Zombie Bees

[Riskybizz]

In case you missed it...

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/...-neighborhood/

[Lburou]

Interesting project

Abstract Top

Honey bee colonies are subject to numerous pathogens and parasites. Interaction among multiple pathogens and parasites is the proposed cause for Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), a syndrome characterized by worker bees abandoning their hive. Here we provide the first documentation that the phorid fly Apocephalus borealis, previously known to parasitize bumble bees, also infects and eventually kills honey bees and may pose an emerging threat to North American apiculture. Parasitized honey bees show hive abandonment behavior, leaving their hives at night and dying shortly thereafter. On average, seven days later up to 13 phorid larvae emerge from each dead bee and pupate away from the bee. Using DNA barcoding, we confirmed that phorids that emerged from honey bees and bumble bees were the same species. Microarray analyses of honey bees from infected hives revealed that these bees are often infected with deformed wing virus and Nosema ceranae. Larvae and adult phorids also tested positive for these pathogens, implicating the fly as a potential vector or reservoir of these honey bee pathogens. Phorid parasitism may affect hive viability since 77% of sites sampled in the San Francisco Bay Area were infected by the fly and microarray analyses detected phorids in commercial hives in South Dakota and California's Central Valley. Understanding details of phorid infection may shed light on similar hive abandonment behaviors seen in CCD.

[KQ6AR]

If you search older post you will find a link I posted to the researchers website about a month ago.

[danmcm]

Thinking bug zappers are a good idea cook the infected to them from releasing the larva inside.

[cerezha]

I am wondering if it is related to my bees behavior (hopefully not) - I have found 1-2 bees dead next to the fluorescent light practically every day. At night, I noticed that bees attracted to the light, first fly around the light and then eventually got on the ground and moved strangely - king running in circles, look totally disoriented. My understanding that since they are disoriented, they could not find a way to home and died under the light. It is possible, that fluorescent light itself has some effect on bees, so they disoriented, but it is suspiciously similar to what was in original post. Anybody study this deeper? Sergey

[Seymore]

Wow... yet another thing!

[Lburou]

If I lived in an area inhabited by this fly, I'd put out fly traps and bug zappers to find out what would deter them. cerezha, collect a few of those dead bees in a bottle and wait a week for larva to leave the dead bee carcases.

[cerezha]

cerezha, collect a few of those dead bees in a bottle and wait a week for larva to leave the dead bee carcases.

Yes, this is what I am doing now. I'll report if I will find something suspicious. Idea with traps is interesting. The problem only is that these parasitic insects are so tiny - 1/10 or 1/20 of the bee... Sergey

[rwilly]

They have been reported in the Seattle area.

http://seattletimes.com/html/localne...ombees24m.html

[NW_Mark]

https://www.zombeewatch.org/

[AUXCOM]

Figured I might as well join the ZomBee Watch...ya never know