Abstract
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are constantly dealing with threats from pathogens, pests, pesticides and poor nutrition. It is critically important to understand how honey bees’ natural immune responses (individual immunity) and collective behavioral defenses (social immunity) can improve bee health and productivity. One form of social immunity in honey bee colonies is the collection of antimicrobial plant resins and their use in the nest architecture as propolis. We review research on the constitutive benefits of propolis on the honey bee immune system, and its known therapeutic, colony-level effects against the pathogens Paenibacillus larvae and Ascosphaera apis. We also review the limited research on the effects of propolis against other pathogens, parasites and pests (Nosema, viruses, Varroa destructor, and hive beetles) and how propolis may enhance bee products such as royal jelly and honey. Although propolis may be a source of pesticide contamination, it also has the potential to be a detoxifying agent or primer of detoxification pathways, as well as increasing bee longevity via antioxidant-related pathways. Throughout this paper, we discuss opportunities for future research goals and present ways in which the beekeeping community can promote propolis use in standard colonies, as one way to improve and maintain colony health and resiliency.
Highlights
Honey bee (Apis mellifera) populations in North America and Europe are currently experiencing high annual losses throughout the year due to various, often interacting factors including pathogens, parasites, pesticides, poor nutrition and management [1,2,3,4]
One form of social immunity in honey bee colonies is the formation of a propolis envelope within the nest that acts as an important antimicrobial layer
We investigated the effects of the propolis envelope on the overall reduction of clinical signs of American foulbrood (AFB), and on the antimicrobial activity of larval food fed to 1–2 day old larvae
Summary
Honey bee (Apis mellifera) populations in North America and Europe are currently experiencing high annual losses throughout the year due to various, often interacting factors including pathogens, parasites, pesticides, poor nutrition and management [1,2,3,4]. It is critically important to understand the impact of individual stressors and the interactions among stressors in order to develop solutions to increase colony health and survival. It is important to understand how honey bees’ natural immune responses (individual immunity) and collective behavioural defenses (social immunity) can improve and maintain bee health and counteract stressors without human intervention. One form of social immunity in honey bee colonies is the formation of a propolis envelope within the nest that acts as an important antimicrobial layer. While a propolis envelope cannot mitigate all colony stressors, we review research to date on its known benefit to individual immunity and effect on reducing colony pathogen loads. We suggest research avenues that could reveal additional ways propolis may improve colony health and resiliency
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