New Research Links Honey Bee Swarms to the Spread of an Invasive Mite
Entomology Today • • science
Key Points:
- The ectoparasitic mite Tropilaelaps mercedesae, native to parts of Asia, has recently spread into Eastern Europe, posing a new threat to the global beekeeping industry, particularly affecting western honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies.
- Researchers studying mite dispersal in temperate conditions in Georgia found that swarming bees can transmit mites to new colonies, where the mites are capable of reproducing, highlighting swarming as a key transmission route.
- The study also showed that mites can spread through drifting behavior, where foraging bees enter the wrong colony, although mites on foragers did not reproduce and died within days, challenging previous assumptions about mite survival outside brood.
- These findings raise concerns about the commercial bee trade's
