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ARS Home Northeast Area Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) Beltsville Agricultural Research Center Bee Research Laboratory Research Publications at this Location





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Title:   Author  item
                                            VANENGELSDORP, DENNIS - Pennsylvania Department Of Agricultureitem
                                            Evans, Jayitem
                                            SAEGERMAN, CLAUDE - University Of Liegeitem
                                            MULLEN, CHRISTOPHER - Pennsylvania State Universityitem
                                            HAUBRUGE, ERIC - Gembloux Agricultural Universityitem
                                            NYGUYEN, KIM - Gembloux Agricultural Universityitem
                                            FRAZIER, MARYANN - Pennsylvania State Universityitem
                                            FRAZIER, JAMES - Pennsylvania State Universityitem
                                            COX-FOSTER, DIANA - Pennsylvania State Universityitem
                                            Chen, Yanping

                                                         - *Judy*item
                                            UNDERWOOD, ROBYN - Pennsylvania State Universityitem
                                            TARPY, DAVID - North Carolina State Universityitem
                                            Pettis, Jeffery
  Submitted to: PLOS ONE
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 6/29/2009
                                    Publication  Date: 8/3/2009
                                    Citation: Vanengelsdorp, D., Evans, J.D., Saegerman, C., Mullen, C., Haubruge, E., Nyguyen, K., Frazier, M., Frazier, J., Cox-Foster, D., Chen, Y., Underwood, R., Tarpy, D., Pettis, J.S. 2009. Colony Collapse Disorder:  A descriptive study. PLoS One. 4(8):e6481.Interpretive Summary: Over the last two winters, there have been large-scale, unexplained losses of managed honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies in the United States. In the absence of a known cause, this syndrome was named Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) because the main trait was a rapid loss of adult worker bees. We initiated a descriptive epizootiological study in order to better characterize CCD and compare risk factor exposure between populations afflicted by and not afflicted by CCD.  Of 61 quantified variables (including adult bee physiology, pathogen loads, and pesticide levels), no single measure emerged as a most-likely cause of CCD. Bees in CCD colonies had higher pathogen loads and were co-infected with a greater number of pathogens than control populations, suggesting either an increased exposure to pathogens or a reduced resistance of bees toward pathogens. 
This is the first comprehensive survey of CCD-affected bee populations that suggests CCD involves an interaction between pathogens and other stress factors. We present evidence that this condition is contagious or the result of exposure to a common risk factor.  This information will help guide future hypothesis-driven research that continues to explore bee losses.
                                Technical Abstract: Over the last two winters, there have been large-scale, unexplained losses of managed honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies in the United States. In the absence of a known cause, this syndrome was named Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) because the main trait was a rapid loss of adult worker bees. We initiated a descriptive epizootiological study in order to better characterize CCD and compare risk factor exposure between populations afflicted by and not afflicted by CCD.  Of 61 quantified variables (including adult bee physiology, pathogen loads, and pesticide levels), no single measure emerged as a most-likely cause of CCD. Bees in CCD colonies had higher pathogen loads and were co-infected with a greater number of pathogens than control populations, suggesting either an increased exposure to pathogens or a reduced resistance of bees toward pathogens. Levels of the synthetic acaricide coumaphos (used by beekeepers to control the parasitic mite Varroa destructor) were higher in control colonies than CCD-affected colonies. This is the first comprehensive survey of CCD-affected bee populations that suggests CCD involves an interaction between pathogens and other stress factors. We present evidence that this condition is contagious or the result of exposure to a common risk factor. Potentially important areas for future hypothesis-driven research, including the possible legacy effect of mite parasitism and the role of honey bee resistance to pesticides, are highlighted.


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