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27 December 2022 Sunflower-Associated Reductions in Varroa Mite Infestation of Honey Bee Colonies
Evan C. Palmer-Young, Rosemary Malfi, Yujun Zhou, Bryanna Joyce, Hannah Whitehead, Jennifer I. Van Wyk, Kathy Baylis, Kyle Grubbs, Dawn L. Boncristiani, Jay D. Evans, Rebecca E. Irwin, Lynn S. Adler
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Abstract

Landscapes can affect parasite epidemiology in wild and agricultural animals. Honey bees are threatened by loss of floral resources and by parasites, principally the mite Varroa destructor and the viruses it vectors. Existing mite control relies heavily on chemical treatments that can adversely affect bees. Alternative, pesticide-free control methods are needed to mitigate infestation with these ectoparasites. Many flowering plants provide nectar and pollen that confer resistance to parasites. Enrichment of landscapes with antiparasitic floral resources could therefore provide a sustainable means of parasite control in pollinators. Floral rewards of Asteraceae plants can reduce parasitic infection in diverse bee species, including honey and bumble bees. Here, we tested the effects of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) cropland and pollen supplementation on honey bee resistance to macro- and microparasites. Although sunflower had nonsignificant effects on microparasites, We found that increased sunflower pollen availability correlated with reduced Varroa mite infestation in landscapes and pollen-supplemented colonies. At the landscape level, each doubling of sunflower crop area was associated with a 28% reduction in mite infestation. In field trials, late-summer supplementation of colonies with sunflower pollen reduced mite infestation by 2.75-fold relative to artificial pollen. United States sunflower crop acreage has declined by 2% per year since 1980, however, suggesting reduced availability of this floral resource. Although further research is needed to determine whether the observed effects represent direct inhibition of mite fecundity or mite-limiting reductions in honey bee brood-rearing, our findings suggest the potential for sunflower plantings or pollen supplements to counteract a major driver of honey bee losses worldwide.

Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America 2022. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.
Evan C. Palmer-Young, Rosemary Malfi, Yujun Zhou, Bryanna Joyce, Hannah Whitehead, Jennifer I. Van Wyk, Kathy Baylis, Kyle Grubbs, Dawn L. Boncristiani, Jay D. Evans, Rebecca E. Irwin, and Lynn S. Adler "Sunflower-Associated Reductions in Varroa Mite Infestation of Honey Bee Colonies," Journal of Economic Entomology 116(1), 68-77, (27 December 2022). https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toac196
Received: 15 March 2022; Accepted: 17 November 2022; Published: 27 December 2022
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KEYWORDS
Apis mellifera
colony collapse disorder
land use change
landscape ecology
Varroa destructor
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