@article{chapman_amiri_han_mcdermott_rueppell_tarpy_foster_mcafee_2022, title={Fertility costs of cryptic viral infections in a model social insect}, volume={12}, ISSN={["2045-2322"]}, DOI={10.1038/s41598-022-20330-4}, abstractNote={Abstract Declining insect populations emphasize the importance of understanding the drivers underlying reductions in insect fitness. Here, we investigated viruses as a threat to social insect reproduction, using honey bees as a model species. We report that in two independent surveys (N = 93 and N = 54, respectively) of honey bee ( Apis mellifera ) queens taken from a total of ten beekeeping operations across British Columbia, high levels of natural viral infection are associated with decreased ovary mass. Failed (poor quality) queens displayed higher levels of viral infection, reduced sperm viability, smaller ovaries, and altered ovary protein composition compared to healthy queens. We experimentally infected queens with Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) and found that the ovary masses of IAPV-injected queens were significantly smaller than control queens, demonstrating a causal relationship between viral infection and ovary size. Queens injected with IAPV also had significantly lower expression of vitellogenin, the main source of nutrition deposited into developing oocytes, and higher levels of heat-shock proteins, which are part of the honey bee’s antiviral response. This work together shows that viral infections occurring naturally in the field are compromising queen reproductive success.}, number={1}, journal={SCIENTIFIC REPORTS}, author={Chapman, Abigail and Amiri, Esmaeil and Han, Bin and McDermott, Erin and Rueppell, Olav and Tarpy, David R. and Foster, Leonard J. and McAfee, Alison}, year={2022}, month={Sep} }
 @article{mcafee_milone_metz_mcdermott_foster_tarpy_2021, title={Honey bee queen health is unaffected by contact exposure to pesticides commonly found in beeswax}, volume={11}, ISSN={["2045-2322"]}, DOI={10.1038/s41598-021-94554-1}, abstractNote={Abstract Honey bee queen health is crucial for colony health and productivity, and pesticides have been previously associated with queen loss and premature supersedure. Prior research has investigated the effects of indirect pesticide exposure on queens via workers, as well as direct effects on queens during development. However, as adults, queens are in constant contact with wax as they walk on comb and lay eggs; therefore, direct pesticide contact with adult queens is a relevant but seldom investigated exposure route. Here, we conducted laboratory and field experiments to investigate the impacts of topical pesticide exposure on adult queens. We tested six pesticides commonly found in wax: coumaphos, tau-fluvalinate, atrazine, 2,4-DMPF, chlorpyriphos, chlorothalonil, and a cocktail of all six, each administered at 1, 4, 8, 16, and 32 times the concentrations typically found in wax. We found no effect of any treatment on queen mass, sperm viability, or fat body protein expression. In a field trial testing queen topical exposure of a pesticide cocktail, we found no impact on egg-laying pattern, queen mass, emergence mass of daughter workers, and no proteins in the spermathecal fluid were differentially expressed. These experiments consistently show that pesticides commonly found in wax have no direct impact on queen performance, reproduction, or quality metrics at the doses tested. We suggest that previously reported associations between high levels of pesticide residues in wax and queen failure are most likely driven by indirect effects of worker exposure (either through wax or other hive products) on queen care or queen perception.}, number={1}, journal={SCIENTIFIC REPORTS}, author={McAfee, Alison and Milone, Joseph P. and Metz, Bradley and McDermott, Erin and Foster, Leonard J. and Tarpy, David R.}, year={2021}, month={Jul} }
 @article{kulhanek_steinhauer_wilkes_wilson_spivak_sagili_tarpy_mcdermott_garavito_rennich_et al._2021, title={Survey-derived best management practices for backyard beekeepers improve colony health and reduce mortality}, volume={16}, ISSN={["1932-6203"]}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0245490}, abstractNote={Honey bee colony losses in the US have exceeded acceptable levels for at least a decade, leaving beekeepers in need of management practices to improve colony health and survival. Here, an empirical Best Management Practice (BMP) regimen was tested, comprised of the top four management practices associated with reduced colony mortality in backyard beekeeping operations according to Bee Informed Partnership Loss and Management survey results. Seven study locations were established across the US, and each location consisted of ten colonies treated according to empirical BMPs and ten according to average beekeeping practice. After 3 years, colonies treated according to empirical BMPs experienced reduced Varroa infestation, viral infection, and mortality compared to colonies managed with Average practices. In addition, BMP colonies produced more new colonies via splits. The colonies under Average practices were given chemical Varroa treatments only once per year, and thus spent more months above economic threshold of 3.0 mites/100 bees. Increased time spent above the economic threshold was significantly correlated to both increased viral infection and colony mortality. This study demonstrates the cumulative effects of management and colony health stressors over months and years, especially the dire importance of regular Varroa monitoring and management.}, number={1}, journal={PLOS ONE}, author={Kulhanek, Kelly and Steinhauer, Nathalie and Wilkes, James and Wilson, Michaela and Spivak, Marla and Sagili, Ramesh R. and Tarpy, David R. and McDermott, Erin and Garavito, Andrew and Rennich, Karen and et al.}, year={2021}, month={Jan} }
 @article{lee_goblirsch_mcdermott_tarpy_spivak_2019, title={Is the Brood Pattern within a Honey Bee Colony a Reliable Indicator of Queen Quality?}, volume={10}, ISSN={["2075-4450"]}, url={http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/10/1/12}, DOI={10.3390/insects10010012}, abstractNote={Failure of the queen is often identified as a leading cause of honey bee colony mortality. However, the factors that can contribute to “queen failure” are poorly defined and often misunderstood. We studied one specific sign attributed to queen failure: poor brood pattern. In 2016 and 2017, we identified pairs of colonies with “good” and “poor” brood patterns in commercial beekeeping operations and used standard metrics to assess queen and colony health. We found no queen quality measures reliably associated with poor-brood colonies. In the second year (2017), we exchanged queens between colony pairs (n = 21): a queen from a poor-brood colony was introduced into a good-brood colony and vice versa. We observed that brood patterns of queens originally from poor-brood colonies significantly improved after placement into a good-brood colony after 21 days, suggesting factors other than the queen contributed to brood pattern. Our study challenges the notion that brood pattern alone is sufficient to judge queen quality. Our results emphasize the challenges in determining the root source for problems related to the queen when assessing honey bee colony health.}, number={1}, journal={INSECTS}, author={Lee, Kathleen V. and Goblirsch, Michael and McDermott, Erin and Tarpy, David R. and Spivak, Marla}, year={2019}, month={Jan} }
 @article{alburaki_steckel_chen_mcdermott_weiss_skinner_kelly_lorenz_tarpy_meikle_et al._2017, title={Landscape and pesticide effects on honey bees: forager survival and expression of acetylcholinesterase and brain oxidative genes}, volume={48}, ISSN={["1297-9678"]}, DOI={10.1007/s13592-017-0497-3}, abstractNote={The aim of the present work was to assess the effects of landscape and pesticides on honey bee survival and physiological stress. Integrated use of acetylcholinesterase and detoxification enzymes was tested on honey bee brains for detecting possible exposure to pesticides. Foragers were tracked in agricultural and non-agricultural landscapes in West Tennessee (USA) and then recovered for molecular and chemical analyses. In addition, four honey bee cohorts were fed imidacloprid in the laboratory ad libitum for several weeks and were analyzed by RT-qPCR for gene expression. Pesticides were identified at different concentrations in both crop flowers and recovered foragers. No significant differences in foragers’ mortality were found among locations. Acetylcholinesterase and detoxification genes showed no response to exposure to pesticides except for GstS3 and GstS4. Our results suggest that none of the studied genes make suitable biomarkers for honey bee exposed to pesticides.}, number={4}, journal={APIDOLOGIE}, author={Alburaki, Mohamed and Steckel, Sandra J. and Chen, Deniz and McDermott, Erin and Weiss, Milagra and Skinner, John A. and Kelly, Heather and Lorenz, Gus and Tarpy, David R. and Meikle, William G. and et al.}, year={2017}, month={Jul}, pages={556–571} }