Honey bee nests worldwide have actually experienced a series of harmful illness. A brand-new research study has actually supplied hints on how altering weather condition patterns may be driving illness in UK nests.
Publishing their findings in the journal Scientific Reports, the group led by Newcastle University discovered that the most extreme illness of honey bees, brought on by the Varroa mite, increased as environment temperature levels increased however were decreased throughout heavy rains and wind.
Data gathered from sees to over 300,000 honey bee nests highlighted how the occurrence of 6 essential honey bee illness engaged in various methods with rains, temperature level, and wind.
Study lead, PhD trainee Ben Rowland, from Newcastle University’s School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, stated: “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, stated: “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 research study likewise examined the impact of weather condition on illness hotspots. The South West of England was at increased danger of illness brought on by Varroa termites. In addition, the group highlighted a location for danger for the notifiable and harmful illness European foulbrood in a location consisting of Powys, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
Reference: “Identifying the climatic drivers of honey bee (Apis mellifera) disease in England and Wales” by Ben Rowland, Steve P. Rushton, Mark D.F. Shirley, Mike A. Brown and Giles E. Budge, 9 November 2021, Scientific Reports
DOI: 10.1038/ s41598-021-01495- w
This work is being finished with financing from Bee Disease Insurance Ltd and the BBSRC.
