Climatic drivers of honey bee disease revealed

Date:
November 9, 2021
Source:
Newcastle University
Summary:
Honey bee colonies worldwide have suffered from a range of damaging
diseases. A new study has provided clues on how changing weather
patterns might be driving disease in UK colonies.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Honey bee colonies worldwide have suffered from a range of damaging
diseases. A new study has provided clues on how changing weather patterns
might be driving disease in UK colonies.


========================================================================== Publishing their findings in the journalScientific Reports, the team led
by Newcastle University found that the most severe disease of honey bees, caused by the Varroa mite, increased as climate temperatures increased
but were reduced during heavy rainfall and wind.

Data collected from visits to over 300,000 honey bee colonies highlighted
how the prevalence of six important honey bee diseases interacted in
different ways with rainfall, temperature and wind.

Study lead, PhD student Ben Rowland, from Newcastle University's School
of Natural and Environmental Sciences, said: "Our analysis clearly shows
that the risk of a colony contracting one of the diseases we examined is influenced by the weather conditions experienced by that colony. Our work highlights some interesting contrasts; for example, rainfall can drive
one disease to become more common whilst another will become rarer."
Professor Giles Budge, who leads the Modelling Evidence and Policy Group
at Newcastle University and was a senior author on the paper, said:
"We have long known that weather can influence the ability of honey
bees to leave the hive and forage for food, but to better understand
how our climate can influence honey bee disease is fascinating! This new knowledge will help us predict how honey bee disease might be influenced
by future climate change." The study also investigated the effect of
weather on disease hotspots. The South West of England was at increased
risk of disease caused by Varroa mites.

In addition, the team highlighted a hot spot for risk for the notifiable
and damaging disease European foulbrood in an area comprising Powys, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

This work is being completed with funding from Bee Disease Insurance
Ltd and the BBSRC.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Newcastle_University. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Ben W. Rowland, Stephen P. Rushton, Mark D. F. Shirley, Mike
A. Brown,
Giles E. Budge. Identifying the climatic drivers of honey bee
disease in England and Wales. Scientific Reports, 2021; 11 (1)
DOI: 10.1038/s41598- 021-01495-w ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/11/211109080729.htm

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