The Effects Of Colony Collapse Disorder In A. Melllifera

In recent years, primarily beginning in 2005, the abandonment of hives, massive deaths within colonies themselves, and significant losses of entire populations of A. mellifera have been reported (Callahan 2014). This massive disruption in the population of A. mellifera is known as Colony Collapse Disorder, and the cause is multifactorial. Two underlying causes of Colony Collapse Disorder are disease and malnutrition, but are not the primary reason for the massive death tolls observed in the populations of A. mellifera. Disease causing pathogens tend to thrive in dark, moist, and warm environments, the conditions found with hives, and could escalate the damage of Colony Collapse Disorder. One study indicated a higher level of infection rates …show more content…
These pesticides, despite occurring in doses considered sub-lethal, dramatically reduce the ability of bees to prepare for winter. The exposure disrupts the winterization process of honeybees, causing an increase in the morality rate typically observed during the winter months. Furthermore, in honeybees not exposed to one of these pesticides, the winter months are spent within the hive, but in the exposed group this behavior is not seen. A. mellifera exposed to the pesticides have been observed to leave, and sometimes even abandon the hive during the winter, resulting in death due to the harsh weather conditions of winter for which the bee is ill suited. The specific mechanism being affected by the pesticides is not yet known, but it is apparent that neurological status and behavior is being altered. A. mellifera death during winter occurs naturally, but in instances where the death occurs in colonies with no exposure to the pathogen, the presence of dead bees is apparent within the …show more content…
This behavior has been observed particularly in the sub-species A. mellifera capensis. In these instances the A. mellifera capensis are capable of entering a foreign hive, and secreting pheromones similar to those secreted by the queen bee. This can occur even in the presence of another queen, and is only successful in instances where the parasitic A. mellifera capensis is adapted to be resistant to the pheromones preventing the maturation of ovaries (Crewe 2006). This parasitism is not limited to invasions of only other subspecies of A. mellifera, but has been observed within populations of A. mellifera capensis invading other colonies of A. mellifera capensis (Hartel 2006). Furthermore, in the presence of a queen within the host colony, A. mellifera capensis worker parasites have been observed to remove pheromones from the surface of the host queen in order to limit competition within the hive. The purpose of this social parasitism is to ultimately monopolize the resources available within the hive, reproduce offspring of the parasitic A. mellifera, and essentially move on. The end result is dramatically detrimental to the overall health of the hive, as the parasitic A. mellifera contribute little in the means of foraging, and maintenance, resulting in the overall destruction of the hive through the elimination of