Risk factors associated with honey bee colony loss in apiaries in Galicia, NW Spain

  1. Aranzazu Meana 1
  2. Miguel Llorens-Picher 1
  3. Amaia Euba 1
  4. José L. Bernal 2
  5. María García-Chao 3
  6. Tierry Dagnac 3
  7. Jose A. Castro-Hermida 3
  8. Amelia V. Gonzalez-Porto 4
  9. Mariano Higes 4
  10. Raquel Martín-Hernández 5
  11. Bernal, J. 2
  1. 1 Universidad Complutense de Madrid, España
  2. 2 Universidad de Valladolid, España
  3. 3 Consejería de Medio Rural de la Xunta de Galicia, CIAM, España
  4. 4 Consejería de Agricultura de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Centro Apícola/Centro Agrario de Marchamalo, España
  5. 5 Fundación Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Albacete, INCRECYT, España
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Revue:
Spanish journal of agricultural research

ISSN: 1695-971X,  2171-9292

Année de publication: 2017

Volumen: 15

Número: 1

Type: Article

DOI: 10.5424/SJAR/2017151-9652 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openDialnet editor

D'autres publications dans: Spanish journal of agricultural research

Objectifs de Développement Durable

Résumé

A cross-sectional study was carried out in Galicia, NW Spain, in order to estimate the magnitude of honey bee colony losses and to identify potential risk factors involved. A total of 99 samples from 99 apiaries were collected in spring using simple random sampling. According to international guidelines, the apiaries were classified as affected by colony loss or asymptomatic. Each sample consisted of worker bees, brood and comb-stored pollen. All worker bees and brood samples were analysed individually in order to detect the main honey bee pathogens. Moreover, the presence of residues of the most prevalent agrotoxic insecticides and acaricides was assessed in comb-stored pollen. The general characteristics of the apiaries and sanitary information regarding previous years was evaluated through questionnaires, while the vegetation surrounding the apiaries sampled was assessed by palynological analysis of comb-stored pollen. The colony loss prevalence was 53.5% (CI95%=43.2-63.9) and Nosema ceranae was found to be the only risk factor strongly associated with colony loss. The decision tree also pointed out the impact of the Varroa mite presence while variables such as apiary size, the incorrect application of Varroa mite treatments, and the presence of Acarapis woodi and Kashmir bee virus (KBV) were identified as possible co-factors.

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Authors thank Gilles Budge, Neil Boonham and Katherine Perkins (Institute for Agri-Food Research and Innovation, FERA) for viruses assay and Jes?s Moreno (Junta de Galicia) for all his support in the analysis of data and study design.

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