A mite that spreads a dangerous virus among honeybees also plays an indirect role in infecting wild bumblebees, new research shows.
A mite that spreads a dangerous virus among honeybees also plays an indirect role in infecting wild bumblebees, new research shows.
The Varroa destructor mite lives on honeybees and can spread deformed wing virus (DWV) throughout the hive.
The mite has emerged as a parasite of Western honeybees, after switching from its original host, the Asian honeybee at the beginning of the last century. It has since spread globally through the man-made movement of infested honeybee hives and has turned into a viral vector.
The invasive mite does not live on bumblebees, but University of Exeter scientists have discovered it indirectly affects them by raising infection rates among honeybees, which then spread DWV to nearby bumblebees.
Read more at University of Exeter
Image: Honeybee mite raises bumblebee virus risk. (Credit: Sophie Hedges)
