<i>Nosema ceranae</i> Infections in Honey Bees (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) Treated with Pre/Probiotics and Impacts on Colonies in the Field
Alternatives to the antibiotic fumagillin for the control of <i>Nosema ceranae</i>, a gut parasite of the honey bee, are needed. The prebiotics eugenol, chitosan, and naringenin and the probiotic Protexin<sup>®</sup> (<i>Enterococcus faecium</i>) provided in sugar...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Veterinary Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/8/6/107 |
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| author | Shane S. Klassen William VanBlyderveen Les Eccles Paul G. Kelly Daniel Borges Paul H. Goodwin Tatiana Petukhova Qiang Wang Ernesto Guzman-Novoa |
| author_facet | Shane S. Klassen William VanBlyderveen Les Eccles Paul G. Kelly Daniel Borges Paul H. Goodwin Tatiana Petukhova Qiang Wang Ernesto Guzman-Novoa |
| author_sort | Shane S. Klassen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Alternatives to the antibiotic fumagillin for the control of <i>Nosema ceranae</i>, a gut parasite of the honey bee, are needed. The prebiotics eugenol, chitosan, and naringenin and the probiotic Protexin<sup>®</sup> (<i>Enterococcus faecium</i>) provided in sugar syrup or protein patty either in spring or fall were evaluated for their effects on <i>N. ceranae</i> infection, colony population, honey yield and winter survivorship using field colonies. In the first year, spring treatments with eugenol, naringenin, and Protexin<sup>®</sup> significantly reduced <i>N. ceranae</i> infection and increased honey production, while Protexin<sup>®</sup> also increased adult bee populations and chitosan was ineffective. Fall treatments increased survivorship and decreased <i>N. ceranae</i> infection the following spring. In the second year, selected compounds were further tested with a larger number of colonies per treatment and only protein patty used in the spring and sugar syrup in the fall. Protexin<sup>®</sup> and naringenin significantly decreased <i>N. ceranae</i> infections and increased the population of adult bees after spring treatment, but did not affect honey yields. There were no differences between treatments for colony winter mortality, but surviving colonies that had been treated with Protexin<sup>®</sup> and naringenin were significantly more populated and had lower <i>N. ceranae</i> spore counts than control, non-treated colonies. Protexin<sup>®</sup> and naringenin were the most promising candidates for controlling <i>N. ceranae</i> and promoting honey bee populations, warranting further investigation. Future research should investigate the optimal colony dose and treatment frequency to maximize colony health. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:33:32Z |
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| id | doaj.art-c3b683a3792046b493d63538bb09abf4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2306-7381 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:33:32Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Veterinary Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-c3b683a3792046b493d63538bb09abf42023-11-21T23:30:44ZengMDPI AGVeterinary Sciences2306-73812021-06-018610710.3390/vetsci8060107<i>Nosema ceranae</i> Infections in Honey Bees (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) Treated with Pre/Probiotics and Impacts on Colonies in the FieldShane S. Klassen0William VanBlyderveen1Les Eccles2Paul G. Kelly3Daniel Borges4Paul H. Goodwin5Tatiana Petukhova6Qiang Wang7Ernesto Guzman-Novoa8School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, CanadaSchool of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, CanadaOntario Beekeepers’ Association Technology Transfer Program, 185, 5420 Hwy 6 N, Orchard Park Office, Guelph, ON N1H 6J2, CanadaSchool of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, CanadaOntario Beekeepers’ Association Technology Transfer Program, 185, 5420 Hwy 6 N, Orchard Park Office, Guelph, ON N1H 6J2, CanadaSchool of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, CanadaDepartment of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, CanadaInstitute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 2 Yuanmingyuan W. Rd., Beijing 100193, ChinaSchool of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, CanadaAlternatives to the antibiotic fumagillin for the control of <i>Nosema ceranae</i>, a gut parasite of the honey bee, are needed. The prebiotics eugenol, chitosan, and naringenin and the probiotic Protexin<sup>®</sup> (<i>Enterococcus faecium</i>) provided in sugar syrup or protein patty either in spring or fall were evaluated for their effects on <i>N. ceranae</i> infection, colony population, honey yield and winter survivorship using field colonies. In the first year, spring treatments with eugenol, naringenin, and Protexin<sup>®</sup> significantly reduced <i>N. ceranae</i> infection and increased honey production, while Protexin<sup>®</sup> also increased adult bee populations and chitosan was ineffective. Fall treatments increased survivorship and decreased <i>N. ceranae</i> infection the following spring. In the second year, selected compounds were further tested with a larger number of colonies per treatment and only protein patty used in the spring and sugar syrup in the fall. Protexin<sup>®</sup> and naringenin significantly decreased <i>N. ceranae</i> infections and increased the population of adult bees after spring treatment, but did not affect honey yields. There were no differences between treatments for colony winter mortality, but surviving colonies that had been treated with Protexin<sup>®</sup> and naringenin were significantly more populated and had lower <i>N. ceranae</i> spore counts than control, non-treated colonies. Protexin<sup>®</sup> and naringenin were the most promising candidates for controlling <i>N. ceranae</i> and promoting honey bee populations, warranting further investigation. Future research should investigate the optimal colony dose and treatment frequency to maximize colony health.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/8/6/107prebioticsprobiotics<i>Nosema ceranae</i>honey beelongevitybee populations |
| spellingShingle | Shane S. Klassen William VanBlyderveen Les Eccles Paul G. Kelly Daniel Borges Paul H. Goodwin Tatiana Petukhova Qiang Wang Ernesto Guzman-Novoa <i>Nosema ceranae</i> Infections in Honey Bees (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) Treated with Pre/Probiotics and Impacts on Colonies in the Field Veterinary Sciences prebiotics probiotics <i>Nosema ceranae</i> honey bee longevity bee populations |
| title | <i>Nosema ceranae</i> Infections in Honey Bees (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) Treated with Pre/Probiotics and Impacts on Colonies in the Field |
| title_full | <i>Nosema ceranae</i> Infections in Honey Bees (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) Treated with Pre/Probiotics and Impacts on Colonies in the Field |
| title_fullStr | <i>Nosema ceranae</i> Infections in Honey Bees (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) Treated with Pre/Probiotics and Impacts on Colonies in the Field |
| title_full_unstemmed | <i>Nosema ceranae</i> Infections in Honey Bees (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) Treated with Pre/Probiotics and Impacts on Colonies in the Field |
| title_short | <i>Nosema ceranae</i> Infections in Honey Bees (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) Treated with Pre/Probiotics and Impacts on Colonies in the Field |
| title_sort | i nosema ceranae i infections in honey bees i apis mellifera i treated with pre probiotics and impacts on colonies in the field |
| topic | prebiotics probiotics <i>Nosema ceranae</i> honey bee longevity bee populations |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/8/6/107 |
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