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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Bee Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #414820
Research Project: Managing Honey Bees Against Disease and Colony Stress

Location: Bee Research Laboratory

Title: Deadly triangle: Honey bees, mites, and viruses

Author
item LAMAS, ZACHARY - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)
item Evans, Jay

Submitted to: Frontiers in Bee Science
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/30/2024
Publication Date: 10/1/2024
Citation: Lamas, Z., Evans, J.D. 2024. Deadly triangle: Honey bees, mites, and viruses. Frontiers in Bee Science. 2. Article 1418667. https://doi.org/10.3389/frbee.2024.1418667.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/frbee.2024.1418667

Interpretive Summary: .

Technical Abstract: Honey bees are managed by humans on all continents except Antarctica, leading to an exceptional database of colony growth and survival. Honey bee colony losses in the United States are approximately 50% annually, and losses in other countries range from 10% to 60%. These losses reflect chemical, climatic, and nutritional stresses alongside immense pressure from diverse parasites and pathogens. The combination of RNA viruses and parasitic mites that vector these viruses plays a primary role in colony losses. Here, we discuss virus infection with and without mite vectors, bee defenses, colony vulnerabilities, and the roles of managed beekeeping in mitigating and aggravating the impacts of Varroa mites and viral disease.