Managed honeybees linked to new diseases in wild bees, UK study shows

Julia Friend
March 2nd, 2014

No author identified
Published February 19th, 2014
Source

Summary
The decline of bee species throughout the world has been a known crisis. In the UK, it has been discovered that some of the diseases behind the decline are being passed from managed honeybee colonies to wild bumblebees. Deformed wing virus (DWV) and the fungal parasite Nosema ceranae were identified as two extremely detrimental conditions in honeybees that are able to infect bumblebees. Indeed, a screening of both bee types across the UK found the two diseases far-reaching.

The infected honeybees can leave traces of the pathogens on the flowers they pollinate to be later picked up others, such as the bumblebees. The strain of DMV is identical at the same sites in both species, enforcing that the disease is from a single source. The higher concentration of both DMV and Nosema ceranae in the managed honeybees suggest that they are the source, in addition to how bumblebee infection patterns can be predicted by the infection of the honeybees.

Connections
The article connects to both the microbes and plants units. Although not discussed in class, the textbook explained the structure and reproductive processes of viruses, therefore describing the deformed wing virus in the bees. More discussed were fungi, and the diversity beyond the decomposing mushrooms we think of off hand. Fungi, like athlete's foot or the mentioned Nosema ceranae, can be parasitic organisms.

Another connection comes from the plants unit, specifically flowering plants and pollination. As they do not grow in primarily aqueous environments, they need another method of spreading and fertilizing their seeds. This is done by motile organisms, animals, who may brush from flower to flower and carry some of the sticky pollen with them. While bees collect nectar, they unknowingly transfer pollen to various plants to aid in the sexual reproduction of the plants. The article argues that along with the pollen, the bees leave traces of the diseases for other bees to pick up while pollinating.