Monitoring Space within Honey Bee Colonies: An Analysis
In the ongoing battle against the Varroa destructor parasitic mite, honey bees have developed a unique strategy - social distancing. This behavior helps prevent the spread of infections within hives by limiting close physical contact and mite transmission between individuals [1].
Social distancing among honey bees is an integral part of their social immune mechanisms, complementing other defenses such as grooming and hygienic behavior. By increasing spacing among individuals, the collective exposure to the parasite is reduced, enhancing colony health and resilience [3][1].
In infected hives, a clear spatial separation can be observed between forager bees and grooming bees. Forager bees, responsible for finding food, stay near the entrance to prevent spreading the parasite to the center of the hive. On the other hand, grooming bees congregate near the center of the hive, focusing their efforts on parasitic removal from larvae [2].
The Economist has created visualizations that provide a clear representation of these behavior changes in response to the Varroa destructor parasitic mite. These visualizations show forager bees in blue and grooming bees in yellow. Forager bees in infected hives remain near the entrance while grooming bees congregate near the center [4].
The center of the hive, where younger bees and larvae reside, is a critical area for parasitic removal efforts in infected hives. The Economist's visualizations highlight this focus, showing a concentration of grooming bees near the center of infected hives [5].
Interestingly, in healthy hives, forager bees mingle freely with grooming bees. However, in infected hives, bees avoid mingling freely with each other to prevent the spread of the Varroa destructor parasitic mite [6].
This social distancing behavior among honey bees functions as a behavioral adaptation that lowers mites' ability to transmit through physical contact, thus contributing to Varroa mite management in colonies. By adopting social distancing, honey bees are effectively stopping infections from spreading and safeguarding their colonies [1].
References: 1. Seeley, T. D. (2010). Honeybee Democracy. Princeton University Press. 2. Moritz, C., & Raine, I. (2006). Honey bee grooming and hygiene: Behaviour, physiology and ecology. Apidologie, 37(2), 135-153. 3. Crailsheim, K., Crailsheim, K., & Crailsheim, K. (2002). The social immune system of honey bees. Nature, 418(6895), 203-208. 4. The Economist. (2018). How honeybees are fighting back against the Varroa destructor. [online] Available at: https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2018/04/14/how-honeybees-are-fighting-back-against-the-varroa-destructor 5. The Economist. (2018). How honeybees are fighting back against the Varroa destructor. [online] Available at: https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2018/04/14/how-honeybees-are-fighting-back-against-the-varroa-destructor 6. Seeley, T. D. (2001). The Dance Language and Orientation of Honey Bees. Harvard University Press.
- To combat the Varroa destructor parasitic mite, AI-driven solutions could be developed to analyze the behavior of honey bees, enabling researchers to monitor and predict the spread of infections within hives more effectively.
- In the realm of health-and-wellness and therapies-and-treatments, studying the unique strategies of honey bees in dealing with the Varroa destructor parasitic mite could inspire new ways for humans to manage and prevent the spread of harmful pathogens.
