An Overview on Honeybee Colony Losses in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

Authors

  • Maria Laura Genchi Garcia CIC - Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires, Argentina; IMBICE - Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular – CIC-CONICET-UNLP. Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratorio de Virología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias – UNLP. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • Santiago Plischuk CONICET - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina; CEPAVE- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores - CONICET-UNLP, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Claudio Marcelo Bravi IMBICE - Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular – CIC-CONICET-UNLP. Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Francisco Jose Reynaldi Laboratorio de Virología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias - UNLP, Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v66i1.3366

Keywords:

Colony Collapse Disorder, Apis mellifera, pathogens, maternal lineages

Abstract

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are essential for the ecosystem, so their loss threatens biodiversity and agriculture. Several factors have been proposed as possible causes of both massive losses and Colony Collapse Disorder. In August 2017 episodes of colony losses were registered in General Alvear, Buenos Aires province. The aim of the present study was to find possible causes of these events. The samples were screened for presence of several pathogens and the determination of maternal lineages was also performed. Seven out of ten colonies were positive for pathogens, but there was no high prevalence of any of them. It will be necessary to carry out a standardization of studies, and delineate boundaries that allow comparing cases in order to discriminate different types of mortality of colonies that occur worldwide.

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Published

2019-04-25

How to Cite

Garcia, M. L. G., Plischuk, S., Bravi, C. M., & Reynaldi, F. J. (2019). An Overview on Honeybee Colony Losses in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Sociobiology, 66(1), 75–80. https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v66i1.3366

Issue

Vol. 66 No. 1 (2019)

Section

Research Article - Bees

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