Downloads provided by UsageCounts
doi: 10.47446/osmia10.5
handle: 20.500.12907/43896
Bumblebees (Apidae: Bombus spp.) are a major group of wild and domesticated bees that provide crucial ecosystem services through wildflower and crop pollination. However, most of bee populations, including bumblebees, are declining worldwide, partly because of parasite spill-over and spill-back between bumblebee commercial colonies and wild populations. Breeders have to cope with invasions by a vast array of bumblebees’ parasites, and techniques need to be developed to prevent such invasions to support breeders and wild bee populations. Our 10-year study is based on 327 nests of seven bumblebee species (B. humilis, B. hypnorum, B. lapidarius, B. lucorum, B. pascuorum, B. sylvarum, B. terrestris) reared in outdoor boxes. Some boxes were equipped with parasite-preventing techniques, namely (i) an airlock (n = 2) or (ii) an additional chamber with natural fragrances (n = 74). We recorded the invasion of the nests by the wax moth Aphomia sociella, the eulophid Melittobia acasta and the cuckoo bumblebees Bombus subgenus Psithyrus spp. Overall, 8.26 %, 1.53 % and 3.67 % of the colonies were invaded by A. sociella, M. acasta and Psithyrus spp., respectively, without coinfection. Neither the airlock nor the additional chamber with natural fragrances prevented A. sociella infestation. Despite that no nest equipped with an airlock or an additional chamber with natural fragrances was invaded by M. acasta or Psithyrus spp., we lacked replicates to properly demonstrate the efficiency of these techniques. Nest inspection remains a time-consuming but powerful technique to reduce artificial nest spoilage by parasites, yet it is inefficient against tiny invaders (< 1 mm) that are left unnoticed. We therefore encourage further studies to actively seek for parasite-preventing techniques to reduce artificial nest spoilage and to mitigate spill-over towards wild populations.
Parasite-preventing techniques, Aphomia sociella, [SDV.BA.MVSA] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Veterinary medicine and animal Health, Melittobia acasta, Life sciences, Psithyrus spp., techniques préventives contre les parasites, parasite-preventing techniques, Zoologie, Sciences du vivant, [SDV.BA.ZI] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Invertebrate Zoology, Bombus spp., [SDV.SA.ZOO] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Agricultural sciences/Zootechny, Zoology
Parasite-preventing techniques, Aphomia sociella, [SDV.BA.MVSA] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Veterinary medicine and animal Health, Melittobia acasta, Life sciences, Psithyrus spp., techniques préventives contre les parasites, parasite-preventing techniques, Zoologie, Sciences du vivant, [SDV.BA.ZI] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Invertebrate Zoology, Bombus spp., [SDV.SA.ZOO] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Agricultural sciences/Zootechny, Zoology
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 2 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Average | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
| views | 6 | |
| downloads | 5 |

Views provided by UsageCounts
Downloads provided by UsageCounts