2026-06-01T02:36:12Zhttps://docta.ucm.es/rest/oai/request

oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/1262482025-11-20T01:08:38Zcom_20.500.14352_14col_20.500.14352_15

The Effect of Migratory Beekeeping on the Infestation Rate of Parasites in Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Colonies and on Their Genetic Variability Jara, Laura Ruiz, Carlos Martín Hernández, Raquel Muñoz Gabaldón, Irene Higes, Mariano Serrano, José De la Rúa, Pilar 595.799 579.62 638.1 576.89 591.15 Managed colonies Parasitic infestation rate Varroa destructor Nosema spp. Deformed wing virus Genetic diversity Zoología Insectos Microbiología (Veterinaria) 2401 Biología Animal (Zoología) 2413 Biología de Insectos (Entomología) 3104.01 Apicultura 3109.05 Microbiología 2401.12 Parasitología Animal 2401.08 Genética Animal This research was supported by National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA) and FEDER funds (grant numbers: RTA2013-00042-C10-05 and 06) and the Seneca Foundation (Science and Technology Agency of the Murcia Region, grant number 19908/GERM/2015). Irene Muñoz was supported by Saavedra Fajardo fellowship from the Seneca Foundation (20036/SF/16) and a MINECO Spanish postdoctoral grant “Juan de la Cierva-Incorporación” (JCI2018-036614-I). Migratory beekeeping is a widely extended practice aimed at increasing the yield of products and pollination services of honey bee colonies. However, it represents a stress factor, as it facilitates the dissemination of diseases and may compromise the genetic identity of the colonies involved. To analyze the extent of these effects, pathogens infestation rate and genetic composition were monitored in a field experiment comparing stationary and migratory colonies sharing the same environmental conditions but differing in management (stationary vs. migratory) and genetic background. We studied the pathogens infestation rate (Varroa destructor, Nosema spp., and Deformed Wing Virus (DWV)) at four different times: before migratory operation, two weeks later, at the end of the migratory period, and two weeks after the return of the migratory hives. An increased incidence of V. destructor and Nosema ceranae and a lower DWV viral load were found in migratory colonies. Temporary changes in genetic diversity were detected regardless of colony type, suggesting that stressors other than management affect the genetic diversity of the colonies. Our study demonstrates that migratory practices have variable effects on the health and genetic diversity of honey bee colonies, which should be taken into account for the development of sustainable beekeeping. Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (España) European Commission Fundación Séneca Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España) Depto. de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución Fac. de Ciencias Biológicas TRUE pub 2025-11-19T13:52:36Z 2025-11-19T13:52:36Z 2020-12-23 journal article VoR https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/126248 2076-2607 10.3390/microorganisms9010022 eng info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/INIA/EC//RTA2013-00042-C10-05/Conservación de la Diversidad Genética Como Herramienta para Prevenir el Impacto de Patógenos y Parásitos en la Abeja Apis Mellifer info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/INIA/EC//RTA2013-00042-C10-06/Evaluación Holística de factores de riesgo en abejas melíferas y polinizadores silvestres info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/Fundación Séneca//19908%2FGERM%2F2015 Jara, L., Ruiz, C., Martín-Hernández, R., Muñoz, I., Higes, M., Serrano, J., & De la Rúa, P. (2021). The effect of migratory beekeeping on the infestation rate of parasites in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies and on their genetic variability. Microorganisms, 9(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.3390/MICROORGANISMS9010022 Attribution 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ open access application/pdf MDPI