California Ag Network

Tag: Honey Bee

  • Honey Bee Colonies Down 7 Percent for Operations with Five or More Colonies

    Honey bee colonies for operations with five or more colonies in the United States on January 1, 2023 totaled 2.68 million colonies, down 7 percent from January 1, 2022, according to a recent USDA survey. The number of colonies in the United States on April 1, 2023, was 2.71 million colonies. During 2022, honey bee colonies on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 were 2.88 million, 2.91 million, 3.11 million, and 2.89 million colonies, respectively.

    Honey bee colonies lost for operations with five or more colonies from January through March 2023, was 373,880 colonies, or 14 percent. The number of colonies lost during the quarter of April through June 2023, was 237,350 colonies, or 9 percent. During the quarter of April through June 2022, colonies lost totaled 363,570 colonies, or 13 percent, the highest number lost of any quarter surveyed in 2022. The quarter surveyed in 2022 with the lowest number of colonies lost was January through March, with 331,480 colonies lost, or 12 percent.

    Honey bee colonies added for operations with five or more colonies from January through March 2023 was 384,790 colonies. The number of colonies added during the quarter of April through June 2023 was 596,360. During the quarter of April through June 2022, the number of colonies added were 573,160 colonies, the highest number of honey bee colonies added for any quarter surveyed in 2022. The quarter of July through September 2022 added 152,640 colonies, the least number of honey bee colonies added for any quarter surveyed in 2022.

    Honey bee colonies renovated for operations with five or more colonies from January through March 2023 was 113,440 colonies, or 4 percent. During the quarter of April through June 2023, the number of colonies renovated were 478,440 colonies, or 18 percent. The quarter surveyed in 2022 with the highest number of colonies renovated was April through June 2022 with 494,890 colonies renovated, or 17 percent. The quarter surveyed in 2022 with the lowest number of colonies renovated was October through December 2022, with 147,950, or 5 percent. Renovated colonies are those that were requeened or received new honey bees through a nucleus (nuc) colony or package.

    Varroa Mites Top Colony Stressor for Operations with Five or More colonies:

    Varroa mites were the number one stressor for operations with five or more colonies during all quarters surveyed in 2022. The period with the highest percentage of colonies reported to be affected by varroa mites was April through June 2022 at 47.5 percent. The percent of colonies reported to be affected by varroa mites during January through March 2023 and April through June 2023 are 39.7 percent and 50.9 percent, respectively. — By the USDA National Ag Statistics Service

  • Using Vaccines To Increase Pollinator Health: Testing A Honey Bee Nosema Vaccine

    San Diego, Calif., (March 21, 2018) – Honey bees are responsible for the annual pollination of at least $17 billion worth of US crops, but face severe health challenges. Nosema ceranaeis a fungus thatcauses a common and widespread infection that is associated with poor colony health and Colony Collapse Disorder. Currently, Nosema diseaseis primarily treated with a single antibiotic. Because of the potential for antibiotic resistance and the transfer of resistant genes in humans, it is desirable to find an alternative treatment, one that relies upon the natural honey bee immune system. Based upon data from bees reared in the lab, we found thatfeeding honey bee larvae heat-killed N. ceranaspores can activate honey bee immunity and substantially reduces infection levels when these “immunized” bees are exposed to Nosema as adult bees. The proposed research will test if this “immune-priming”, a vaccine-like treatment can also work (1) in naturally-reared honey bee larvae, (2)in beesimmunized as adults, and (3) in field tests of colonies. To test the effectiveness of our treatments, we will measureindividual bee infection level, the number of infected bees per treatment, bee immune gene activation, and effects on bee longevity.

    OBJECTIVES: Honey bees are responsible for the annual pollination of at least $17 billion worth of US crops, but face severe health challenges. Nosema ceranaecauses a common and widespread infection that reduces honey bee health and is primarily treated with a single antibiotic. Activating insect immunity against fungal infectionsprovides a natural countermeasure that should be difficult for pathogens to evolve resistance against. This has been demonstrated with heat-killed bacteria, but it remains unclear if this strategy would work with a heat-killed fungal pathogen like Nosema cerana.In our preliminary data, we show that autoclaved N. ceranaespores fed to A. melliferalarvae reared in vitro (immune priming) and subsequently fed live Nosemaspores as adults have infection levels reduced by 85% upon adult death. The proposed research would test the efficacy of this immune priming treatmentin vivo and with field colonies. If successful, we will have developed a new treatment against N. ceranaeand created a potentallytransformative approach to treating honey bee fungal diseases. Specifically, we will determine if immune priming conveys protection against infection when administered in vivo to (1) larvae or (2) adults upon emergence. Based upon these results, we will test if (3) immune primingeither larvae or young adults in field colonies boosts colony immunity against Nosema infection. We will measure individual bee infection level (midgut spores/bee), number of infected bees per treatment, bee immune gene activation, and effects on bee longevity.Overall goal:We will test if immune priming activates honey bee immunity againstN. ceranaeand therefore decreases subsequent infection when bees are exposed toN. ceranae.Ourspecific objectivesare as follows. We will determine if immune priming conveys protection against infection when administeredin vivoto (1) larvae or (2) adults upon emergence. Based upon these results, we will test if (3) immune priming either larvae or young adults in field colonies boosts colony immunity againstNosemainfection. We will measure pathogen prevalence (proportion of infected bees per treatment), abundance (spore counts /bee), immune gene activation, and effects on longevity.