Location: Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Research
Title: Hangry bees: Pollen deprivation affects temper in Pol-line honey bees (Apis mellifera)Author
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Submitted to: Bee Culture
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 2/7/2023 Publication Date: 4/1/2023 Citation: Walsh, E.M., Simone-Finstrom, M., Avalos, A., Ihle, K.E., Lau, P.W. 2023. Hangry bees: Pollen deprivation affects temper in Pol-line honey bees (Apis mellifera). Bee Culture. https://doi.org/10.55406/ABRC.23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55406/ABRC.23 Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Temperament of honey bees (Apis mellifera) has long been associated with genetic background, with some honey bee populations (e.g. Africanized bees) being associated with “hot” temperaments. However, beekeepers have also traditionally associated environmental conditions with temperament, as bees that are queenless or in a dearth are commonly more aggressive than they were before entering these conditions. In this study, we simulated a pollen dearth by utilizing pollen traps on colonies, half of which collected pollen and half of which were kept closed. We performed aggression assays and found that colonies deprived of pollen were more aggressive (or “hangry”) than their non-pollen deprived counterparts in the same bee yard. Foragers were collected from these colonies on a weekly basis throughout the 5 week experiment and the expression of 4+ genes associated with temperament were examined. We have found that, regardless of genetic background, an environmental stimulus can play a pivotal role in honey bee temperament. This is something both breeders and scientists should keep in mind as they make operational and research decisions in the future. |
