COLOSS Survivors Task Force: Global Efforts to Improve Honey Bee Colony Survival

Honey bee colony survival is a complex issue in light of many environmental stressors. Among those stressors, the ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor, is the most significant threat to the survival of Western honey bees, Apis mellifera, and beekeeping worldwide. This parasite shifted hosts from Eastern honey bees, Apis cerana, to A. mellifera, and since spread almost globally. As a result, wild and feral A. mellifera populations in Europe and North America have been decimated. Without adequate and timely mite control by beekeepers, an A. mellifera colony likely collapses within a year or two (Rosenkranz et al., 2010). Therefore, beekeepers rely on mite control (most often chemical treatments) that can have side effects on the bees, likely results in resistant mites and reduces chances for bees and mites to adapting to one another (Fries & Camazine, 2001).