<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Honey bees (<italic>Apis mellifera</italic> L.) inhabiting trees in forests are not managed by humans or treated for pathogens; therefore, many researchers and beekeepers believe that viral, bacterial, and parasitic diseases may lead to their decline. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of <italic>L. passim</italic> and <italic>Nosema</italic> spp. in feral colonies by real-time PCR. This study was performed on twenty-six samples of honey bees inhabiting tree trunks in north-eastern Poland. One sample consisted of sixty worker bee abdomens collected from hollow trees. Honey bees were sampled only from naturally colonized sites. Amplicons of the three evaluated pathogens were detected in twenty of the twenty-six tested samples. A significant correlation was observed between infection with three pathogens (<italic>N. apis, N. ceranae, L. passim</italic>) (r = 0.84) compared to infection with only two pathogens (<italic>N. apis</italic> and <italic>N. ceranae</italic>) (r = 0.49). <italic>N. ceranae</italic> was the predominant pathogen, but infections with various severity caused by <italic>L. passim</italic> were also noted in fourteen of the twenty-six tested samples. In view of the general scarcity of epidemiological data concerning coinfections with <italic>Nosema</italic> spp. and <italic>L. passim</italic> in honey bees in tree trunks in other countries, further research is needed to confirm the effect of concurrent pathogenic infections on the decline of bee colonies.</p></abstract>

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) inhabiting trees in forests are not managed by humans or treated for pathogens; therefore, many researchers and beekeepers believe that viral, bacterial, and parasitic diseases may lead to their decline. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of L. passim and Nosema spp. in feral colonies by real-time PCR. This study was performed on twenty-six samples of honey bees inhabiting tree trunks in north-eastern Poland. One sample consisted of sixty worker bee abdomens collected from hollow trees. Honey bees were sampled only from naturally colonized sites. Amplicons of the three evaluated pathogens were detected in twenty of the twenty-six tested samples. A significant correlation was observed between infection with three pathogens (N. apis, N. ceranae, L. passim) (r = 0.84) compared to infection with only two pathogens (N. apis and N. ceranae) (r = 0.49). N. ceranae was the predominant pathogen, but infections with various severity caused by L. passim were also noted in fourteen of the twenty-six tested samples. In view of the general scarcity of epidemiological data concerning coinfections with Nosema spp. and L. passim in honey bees in tree trunks in other countries, further research is needed to confirm the effect of concurrent pathogenic infections on the decline of bee colonies.

<italic>Lotmaria Passim</italic> As Third Parasite Gastrointestinal Tract of Honey Bees Living in Tree Trunk

Departament of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Epizootiology

Journal of Apicultural Science

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

 As Third Parasite Gastrointestinal Tract of Honey Bees Living in Tree Trunk

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) inhabiting trees in forests are not managed by humans or treated for pathogens; therefore, many researchers and beekeepers...

Lotmaria Passim As Third Parasite Gastrointestinal Tract of Honey Bees Living in Tree Trunk

Article Category: Original Article

Publié en ligne: 02 juil. 2020

Pages: 143 - 151

Reçu: 15 nov. 2019

Accepté: 01 avr. 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jas-2020-0012

Mots clés
co-parasitism, real-time PCR, tree trunks

© 2020 Maria Michalczyk et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Lotmaria Passim As Third Parasite Gastrointestinal Tract of Honey Bees Living in Tree Trunk

Article Category: Original Article

Publié en ligne: 02 juil. 2020

Pages: 143 - 151

Reçu: 15 nov. 2019

Accepté: 01 avr. 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jas-2020-0012

Mots clésco-parasitism, real-time PCR, tree trunks

© 2020 Maria Michalczyk et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Mots clés
co-parasitism, real-time PCR, tree trunks