Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758
(Honey Bee, Hive Bee, Drone-bee)

Interactions where Apis mellifera is the dominant partner and gains from the process

The following relationships have been collated from the published literature (see 'Interaction References').

Stage Summary Taxon Vernacular Classification References Darwin Classification of Active Taxon Active Taxon Active Vernacular Active Taxon Uncertain Active State Active Part Active Stage Relationship Relationship Uncertain Relationship Geography Darwin Classification of Passive Taxon Passive Taxon Passive Vernacular Passive Taxon Uncertain Passive State Passive Part Passive Stage Passive Taxon's significance to Active Taxon Indoors etc Season
worker worker pollinates or fertilises flower Epipactis palustris Marsh Helleborine Asparagales: Orchidaceae Flora of the British Isles, Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M., 1985
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beeworker Plant / pollinated /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Asparagales/Orchidaceae/Epipactis palustris/Epipactis palustrismarsh helleborineflower

Interactions where Apis mellifera is the victim or passive partner (and generally loses out from the process)

The following relationships have been collated from the published literature (see 'Interaction References').

Filters:

Affected Part Summary Taxon Vernacular Classification References Darwin Classification of Active Taxon Active Taxon Active Vernacular Active Taxon Uncertain Active State Active Part Active Stage Relationship Relationship Uncertain Relationship Geography Darwin Classification of Passive Taxon Passive Taxon Passive Vernacular Passive Taxon Uncertain Passive State Passive Part Passive Stage Passive Taxon's significance to Active Taxon Indoors etc Season Summary
adult has blood sucked by UK/Ireland Varroa destructor Varroa Mite, Varroasis (Of Honey Bees) - causative organism Mesostigmata: Varroidae Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
The Hymenopterist’s Handbook, Betts, C. (ed.), 1986
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Arachnida/Mesostigmata/Varroidae/Varroa destructor/Varroa destructorvarroa mite, varroasis (of honey bees) - causative organism Animal / parasite / ectoparasite / blood suckerUK and/or Eire /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beeadult sucks the blood of adult
larva has blood sucked by UK/Ireland Varroa destructor Varroa Mite, Varroasis (Of Honey Bees) - causative organism Mesostigmata: Varroidae Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
The Hymenopterist’s Handbook, Betts, C. (ed.), 1986
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Arachnida/Mesostigmata/Varroidae/Varroa destructor/Varroa destructorvarroa mite, varroasis (of honey bees) - causative organism Animal / parasite / ectoparasite / blood suckerUK and/or Eire /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beelarva sucks the blood of larva
larva has blood sucked by Varroa destructor Varroa Mite, Varroasis (Of Honey Bees) - causative organism Mesostigmata: Varroidae Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Arachnida/Mesostigmata/Varroidae/Varroa destructor/Varroa destructorvarroa mite, varroasis (of honey bees) - causative organism Animal / parasite / ectoparasite / blood sucker /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beelarva sucks the blood of larva
adult has blood sucked by Varroa destructor Varroa Mite, Varroasis (Of Honey Bees) - causative organism Mesostigmata: Varroidae Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Arachnida/Mesostigmata/Varroidae/Varroa destructor/Varroa destructorvarroa mite, varroasis (of honey bees) - causative organism Animal / parasite / ectoparasite / blood sucker /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beeadult sucks the blood of adult
pupa has blood sucked by Varroa destructor Varroa Mite, Varroasis (Of Honey Bees) - causative organism Mesostigmata: Varroidae Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Arachnida/Mesostigmata/Varroidae/Varroa destructor/Varroa destructorvarroa mite, varroasis (of honey bees) - causative organism Animal / parasite / ectoparasite / blood sucker /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beepupa sucks the blood of pupa
pupa has blood sucked by UK/Ireland Varroa destructor Varroa Mite, Varroasis (Of Honey Bees) - causative organism Mesostigmata: Varroidae Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Arachnida/Mesostigmata/Varroidae/Varroa destructor/Varroa destructorvarroa mite, varroasis (of honey bees) - causative organism Animal / parasite / ectoparasite / blood suckerUK and/or Eire /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beepupa sucks the blood of pupa
is taken to the nest of female UK/IrelandRestricted Philanthus triangulum Bee Wolf Hymenoptera: Crabronidae Forage, prey and host-parasite relationships of aculeates, Macdonald, M.A., 2007
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Crabronidae/Philanthus triangulum/Philanthus triangulumbee wolffemale Animal / predator / stocks nest withUK and/or Eire /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beeSole female stocks nest with
may be infected by Chronic Paralysis virus CPV Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
/Chronic Paralysis virus/Chronic Paralysis virusCPV Animal / pathogen /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-bee infects
may be infected by Cloudy Wing virus CWV Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
/Cloudy Wing virus/Cloudy Wing virusCWV Animal / pathogen /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-bee infects
pupa may be infected by Deformed Wing virus Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
/Deformed Wing virus/Deformed Wing virusDeformed Wing virus (DWV) Animal / pathogen /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beepupa infects pupa
may be infected by Acute Bee Paralysis virus (ABPV or APV) Dicistroviridae Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
/Dicistroviridae/Acute Bee Paralysis virus (ABPV or APV)/Acute Bee Paralysis virus (ABPV or APV) Animal / pathogen /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-bee infects
may be infected by Israel Acute Paralysis virus (IAPV) Dicistroviridae Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
/Dicistroviridae/Israel Acute Paralysis virus (IAPV)/Israel Acute Paralysis virus (IAPV) Animal / pathogen /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-bee infects
may be infected by Kashmir Bee virus (KBV) Dicistroviridae Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
/Dicistroviridae/Kashmir Bee virus (KBV)/Kashmir Bee virus (KBV) Animal / pathogen /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-bee infects
(dead, black, upright) dead, black, upright larva (capped) may be infected by UK/Ireland Morator aetatulas Sacbroood Virus (SBV) Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
Bee Pests and Diseases, FERA
/Morator aetatulas/Morator aetatulasSacbroood virus (SBV) Animal / pathogenUK and/or Eire /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beedead, black, uprightlarva (capped) infects dead, black, upright larva (capped)
(dead, black) dead, black larva (queen) may be infected by Black Queen Cell virus (BQCV) Dicistroviridae Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
/Dicistroviridae/Black Queen Cell virus (BQCV)/Black Queen Cell virus (BQCV) Animal / pathogen /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beedead, blacklarva (queen) infects dead, black larva (queen)
(dead, mummified, black, hard) dead, mummified, black, hard brood may be infected by Aspergillus flavus Stonebrood Disease (A causative organism) Eurotiales: Trichocomaceae Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
/Fungi/Ascomycota/Eurotiomycetes/Eurotiales/Trichocomaceae/Aspergillus flavus/Aspergillus flavusstonebrood disease (a causative organism) Animal / pathogen /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beedead, mummified, black, hardbrood infects dead, mummified, black, hard brood
(dead, mummified, black, hard) dead, mummified, black, hard brood may be infected by Aspergillus dematiaceous anamorph Aspergillus neoflavipes Stonebrood Disease (A causative organism), Aspergillosis Eurotiales: Trichocomaceae Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
/Fungi/Ascomycota/Eurotiomycetes/Eurotiales/Trichocomaceae/Aspergillus neoflavipes/Aspergillus neoflavipesstonebrood disease (a causative organism), aspergillosisAspergillus dematiaceous anamorph Animal / pathogen /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beedead, mummified, black, hardbrood Aspergillus dematiaceous anamorph infects dead, mummified, black, hard brood
(dead, mummified, black, hard) dead, mummified, black, hard brood may be infected by Aspergillus niger Black Mould Of Onions, Garlic and Shallots - causative organism Eurotiales: Trichocomaceae Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
/Fungi/Ascomycota/Eurotiomycetes/Eurotiales/Trichocomaceae/Aspergillus niger/Aspergillus nigerblack mould of onions, garlic and shallots (causative organism) Animal / pathogen /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beedead, mummified, black, hardbrood infects dead, mummified, black, hard brood
(dead, white, "chalky") dead, white, "chalky" larva may be infected by UK/Ireland Ascosphaera apis Chalkbrood (Of Honey Bees) - causative organism Ascosphaerales: Ascosphaeraceae Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
Bee Pests and Diseases, FERA
/Fungi/Ascomycota/Eurotiomycetes/Ascosphaerales/Ascosphaeraceae/Ascosphaera apis/Ascosphaera apischalkbrood (of honey bees) - causative organism Animal / pathogenUK and/or Eire /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beedead, white, "chalky"larva infects dead, white, "chalky" larva
(grey then black) grey then black larva may be infected by UK/Ireland Morator aetatulas Sacbroood Virus (SBV) Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
Bee Pests and Diseases, FERA
/Morator aetatulas/Morator aetatulasSacbroood virus (SBV) Animal / pathogenUK and/or Eire /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beegrey then blacklarva infects grey then black larva
abdomen (deformed) deformed abdomen of adult may be infected by Deformed Wing virus Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
/Deformed Wing virus/Deformed Wing virusDeformed Wing virus (DWV) Animal / pathogen /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beedeformedabdomenadult infects deformed abdomen of adult
comb comb is kleptoparasitised by Foreign Aethina tumida (Small Hive Beetle) Coleoptera: Nitidulidae Bee Pests and Diseases, FERA
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Nitidulidae/Aethina tumida/Aethina tumida(Small Hive Beetle) Animal / kleptoparasiteForeign /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beecomb kleptoparasitises comb
gut gut of larva (up to 3 days old) may be infected by UK/Ireland Paenibacillus larvae ssp larvae American Foul Brood (Of Honey Bees) - AFB - causative organism Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
Bee Pests and Diseases, FERA
The Hymenopterist’s Handbook, Betts, C. (ed.), 1986
/Paenibacillus larvae ssp. larvae/Paenibacillus larvae ssp. larvaeamerican foul brood (of honey bees) - AFB - causative organism Animal / pathogenUK and/or Eire /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beegutlarva (up to 3 days old) infects gut of larva (up to 3 days old)
gut gut of larva may be infected by UK/Ireland Ascosphaera apis Chalkbrood (Of Honey Bees) - causative organism Ascosphaerales: Ascosphaeraceae Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
Bee Pests and Diseases, FERA
/Fungi/Ascomycota/Eurotiomycetes/Ascosphaerales/Ascosphaeraceae/Ascosphaera apis/Ascosphaera apischalkbrood (of honey bees) - causative organism Animal / pathogenUK and/or Eire /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beegutlarva infects gut of larva
gut gut of adult may be infected by rice-like spore UK/Ireland Nosema apis Nosema Disease (Of Honey Bees) causative organism Microsporida: Nosematidae Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
Bee Pests and Diseases, FERA
The Hymenopterist’s Handbook, Betts, C. (ed.), 1986
/Fungi/Microsporidia/Microsporea/Microsporida/Nosematidae/Nosema apis/Nosema apisNosema disease (of honey bees) causative organismrice-likespore Animal / pathogenUK and/or Eire /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beegutadult rice-like spore infects gut of adult
gut gut of adult may be infected by ForeignMinor Nosema ceranae Microsporida: Nosematidae Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
Bee Pests and Diseases, FERA
/Fungi/Microsporidia/Microsporea/Microsporida/Nosematidae/Nosema ceranae/Nosema ceranae Animal / pathogenForeign /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beegutadultMinor infects gut of adult
gut gut of adult may be infected by globose spore UK/Ireland Malpighamoeba mellificae Amoeba Disease (Of Honey Bees) - causative organism Bee Pests and Diseases, FERA
The Hymenopterist’s Handbook, Betts, C. (ed.), 1986
/Protozoa/Malpighamoeba mellificae/Malpighamoeba mellificaeamoeba disease (of honey bees) - causative organismglobosespore Animal / pathogenUK and/or Eire /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beegutadult globose spore infects gut of adult
honey (stored) honey (stored) is kleptoparasitised by Foreign Aethina tumida (Small Hive Beetle) Coleoptera: Nitidulidae Bee Pests and Diseases, FERA
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Nitidulidae/Aethina tumida/Aethina tumida(Small Hive Beetle) Animal / kleptoparasiteForeign /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beehoney (stored) kleptoparasitises honey (stored)
mid-gut mid-gut of larva is endoparasitised by UK/Ireland Melissococcus plutonius European Foul Brood (Of Honey Bees) - EFB - causative organism Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
Bee Pests and Diseases, FERA
The Hymenopterist’s Handbook, Betts, C. (ed.), 1986
/Melissococcus plutonius/Melissococcus plutoniuseuropean foul brood (of honey bees) - EFB - causative organism Animal / parasite / endoparasiteUK and/or Eire /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beemid-gutlarva endoparasitises mid-gut of larva
mushroom body mushroom body of adult (gaurd bee) may be infected by Kakugo virus Kakugo Virus Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
/Kakugo virus/Kakugo virusKakugo virus Animal / pathogen /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beemushroom bodyadult (gaurd bee) infects mushroom body of adult (gaurd bee)
nest nest has guest UK/Ireland Braula coeca Bee Louse, Bee-louse Diptera: Braulidae The Hymenopterist’s Handbook, Betts, C. (ed.), 1986
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Diptera/Braulidae/Braula coeca/Braula coecabee louse, bee-louse Animal / guestUK and/or Eire /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beenest is a guest in nest
nest nest has guest Dufouriellus ater a flower bug Hemiptera: Anthocoridae Land and Water Bugs of the British Isles, Southwood, T.R.E. & Leston, D., 1959
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hemiptera/Anthocoridae/Dufouriellus ater/Dufouriellus atera flower bug Animal / guest /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beenest is a guest in nest
pollen pollen is kleptoparasitised by Foreign Aethina tumida (Small Hive Beetle) Coleoptera: Nitidulidae Bee Pests and Diseases, FERA
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Nitidulidae/Aethina tumida/Aethina tumida(Small Hive Beetle) Animal / kleptoparasiteForeign /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beepollen kleptoparasitises pollen
trachaea trachaea of adult is endoparasitised by UK/Ireland Acarapis woodi Isle Of Wight or Acarine Disease (Of Honey Bees) - causative organism Trombidiformes: Tarsonemidae Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
The Hymenopterist’s Handbook, Betts, C. (ed.), 1986
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Arachnida/Trombidiformes/Tarsonemidae/Acarapis woodi/Acarapis woodiIsle of Wight or acarine disease (of honey bees) - causative organism Animal / parasite / endoparasiteUK and/or Eire /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beetrachaeaadult endoparasitises trachaea of adult
wax wax is kleptoparasitised by larva UK/Ireland Achroia grisella Lesser Wax Moth Lepidoptera: Pyralidae Bee Pests and Diseases, FERA
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Lepidoptera/Pyralidae/Achroia grisella/Achroia grisellalesser wax mothlarva Animal / kleptoparasiteUK and/or Eire /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beewax larva kleptoparasitises wax
wax wax is kleptoparasitised by larva UK/Ireland Galleria mellonella Wax Moth Lepidoptera: Pyralidae Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
Bee Pests and Diseases, FERA
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Lepidoptera/Pyralidae/Galleria mellonella/Galleria mellonellawax mothlarva Animal / kleptoparasiteUK and/or Eire /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beewax larva kleptoparasitises wax
wing (stubby, useless) stubby, useless wing of adult may be infected by Deformed Wing virus Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) Diseases of the honey bee, Wikipedia
/Deformed Wing virus/Deformed Wing virusDeformed Wing virus (DWV) Animal / pathogen /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Apis mellifera/Apis melliferahoney bee, hive bee, drone-beestubby, uselesswingadult infects stubby, useless wing of adult

Author & YearTitleSource
WikipediaDiseases of the honey beeen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diseases_of_the_honey_bee
FERABee Pests and Diseasessecure.csl.gov.uk/beebase/public/BeeDiseases/indexDiseases.cfm
Betts, C. (ed.), 1986The Hymenopterist’s HandbookVol 7., Second edition, 208pp, Amateur Entomologists’ Society
Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M., 1985Flora of the British Isles3 edition, 688pp, Cambridge University Press
Macdonald, M.A., 2007Forage, prey and host-parasite relationships of aculeates
Southwood, T.R.E. & Leston, D., 1959Land and Water Bugs of the British IslesWayside & Woodland Series, 1959 edition, 436pp, Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd.

Apis mellifera (Honey Bee, Hive Bee, Drone-bee) may also be included in 'feeds on' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Apis mellifera (Honey Bee, Hive Bee, Drone-bee) may also be included in 'fed on by' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesApis mellifera (Honey Bee, Hive Bee, Drone-bee)
FamilyAPIDAE (bees)
SuperfamilyAPOIDEA (solitary and hive bees)
InfraorderAculeata (aculeates: bees, wasps and ants)
SuborderAPOCRITA (bees, wasps, ants and parasitoids)
OrderHYMENOPTERA (ants, bees and wasps, sawflies and parasitoid wasps)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Apis mellifera (Honey Bee, Hive Bee, Drone-bee)

Apis mellifera (Honey Bee, Hive Bee, Drone-bee) may be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

General Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
FERA Bee Pests and Diseases secure.csl.gov.uk/beebase/public/BeeDiseases/indexDiseases.cfm
Koch, L., Lunau, K. & Wester, P. 2017 To be on the safe site - Ungroomed spots on the bee’s body and their importance for pollination PLOS One.
Koch, L., Lunau, K. & Wester, P. 2017 To be on the safe site - Ungroomed spots on the bee’s body and their importance for pollination PLOS One Vol 12 (9): 1-16.
Shaw, D.E. & Robertson, D.F. 1980 Collection of Neurospora by Honeybees TBMS Vol 74 (3): 459-464.
Shaw, D.E. 1998 Species of Neurospora recorded in Australia, and the Collection of Neurospora Conidia by Honey Bees in lieu of Pollen Mycologist Vol 12 (4): 154-158.
Shaw, D.E. 1993 Honeybees collecting Neurospora spores from steamed Pinus logs in Queensland Mycologist Vol 07 (4).
Vaknin, Y., Gan-Mor, S., Bechar, A., Ronen, B. & Eisokowitch, D. 2000 The role of electrostatic forces in pollination Plant Systematics and Evolution 222 (1-4): 133-142.
Wikipedia Diseases of the honey bee en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diseases_of_the_honey_bee
Wingfield, M.J., van Wyck, P.S. & Viviers, M. 1989 Rust-spores, bees and pollen Mycologist Vol 03 (1): 31-32.

Ccd

CCD Working Group 2006 Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) .

Microscopy

Marson, J.E. 1983 Practical Microscopy Northern Biological Supplies

Pathology

Klimov, P.B., O’Connor, B., Ochoa, R., Bauchan, G., Redford, A. & Scher, J. 2016 Bee Mite ID: Bee-Associated Mite Genera of the World idtools.org/id/mites/beemites

Literature listed under the following higher taxa may also be relevant to Apis mellifera (Honey Bee, Hive Bee, Drone-bee):

BioImagesBioImages (www.bioimages.org.uk) has 28 images of Apis mellifera (Honey Bee, Hive Bee, Drone-bee)

In recent years, massive and unsustainable losses of Honey Bee hives ("Colony Collapse Disorder" or CCD) have been widely reported by bee keepers in many parts of the world, especially America, but also Britain and Europe. The bees seem to just leave the hive and never return. The complete collapse of the Honey Bee industry within a few years has been widely predicted in the media with major knock-on affects for world agriculture.

Although we tend to think of the bee hives in terms of honey production, this is now an almost insignificant part of the business worldwide. The major part is pollenation services to commercial growers, especially in America. Numerous truckloads of hives of bees are trucked around America to pollenate their vast monoculture orchards; hundreds of hives are required for each farm. This has lead to predictions of massive crop failures in future years.

Causes of CCD: there have been many theories advanced to explain CD - many by special interest groups with an axe to grind. Few of the theories stand up to scrutiny.

1. Mobile phone signals. Hives are doing better in cities than in the countryside - the opposite of what would be expected if mobile phone masts were implicated. The idea that radio signals interfere with bee navigation is a false analogy - bees don’t use radio for navigation - and the fact that they die away from the hive, although suggesting a break-down in navigation ability, could equally well be explained by the known behaviour of sick bees deserting their hive.
2. Intensive management of hives. Shipping truckloads of hives for thousands of miles is mainly an American phenomenon and has been going on for many years. If this was causing the problem it would be restricted to hives managed in such a way and would have shown up years ago.
3. Loss of wildflowers from the countryside. This is undoubtedly one of the major causes of falls in pollenator populations generally, especially of wild bees, and has consequently increased the reliance on Honey Bees for crop pollenation. However America has far larger monocultures and flowerless agri-deserts then Britain and CCD has only reached them recently, so this isn’t the cause (although loss of wildflowers is a major factor in the need for America’s pollenation services industry - no doubt they just see it as a "business opportunity"!)
4. Climate change. Climate change is said to be leading to warmer winters and wetter summers in the UK. Undoubtedly this will affect wildlife, flowers and bees, but in the long term - current changes are much less than the year-to-year variation that we’re so used to. Nevertheless, we now have far fewer frosts in southern England and some species have become more widespread in recent years. This could also happen to bee parasites. However, Climate Change effectively gives each area the climate it would previously have had if it had been a few hundred miles further south. Bees thrive over a wide range of latitudes so it’s hard to see how subjecting them to a more southerly climate would have such catastrophic consequences.
5. Subtle effects of some new pesticide. This is a plausible hypothesis, given that new products are introduced more or less concurrently worldwide but would need a lot more research to substantiate.
6. Anti-Verroa chemicals. Both the Verroa mite and CCD have arrived on the scene fairly recently, and Australia is so far free of both, suggesting a causal connection. Various chemicals have been used to control the spread of Verroa, but, like many mites, it is very resistant to attempts to control it and continues to spread. It’s possible that one of these chemicals has a subtle effect on the insects which later leads to colony collapse, but surely it would have been identified by now if it was so simple.
7. Virus load transmitted by Verroa mites. This is the most likely cause of the problem, but the evidence is mostly circumstantial. Unfortunately the victims die far away from the hive and are never found so can’t be analysed. Virus detection and identification is a highly technical field, and well beyond even the most scientifically-minded amateur beekeeper. Further work needs serious research money. Fortunately bee decline is finally attracting proper funding so we might see some answers.

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