The honey bee plays an economically vital role in global agriculture as a pollinator of a wide variety of food and fiber crops that are needed to satisfy the needs of human and animal health. The loss of honey bees is a major environment health challenge that demands attention from the scientific community. There are numerous environment stressors that negatively impact the health and survival of honey bees, although a growing consensus identifies the high levels of parasites and pathogens, especially arthropod-borne viruses, are among the most significant threats to the health of these pollinators. A common approach to arthropod-borne virus management is the use of synthetic neurotoxicants alone or in combination with organic acids and botanical oils to reduce ectoparasitic mite infestations. These conventional acaricides not only have adverse health effects on honey bees, but widespread acaricide resistance limits their use to reduce mite infestations and their transmission of viruses to honey bees. The development of acaricide resistance is an evolutionary phenomenon that requires appropriate and comprehensive monitoring and management strategies within an integrated vector management framework. Here, I will discuss (i) novel acaricide resistance surveillance and reporting tools, (ii) alternative interventions to mitigate acaricide resistance evolution and preserve the efficacy of existing acaricides, (iii) exploration of next generation acaricide modes of action and their applications, and (iv) building of stakeholder partnerships that bring together people to work locally, nationally, and globally as a collaborative response team that is actively engaged in reducing arthropod-borne diseases to honey bees and improving the health and protection of these important pollinators.

Towards new modes of action for reducing arthropod-borne disease in honey bee colonies

2019 Fall National Meeting

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