The influence of pollen on the susceptibility of honey-bee larvae to Bacillus larvae,☆☆

https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-2011(74)90100-1Get rights and content

Abstract

Pollen, water, or nothing was added to the food of worker honey-bee, Apis mellifera, larvae aged 6–18 hr. Six hr later larvae from each of these three groups received, in their food, either Bacillus larvae spores in water, or water only. Pooled data from seven replicates of this procedure show that spore feeding preceded by pollen feeding resulted in a 71.17% mortality; spore feeding preceded by water feeding resulted in 94.84% mortality; and spore feeding preceded by nonexperimental feeding resulted in 92.75% mortality. Mortality in groups not receiving spores was below 11.00% in all cases. Chi-square analyses showed a highly significant reduction in mortality associated with pollen feeding.

References (8)

  • T.E. Rinderer et al.

    Resistance to American foulbrood in honey bees. X. Comparative mortality of queen, worker, and drone larvae

    J. Invertebr. Pathol

    (1969)
  • J.F. Bamrick

    Larval Resistance and Histopathogenesis in Two Genetically Different Lines of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.) Fed Spores of Bacillus larvae White

  • J.F. Bamrick et al.

    Resistance to American foulbrood in honey bees. IV. The relationship between larval age at inoculation and mortality in a resistant and a susceptible line

    J. Insect Pathol

    (1961)
  • M.H. Haydak

    The food of the drone larvae

    Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer

    (1957)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (50)

  • Influence of land use on chlorpyrifos and persistent organic pollutant levels in honey bees, bee bread and honey: Beehive exposure assessment

    2020, Science of the Total Environment
    Citation Excerpt :

    In this way, the municipal waste disposal could be a secondary source of PBDEs to the environment. Pollen is used by nurse bees to produce jelly to feed larvae, the queen, drones and older workers (Crailsheim et al., 1992; Crailsheim, 1992) and if the pollen is contaminated, these residues could affect almost all of member from the colony, since it is known that the pollen influences the physiological metabolism, immunity (Alaux et al., 2010), tolerance to virus and pathogens (Rinderer et al., 1974) and reducing the sensitivity to pesticides (Wahl and Ulm, 1983). Several biological and physicochemical processes occur when contaminant residues enter the hive (Tremolada et al., 2004).

  • Physiological and Molecular Mechanisms of Nutrition in Honey Bees

    2015, Advances in Insect Physiology
    Citation Excerpt :

    The health and disease resistance in larval development is highly related to nutrition as well. A diversity of pollens in the diet can strengthen the resistance of larvae to disease (Foley et al., 2012; Rinderer et al., 1974). Several studies showed the importance of different pollen as a nutritional source in brood rearing (DeGrandi-Hoffman et al., 2008; Keller et al., 2005; Loper and Berdel, 1980; Mattila and Otis, 2007).

  • Risk factors associated with the presence of Varroa destructor in honey bee colonies from east-central Argentina

    2014, Preventive Veterinary Medicine
    Citation Excerpt :

    This is probably because, as reported here, feeding with natural pollen increases colony size and dilutes mite population since this variable is measured as number of mites per bee. Appropriate amount and quality of pollen are helpful against diverse pathogens (Rinderer and Rothenbuhler, 1974; Rinderer and Elliott, 1977; De Grandi Hoffman et al., 2010). Moreover, lower protein storage capacity in V. destructor-infested bees may explain the severe impact of the mite on honey bees in temperate zones (Amdam et al., 2004).

View all citing articles on Scopus

Approved for publication as Journal Article No. 13–74 of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, Ohio.

☆☆

Ottawa Research Contribution No. 362.

View full text