Behavioral modulation of the coexistence between Apis melifera and Varroa destructor: A defense against colony colapse disorder?

TL;DR

This paper presents a mathematical model to analyze how behavioral resistance in honey bees influences their ability to coexist with Varroa destructor mites and potentially prevent colony collapse disorder.

Contribution

It introduces a novel mathematical framework to study the impact of bee resistance behaviors on colony health and mite coexistence.

Findings

Behavioral resistance can reduce mite infestation levels.

Differences in resistance behaviors may explain regional variations in colony collapse.

Mathematical modeling highlights the importance of grooming and hygienic behaviors.

Abstract

Colony Collapse Disorder has become a global problem for beekeepers and for the crops which depend on bee polination. Multiple factors are known to increase the risk of colony colapse, and the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor that parasitizes honey bees is among the main threats to colony health. Although this mite is unlikely to, by itself, cause the collapse of hives, it plays an important role as it is a vector for many viral diseases. Such diseases are among the likely causes for Colony Collapse Disorder. The effects of V. destructor infestation are disparate in different parts of the world. Greater morbidity - in the form of colony losses - has been reported in colonies of European honey bees (EHB) in Europe, Asia and North America. However, this mite has been present in Brasil for many years and yet there are no reports of Africanized honey bee (AHB) colonies losses. Studies carried out in Mexico showed that some resistance behaviors to the mite - especially grooming and hygienic behavior - appear to be different in each subspecies. Could those difference in behaviors explain why the AHB are less susceptible to Colony Collapse Disorder? In order to answer this question, we propose a mathematical model of the coexistence dynamics of these two species, the bee and the mite, to analyze the role of resistance behaviors in the overall health of the colony, and, as a consequence, its ability to face epidemiological challenges.