Study Finds That Honey Bee Viruses Spread Through Flower Pollen

New research finds that honey bee viruses spread through flower pollen. These viruses could be the reason for the declining in honey bee colonies. Moreover, these flowers can affect not only honey bees but other pollinators as well.

The colony collapse disorder represents when worker bees

disappear altogether as a group. Researchers found in which way many of the viruses that are affecting bees transmit within the hive. This is either from an infected queen to her eggs or from a bee’s saliva. This is something that is discovered and known.

However, the unanswered question was how do these viruses transmit between hives? Hereby, the study leader, Diana Cox-Foster said: “People suspected the viruses were being transmitted by bees visiting other colonies, but no one really knew there was evidence for the virus moving into other species”.

How honey bee viruses spread through flower pollen?

As we all know, bees visit flowers to collect nectar and pollen. Diana Cox-Foster and her team collected honey-bees which were owned by the university. These insects were harvesting the pollen, and they had their pollen loads filled. Researchers discovered that although bees were healthy, their pollen loads were contaminated. The clear indication was that at least one virus – the deformed wing honey bee virus is spreading through the flower pollen. Even though there was the assumption that the process was vice versa, still this deadly honey bee virus spread through flower pollen to the bees.

Another finding in a different experiment was conducted on bumblebees that were collected and examined. The researchers found evidence of viruses in wild bumblebees that can possibly transmit to honey bees. In fact, the study results confirmed the assumption. When the honey bees from a healthy colony visited the flowers that were previously visited by the sick bumblebees, the entire (previously healthy) honey bee colony was contaminated with the virus.

Source: National Geographic