One of the key factors affecting colony loss is the presence of multiple pathogen and parasite loads, as well as the background levels of their infective agents within hive substrates, such as: wax, pollen, honey. Many pathogens can survive in hive substrate for multiple years, so beekeepers must adopt management practices that minimize disease spread....
By Renata Borba and Emily Olson There are 18 known viruses that afflict honey bees. In strong healthy colonies, viruses at low levels typically do not cause major problems. However, when combined with co-stressors such as low access to adequate food sources, environmental conditions, or other diseases/pests, the effects are exacerbated and can lead to...
February Hive-Side Chat “Queen failure: Two years of surveying BC queens and potential causal factors” Join us for a monthly ‘Hive-side Chat’ where our Alberta Tech Transfer Program (TTP) lead Dr. Renata Borba will cover various topics related to honey bee health, biology, pathology (and more!), through a series of engaging on-line webinars. The Hive-side...
