Subject Area
Biology
Description
Honey bees are the world’s most commercially valuable pollinators, and they face many threats. The greatest challenge facing honey bees is Varroa mites, which are parasitic mites that feed on bees’ fat bodies, killing bees and spreading diseases. While chemical treatments are available to stop the spread of mites, these treatments are insecticides, which are not ideal to put in a hive of insects. A popular organic method of mite management is using drone comb. Drone brood is preferentially chosen by mites for ovipositing and development because of its larger size and longer development time, so removing drone brood can drastically reduce mite numbers in the hive. However, drones are nutritionally expensive, and forcing bees to raise drones could create nutritional stress. It is known that drone comb removal does not detrimentally affect population size, but it is not known if foraging behavior is affected by this process. My research investigates if health and foraging behavior change in the presence of drone comb for mite management. The results could help us understand the effects of integrated pest management, and determine what nutrients honey bees need during mite treatment. Summer research funded by the Walsh Student Research Fellowship, presented at the RI Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Publisher
Providence College
Date
Summer 7-31-2023
Type
Poster
Format
Text
Language
English
