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 Colonies (Millio 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1945 NASS data 1950 1955 Managed Honey Bee Colonies in the U.S. 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 introduced into U.S. Parasitic mites 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 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 e Most Frequently Detected Pesticides in Honey Bee Pollen 80 60 40 Percent20 Frequ 0 Fluvalinate Coumaphos Chlorpyrifos Endosulfan 1 Atrazine Fenpropathrin Endosulfan sulfate Chlorothalonil Cyhalothrin (total) Endosulfan 2 Pesticides Metolachlor Esfenvalerate Malathion Myclobutanil Carbendazim Simazine 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 Pesticide Interactions? Sublethal Effects? Herbicides Interactions With Other Carbamates Stressors? Organophosphates Pyrethroids POLLEN Fungicides e COLONY HEALTH t a n s li o a h v p a lu F m u o C 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 25% Mites Media 100% 75% CCD 50% Causes of Colony Loss 25% Mites Mites Media Beekeeper 100% 75% CCD CCD 50% Causes of Colony Loss 25% Mites Mites Media Beekeeper 100% Other 75% CCD CCD 50% Causes of Colony Loss 25% Mites Mites Media Beekeeper 100% Management Other 75% CCD CCD 50% Causes of Colony Loss 25% Mites Mites Media Beekeeper 100% Management CCD Other 75% CCD CCD Management 50% Other Causes of Colony Loss 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 .