Honey bees may play role in spreading viruses to wild bumble bees

by Katie Bohn, Pennsylvania State University
August 21, 2024

Honey bees may play a role in increasing virus levels in wild bumble bees each spring, according to researchers at Penn State who analyzed seasonal trends of parasite and virus transmission in bees.

The study — published in the journal Ecosphere — found that honey bees consistently had higher levels of viruses than bumble bees. Additionally, while both types of bees had lower virus prevalence in the winter, only bumble bees experienced negligible levels by spring.

Heather Hines, associate professor of biology and entomology in the College of Agricultural Sciences and corresponding author on the study, said this suggests that honey bees may be reinfecting bumble bees that otherwise would have very low virus prevalence each spring.

She added that the findings help improve the understanding of how pathogens may be transmitted between wild and managed bees, as well as why pathogens in bees are changing and what can be done to reduce them.

Keep reading: https://www.psu.edu/news/agricultural-sciences/story/honey-bees-may-play-role-spreading-viruses-wild-bumble-bees/

Read the Ecosphere paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.4883