Blessing or curse? Varroa mite impacts Africanized bee spread and beekeeping

Page, R

Blessing or curse? Varroa mite impacts Africanized bee spread and beekeeping

Author

Robert E. Page

Publication Information

Hilgardia 52(2):9-13. DOI:10.3733/ca.v052n02p9. March 1998.

PDF of full article, Cite this article

Abstract

Africanized honey bees were first detected in California in October 1994. Since then, they have established a foothold in the Imperial Valley and have spread toward San Diego and into Palm Springs. However, their spread has been much slower than originally expected. What has slowed them? The best guess is Varroa jacobsoni, an exotic ectoparasite of honey bees recently introduced into North America. The effects of varroa on Africanized honey bees may be both a blessing and a curse; the latter is especially true if Africanized bees become resistant to varroa and commercial honey bees do not.

References

Guzmán-Novoa E., Page RE. The impact of africanized bees on Mexican beekeeping. Am Bee J. 1994a. 134:101-6.

Guzmán-Novoa E, Page RE. Morphometric techniques do not detect intermediate and low levels of africanization in honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies. Ann Entomol Soc Am. 1994b. 87:507-15.

Guzmán-Novoa E, Sanchez A, Page RE, Garcia T. Susceptibility of European and Africanized honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) and their hybrids to Varroa jacobsoni. Oud. Apidologie. 1996. 27:93-103. https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:19960204

Hall HG, Muralidharan K. Evidence from mitochondrial DNA that African honey bees spread as continuous maternal lineages. Nature. 1989. 339:211-13. https://doi.org/10.1038/339211a0 PubMed PMID: 2566122

Hall HG, Smith DR. Distinguishing African and European honeybee matrilines using amplified mitochondrial DNA. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA. 1991. 88:4548-52. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.88.10.4548 PubMed PMID: 1674608

Kraus B, Page RE. Effect of Varroa jacobsoni (Mesostigmata: Varroadae) on feral Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in California. Environ Entomol. 1995a. 24:1473-80.

Kraus B, Page RE. Population growth of Varroa jacobsoni Oud in Mediterranean climates of California. Apidologie. 1995b. 26:149-57. https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:19950208

Moretto G, Gonçalves LS, De Jong D, Bichuette MZ. The effects of climate and bee race on Varroa jacobsoni Oud infestations in Brazil. Apidologie. 1991. 22:197-203. https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:19910303

Moretto G, Gonçalves LS, De Jong D. Heritability of Africanized and European honeybee defensive behavior against the mite Varroa jacobsoni. Braz J Genet. 1993. 16:71-7.

Page RE. How Africanized bees will affect California agriculture. Cal Ag. 1992. 46:18-19.

Rinderer TE, Buco SM, Rubink WL, Daly HV, Stelzer JA, Riggio RM, Baptista FC. Morphometric identification of Africanized and European honey bees using large reference populations. Apidologie. 1993. 24:569-85. https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:19930605

Smith DR, Taylor OR, Brown WM. Neotropical Africanized honey bees have African mitochondrial DNA. Nature. 1989. 339:213-15. https://doi.org/10.1038/339213a0 PubMed PMID: 2566123

Also in this issue:

Response of soils to sodic and saline conditions

New facilities to foster solutions for exotic pests

Lizards slay Lyme disease spirochetes

Center for Exotic Pest Research tackles controversy

Introduction: Exotic pests

Silverleaf whitefly extends range

Scientists see spike in Africanized bee numbers

Invasion biology: Rethinking our response to alien species

IPM helps control elm leaf beetle

Invisible invaders: Insect-transmitted viruses threaten agriculture

Persistent silverleaf whitefly exploits desert crop systems

Ravenous Formosan subterranean termites persist in California

Cracks affect infiltration of furrow crop irrigation

A better tick-control trap: Modified bait tube controls disease-carrying ticks and fleas