Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
08:36
Empirical, Metagenomic, and Computational Techniques Illuminate the Mechanisms by which Fungicides Compromise Bee Health
Published on: October 9, 2017
9.7K
Colony-Level Viral Load Influences Collective Foraging in Honey Bees
Hannah J Penn1, Michael D Simone-Finstrom2, Lilia I de Guzman2
1USDA ARS, Sugarcane Research Unit, Houma, LA, United States.
Frontiers in Insect Science
|March 12, 2024
Summary
Honey bee foraging decisions balance individual and colony health, with colony status heavily influencing choices, especially regarding nutrition and viral loads. Varroa mite parasitism impacts nectar collection and viral levels in bees.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Animal Behavior
- Pathogen-Host Interactions
Background:
- Social insect colony health relies on nutrition, facing threats like viruses and parasites.
- Honey bees adjust foraging based on nutrient content and pathogen presence.
- Colony foraging decisions are influenced by individual bee infection status and overall colony health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between honey bee viral infections and pollen/nectar foraging.
- To determine if colony or forager infection status has a greater impact on foraging decisions.
- To assess the relative contributions of colony and forager virus loads on foraging behavior.
Main Methods:
- Field experiment comparing regressions with and without forager/colony variables.
- Utilized structural equation models to analyze virus loads and foraging data.
- Quantified viral levels (BQCV, CBPV, DWV-B) in individual bees and colonies.
Main Results:
- Foragers showed different viral loads (higher BQCV/CBPV, lower DWV) compared to colonies.
- Foraging decisions were influenced by both individual and colony health, with colony metrics being more significant.
- Colony Varroa parasitism negatively affected nectar weight and was linked to DWV-B levels.
- Colony DWV-B levels impacted pollen protein:lipid ratios and nectar characteristics.
Conclusions:
- Both individual bee and colony health simultaneously mediate foraging decisions.
- The impact of viral infections and parasite levels on foraging varies depending on the specific metric.
- Further research is needed on the interplay of disease, nutrition, and genetics in social insect behavior.
Related Concept Videos
00:48Optimal Foraging
How animals obtain and eat their food is called foraging behavior. Foraging can include searching for plants and hunting for prey and depends on the species and environment.
01:03Altruism
Altruistic behaviors are “unselfish” behaviors—those that help another individual at the expense of the individual carrying out the behavior. Despite the negative consequences for the altruistic animal, these behaviors are thought to have evolved for several reasons.
01:21Frequency-dependent Selection
When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
02:39Gene Flow
Gene flow is the transfer of genes among populations, resulting from either the dispersal of gametes or from the migration of individuals.
01:26Size and Structure of Viral Genomes
Viral genomes exhibit remarkable diversity in size, structure, and composition, influencing their replication strategies and interactions with host cells. These genomes consist of either DNA or RNA and may be linear or circular. Additionally, they can be single-stranded or double-stranded, with each configuration affecting how the virus propagates within a host. RNA viruses, for instance, generally have smaller genomes than DNA viruses, a factor that contributes to their high mutation rates and...
01:26Human Virome
The human body harbors a vast and diverse viral community known as the human virome. The virome includes bacteriophages that infect bacteria, and eukaryotic viruses that infect human cells. Transient dietary and environmental viruses also contribute to this dynamic ecosystem. Estimates suggest the human body may contain on the order of 10¹³ viral particles, though abundance varies widely by body site and detection method.Comprehensive characterization of the virome has become possible only with...