Seasonal variation in the prevalence of Varroa, Nosema and Acarapis in hives from which queen bee mating nuclei are produced

Abstract

The presence of pathogens in fecundation hives represents a source of infection for queen bees. The objective of this investigation was to determine the prevalence of Varroa, Nosema, and Acarapis in hives for the production of mating nuclei (HPMN). 239 samples of adult bees of 17 apiaries of a queen bee breeding system were analyzed during the winter and summer of 2016. The prevalence of Varroa and Nosema was higher in winter (79.1% and 55.4%, respectively) than in summer (65.9% and 33.0%, respectively). However, Acarapis was not found. Varroa infestation was 2.55 ± 0.82 mites/100 bees, and Nosema 145 ± 24 × 10³ spores/bee (Standard deviation of the mean). The probability of finding Nosema, in the presence of Varroa, was 3.8 and 1.1 times higher in winter than in summer, respectively. We, therefore, conclude that HPMN has a higher incidence of varroasis and nosemosis during winter and nosemosis increases in the presence of varroasis. We, on the other hand, consider acariosis, absent in the region of study.

Keywords:

• apiculture
• bee
• diseases
• infection
• pathogen

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors are grateful for the support received from all beekeepers in the Apicultural Product System of Nayarit State, who allowed this research in their apiaries and devoted time and effort to carry out this research. Also, to the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT) for the doctoral grant to M.C. Henry Jesús Loeza Concha and for the financial support to the Program for the Professional of Teachers Development (PRODEP).