndrome” of the 1980’s–1990’s (de tion to business planning and expansion. This Jong et al., 1982;BallandAllen,1988; Hung has become most obvious in Eastern Europe et al., 1995) and the mysterious bee losses in Research strategies to improve honeybee health in Europe 229 France in the late 1990’s (Faucon et al., 2002). cessful at the colony level in the short term, The most recent addition to this list is the has not eradicated the pathogen at the popu- Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in the USA lation level, particularly if the pathogen has that began in 2006–2007 (van Engelsdorp a high transmission rate and a high infectiv- et al., 2007). In Europe similar phenomena ity. As illustrated by present apicultural real- have not been observed in the past decades ity, any chemotherapy of honeybee colonies and large number colony deaths are mostly immediately leads