The mite Varroa destructor is an obligatory ectoparasite of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) and is one of the major threats to apiculture worldwide. We previously reported that honey bees fed on double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) with a sequence homologous to that of the Israeli acute paralysis virus are protected from the viral disease. Here we show that dsRNA ingested by bees is transferred to the Va...

Deformed wing virus (DWV) and its vector, the mite Varroa destructor, are a major threat to the world's honeybees. Although the impact of Varroa on colony-level DWV epidemiology is evident, we have little understanding of wider DWV epidemiology and the role that Varroa has played in its global spread. A phylogeographic analysis shows that DWV is globally distributed in honeybees, having recentl...

The viral ecology of bee communities is complex, where viruses are readily shared among co-foraging bee species. Additionally, in honey bees (Apis mellifera), many viruses are transmitted - and their impacts exacerbated - by the parasitic Varroa destructor mite. Thus far, the viruses found to be shared across bee species and transmitted by V. destructor mites are positive-sense single-stranded ...

Varroa destructor reproductive success is considered an important character for determining the resistance of honey bees to this mite parasite. However, most of the published data are not comparable due to the different methods of ascertaining and reporting reproduction. A recently published technique that involves reconstructing mite families in older worker brood gives repeatable and reliable...

An obvious need for an updated and comprehensive study prompted this investigation of the complex of environmental costs resulting from the nation’s dependence on pesticides. Included in this assessment of an estimated $10 billion in environmental and societal damages are analyses of: pesticide impacts on public health; livestock and livestock product losses; increased control expenses resultin...

Varroa destructor is the most serious threat for western honeybees worldwide. It parasitizes mostly on honeybee's pupae and larvae, resulting in impaired development, decreased immunity, residual wings, loss of flight ability, even direct death. At same time, it can cause a series diseases, greatly infesting bee colonies. This paper introduces classification, distribution biological characteris...

The present investigation was carried out in the apiary at Al-Fath location, Assiut Governorate, Upper Egypt, from 8 th of December, 2007 to 3 rd of January, 2008. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of lemon juice on varroa mites, Varroa destructor (Anderson and Trueman) in honeybee colonies, Apis mellifera L. with little brood in order to reduce varroa population to toler...

this research explains the morphometric characteristics of varroa destructor anderson and trueman in tehran province. 180 adult female mites were collected from three different colonies of apis mellifera l. in three apiaries during september 2003 to may 2004. these colonies were divided according to three altitudes-less than 1000m, 1000-1500m and more than 1500m above the sea level. the morphol...

Multiple infections of managed honeybee, Apis mellifera, colonies are inevitable due to the ubiquitous ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor and might be an underlying cause of winter losses. Here we investigated the role of adult small hive beetles, Aethina tumida, alone and in combination with V. destructor for winter losses and for infections with the microsporidian endoparasite Nosema cerana...

A laboratory technique to study the effects of Varroa destructor and viruses on developing worker honey bees Lilia I de Guzman, Kitiphong Khongphinitbunjong, Thomas E Rinderer, Matthew R Tarver and Amanda M Frake USDA/ARS, Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Laboratory, 1157 Ben Hur Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70820, USA. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chian...