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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Baton Rouge, Louisiana » Honey Bee Lab » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #414620
Research Project: Using Genetics to Improve the Breeding and Health of Honey Bees

Location: Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Research

Title: Current honey bee stressor investigations and mitigation methods in the U.S. and Canada

Author
item WALSH, ELIZABETH - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)
item SIMONE-FINSTROM, MICHAEL - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)

Submitted to: Journal of Insect Science
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/19/2024
Publication Date: 5/28/2024
Citation: Walsh, E., Simone-Finstrom, M. 2024. Current honey bee stressor investigations and mitigation methods in the U.S. and Canada. Journal of Insect Science. Volume 24 Page 3. https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/ieae055.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/ieae055

Interpretive Summary: Honey bees are the most important managed insect pollinator in U.S. and Canadian crop systems. However, the annual mortality of colonies has been consistently higher than historical records in the past 15 years. Because of their status as eusocial generalist pollinators, as well as their amenability to management, honey bees provide a unique opportunity to investigate topics that cover a wide range of questions at molecular, organismal, and ecological scales. In this special issue of the Journal of Insect Science, the American Association of Professional Apiculturists (AAPA) and the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA) created two collections of articles featuring investigations of honey bee health, showcasing new applied research from diverse groups studying honey bees (Apis mellifera) in the U.S. and Canada. Research presented in this special issue includes examinations of stressors of honey bees, as well as evaluations and introductions of stress mitigation measures which may be valuable to both scientists and the beekeeping community. These investigations done throughout the U.S. and Canada showcase the wide breadth of work currently done, as well as point out areas which continue to need further research. We summarize and contextualize this research before pointing out further avenues of study.

Technical Abstract: Honey bees are the most important managed insect pollinator in U.S. and Canadian crop systems. However, the annual mortality of colonies has been consistently higher than historical records in the past 15 years. Because of their status as eusocial generalist pollinators, as well as their amenability to management, honey bees provide a unique opportunity to investigate topics that cover a wide range of questions at molecular, organismal, and ecological scales. Here, the American Association of Professional Apiculturists (AAPA) and the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA) created two collections of articles featuring investigations on micro and macro aspects of honey bee health, sociobiology, and management showcasing new applied research from diverse groups studying honey bees (Apis mellifera) in the U.S. and Canada. Research presented in this special issue includes examinations of abiotic and biotic stressors of honey bees, as well as evaluations and introductions of various stress mitigation measures which may be valuable to both scientists and the beekeeping community. These investigations done throughout the U.S. and Canada showcase the wide breadth of work currently done, as well as point out areas which continue to need further research. Below, we summarize and contextualize this research before pointing out further avenues of study.