Strategies for Enhancing Honey Bee Health

TOPICAL COLLECTIONS

Guest Editor

Zachary Lamas

ORISE

Dr. Zachary Lamas is a NIFA postdoctoral fellow at ORISE, where he researches the effects of pathogens and pesticides on honey bee health (Apis mellifera). His primary focus is Varroa destructor, a parasite that significantly impacts honey bees. Varroa is an effective vector for honey bee viruses and has altered the global virome of these insects. From a research perspective, Varroa is not only an economically important pest but also represents an evolutionary host switch and serves as a model organism for studying vector-borne diseases. Pesticides affect honey bee health through both toxic and sublethal exposures. The combined effects of biotic and abiotic stressors and their interactions on bee health necessitate ongoing research.

Collection Overview

Managed honey bee populations experience significant periods of decline, negatively affecting reliable crop production and the financial security of agricultural communities. The causes of these losses are both established and emerging. To address this issue, there is a need for advancements in honey bee research methods. This collection will focus on original research articles that feature updated or novel methodological developments. Priority will be given to strategies that enhance the study of emerging parasites and improve research regarding honey bee queens.

Topics of interest include:

Tropilaelaps: field collection techniques, specimen handling methods, bioassays, and DNA and RNA extraction protocols
Varroa destructor and associated viruses: bioassays, transmission studies, potential miticide delivery, and dispersal studies
Queen health: methods for advancing both in vivo and in vitro research, particularly regarding pesticide or pathogen delivery, as well as molecular studies related to royal jelly and the worker production of brood food

Overall, this collection will serve as a reference for new and updated methodologies addressing emerging issues that impact honey bee health and the current factors contributing to honey bee loss. Simple methods that enhance the scientific community's ability to address complex emerging pests will make up to 50% of the collection.