Honey bees encounter viruses in their environments, especially when they forage on flowers and other food sources. Being able to detect viruses is important for reducing infection and the spread of disease. Many insects, including honey bees, can detect viruses indirectly with sick nestmates, but it has been unclear if honey bees can directly detect viruses in food sources.
Honey bees can detect viruses in food
1 of 2
Honey bees forage for pollen and nectar on almond flowers.
Deformed wing virus causes crumpled wings when bees are infected with the virus during development -- bee at center left. The virus is highly transmitted when the parasitic mite Varroa destructor feeds on pupae and adult honey bees. A Varroa mite can be seen on the back of the bee in the center left.
Most Popular
The aviation industry accounts for a large portion of global greenhouse gas emissions. Biobased sustainable aviation fuel can mitigate climate…