Bee disease spreading via flowers

July 20, 2020 2:30pm IST Source

   A recent study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution showed that one in eleven flowers carries disease-cau sing parasites known to contribute to bee declines. It also found that one in eight individual bees had at least one parasite. The researchers found that three main factors -- flower abundance, numbers of social bees, and bee diversity -- played roles in disease transmission.

The study revealed that social bees, such as honeybees and bumblebees, were more likely to be infected with parasites than solitary bee species. The researchers found that later in the season, the number of social bees increases, while bee diversity overall decreases. As a general rule, diversity of species lowers the spread of disease.

The study was conducted in field sites in upstate New York, where the researchers screened 2,624 flowers from 89 species and 2,672 bees from 110 species for bee parasites through an entire growing season. They used molecular data to identify five common protozoa (free-living, single-celled) and fungal parasites.

Future studies will try to determine whether increased flower abundance cancels out the negative effects of increased numbers of social bees combined with lower overall bee diversity later in the summer.