Thesis
Evaluating the Effects of Dietary Inputs on Apis Mellifera Immune Response and Longevity
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000006335
Abstract
Honey bees are the most valuable managed agricultural pollinator, and are undergoing rates of colony loss that are difficult for beekeepers to sustain. Honey bees endure many stressors that contribute to poor health, and their nutrition can either alleviate or exacerbate these stressors. Poor nutrition can have additive and synergistic effects with other stressors, and good nutrition can have beneficial impacts on individual bee and colony health. Some of these impacts can affect the bee immune system, which includes a encapsulation response where cells become melanized around foreign bodies. Here, I assess the consumption and impact of various nutrition inputs on honey bee longevity, and melanization response. Dietary treatments include 1:1 sugar water, honey and pollen, tyrosine (a precursor to the melanization response), polyphenolic compounds found in honey, and two fungal extracts associated with increased bee longevity and immune function: Ganoderma lucidum and Ganoderma resinaceum. Dietary inputs were tested in cage studies conducted at two different seasons of the honey bee life cycle: spring and fall. In both studies, honey was consumed much less than any other diet and bees fed honey died fastest. In the fall study, bees fed tyrosine lived longest, followed by bees fed G. lucidum and G. resinaceum. In the spring study, bees fed sugar water lived longest followed by bees fed tyrosine, G. lucidum and G. resinaceum. In the fall study, melanization was increased in bees fed tyrosine and G. lucidum, but in the spring study melanization was elevated in bees fed tyrosine and honey. Effects of dietary inputs on bee longevity and melanization varied across seasons. Tyrosine seems to be the most consistent, with positive melanization and longevity outcomes in both seasons. Some of these additives may be beneficial to feed to honey bee colonies in the field, but phenology of the bees should be considered when formulating these diets.
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Details
- Title
- Evaluating the Effects of Dietary Inputs on Apis Mellifera Immune Response and Longevity
- Creators
- Daniel Reynolds
- Contributors
- Walter S Sheppard (Advisor)Brandon K Hopkins (Committee Member)Richard S Zack (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Department of Entomology
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 32
- Identifiers
- 99901087335801842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis