Abstract
Migratory beekeeping is a widely extended practice aimed at increasing the yield of products and pollination services of honey bee colonies. However, it represents a stress factor, as it facilitates the dissemination of diseases and may compromise the genetic identity of the colonies involved. To analyze the extent of these effects, pathogens infestation rate and genetic composition were monitored in a field experiment comparing stationary and migratory colonies sharing the same environmental conditions but differing in management (stationary vs. migratory) and genetic background. We studied the pathogens infestation rate (Varroa destructor, Nosema spp., and Deformed Wing Virus (DWV)) at four different times: before migratory operation, two weeks later, at the end of the migratory period, and two weeks after the return of the migratory hives. An increased incidence of V. destructor and Nosema ceranae and a lower DWV viral load were found in migratory colonies. Temporary changes in genetic diversity were detected regardless of colony type, suggesting that stressors other than management affect the genetic diversity of the colonies. Our study demonstrates that migratory practices have variable effects on the health and genetic diversity of honey bee colonies, which should be taken into account for the development of sustainable beekeeping.
Highlights
Introduction affiliationsThe importance of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) is related to its crucial role in the pollination of wild plant species and in agroecosystems [1,2,3]
Our major finding is that migratory beekeeping and its associated stress lead to higher V. destructor and N. ceranae infestation rates in the colonies, which partially confirms our initial hypothesis
The two groups of migratory and stationary colonies display similar low varroa infestation rates in May (T0 ) and June (T1 ), a significantly higher infestation rate of V. destructor was recorded in migratory colonies compared to the stationary colonies after the summer period (T2 )
Summary
Methods divided into two of five hives each. While one group remained stationary (UM-S). M), one from the professional beekeeper (hives transported to Soria, PB-M), and that of during the experiment, the second was moved (UM-M) 430 km to the region of Soria stationary colonies from This experimental design established tobelonging assess thetoeffects of migratory movegroup was moved together withwas another five hives a professional beekeeper ments in a single year, as environmental factors are not homogeneous from one year from Murcia (PB-M) who usually carries out migratory beekeeping. (ii) groups with different geneticin backgrounds but subjected to theinvestigated same managein the experiment came from fourgroups groupssettled of colonies, two from the university ment vs PB-M); and (iii) in thenamely, same location (Soria) sharing the campus of Murcia (hives that remained in Murcia, UM-S and those transported same environmental conditions but with different genetic background (UM-M to vs.Soria, PB-M), UM-M), one from the professional beekeeper
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