Progress 09/01/08 to 08/31/12
Outputs
Target Audience: Beekeepers, Apiary inspectors, Commercial bee breeders and citizen scientists Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? We have provided educational material for hundreds of citizen scientists. We have provided training in the field and in the laboratory to 10 undergraduate researchers, 1 MS student, and 1 postdoctoral fellow. We have helped train students on molecular techniques, outreach development and given them academic opportunities and experience to advance their careers. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? This project has received tremendous support and enthusiasm from the beekeeping community throughout the United States. This is evidenced by the constant request for sample processing and also requests to present the project to various beekeeping associations. I have given over 40 presentations at local, regional and international beekeeping groups. This project has been featured in 6 media stories and in the British Bee Journal. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The goals of this project are to collect, analyze and determine the genetic identity of unmanaged honey bee hives in the southeastern United States. For centuries feral colonies have existed in the wild without human manipulation. This feral population was found to be genetically distinct from managed populations of honey bees collected during the early 1990’s. With the arrival an establishment of Varroa destructor, a parasitic brood mite, 90% to 95% of the feral population was thought to be eliminated. However, the whereabouts of unmanaged honey bee colonies have been reported for years by beekeepers and citizen scientists. During this project we have collected over 400 samples of unmanaged honey bees from various nesting sites covering over 15 states along the East Coast. Much of the hive location information was made possible due to the support and contributions of citizen scientists and the use of a website called savethehives.com (developed by Ronnie Bouchon). This site allowed the public to enter the coordinates of a honey bee nest site on a google map and also cataloged information for collection contacts. We have analyzed workers from each nest using various molecular markers, the COI-COII intergenic spacer region of the mitochondrial DNA and also ten polymorphic microsatellite markers. We also ran morphometric analyses on a subset of managed and unmanaged samples from North Carolina. The sequencing of COI-COII mitochondrial region revealed that most of the samples are representative of the subspecies Apis mellifera ligustica and Apis mellifera carnica. These two subspecies also represent the maternal lineages that make up the managed honey bee populations in the United States. However, we did locate isolated hives that have mitotypes representative of the subspecies Apis mellifera mellifera, the ‘dark’ German bee of Western Europe. This subspecies was imported over 3 centuries ago and has not actively been maintained in breeding programs. Analysis of the allele frequencies revealed that these unmanaged colonies do have a different genetic profile from feral and managed bees collected during the 1990’s and early 2000’s. This genetic differentiation is based on pairwise Fst analyses between unmanaged bees collected in 2008-2012, managed and unmanaged bees collected in 1990-1992, and managed bees collected from 1993-1995 and 2003-2005. However, when we compared the allele frequency data between managed and unmanaged bees collected in North Carolina in 2008-2009 there was so significant genetic differentiation between these two groups, suggesting that many of these unmanaged colonies were most likely swarms from managed colonies. The morphometric analyses were performed by Dr. De Jong in Brazil. He compared 30 true type specimens of each of the dominant subspecies: Apis mellifera mellifera, Apis mellifera Carninca, Apis mellifera ligustica and Apis mellifera caucasica to the managed and unmanaged bee samples from North Carolina using geometric wing analysis. He found that the unmanaged and managed bees collected from North Carolina grouped together supporting our microsatellite results, but interestingly they separated out from each of the true subspecies groups, creating their own unique cluster based on a suite of wing vein angle measurements. We also correlated mitochondrial sequence data with geographic location collection data and found that there was no observed local adaptation occurring, meaning that samples with more similar sequences did not occur in similar locations, but instead spread all over the state of North Carolina. This is probably due to the import of bees from other areas and movement of colonies within the state. Even though the funding has long since run its course we are still receiving samples of unmanaged bees from all over the country and storing them for a larger regional genetic analysis. This project highlights the importance of understanding the genetics of unmanaged honey bee populations in the United States, not only for the identification of survivor stock, but also the implications that colony and swarm movement has on U.S. breeding programs.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2010
Citation:
Delaney, D.A., J.J. Keller, J.R. Caren, and D.R. Tarpy. (2010) Reproductive quality of honey bee queens. Apidologie, www.apidologie.org/10.1051/apido/2010027
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2010
Citation:
Tarpy, D.R., J.R. Caren, D.A. Delaney, D. Sammataro, J. Finley, G.M. Loper and G. DeGrandi-Hoffman. (2010). Mating frequencies of Africanized honey bees in the southwestern United States. Journal of Apicultural Research, 49(4): 302-310.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2011
Citation:
Tarpy, D.R., J.J. Keller, J.R. Caren, and D.A. Delaney. (2011). Experimentally induced variation in the reproductive potential and mating success in honey bee queens. Insect Sociaux. DOI 10.1007/s00040-011-0180-z
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2011
Citation:
Tarpy, D.R., J.R. Caren, and D.A. Delaney. (2011). Meta-analysis of the genetic relatedness among honey bee drones, queens, and their mates. American Beekeeping Federation Conference, January 4-8, 2011 Galvaston, Texas
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2012
Citation:
Tarpy, D.R., J. J. Keller, J. R. Caren and D. A. Delaney. (2012). Assessing the mating health of commercial honey bee queens. Journal of Economic Entomology 105 (1): 20-25.
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Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The goals of this project are to collect, analyze and determine the genetic identity of unmanaged honey bee hives in the southeastern United States. For centuries feral colonies have existed in the wild without human manipulation. This feral population was found to be genetically distinct from managed populations of honey bees collected during the early 1990's. With the arrival and establishment of Varroa destructor, a parasitic brood mite, 90% to 95% of the feral population was thought to be eliminated. However, the whereabouts of unmanaged honey bee colonies have been reported for years by beekeepers and citizen scientists. To date we have collected worker samples from over 400 nests spanning Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. We also have started to collect bees from managed apiaries from each of these states for comparison. We have analyzed workers from each nest using mitochondrial and microsatellite markers. Currently we are using new nuclear markers to assess genetic differences. These markers are more sensitive and will better discriminate between managed and unmanaged populations.We have sequenced the COI-COII intergenic spacer region of the mitochondrial DNA of 1/4 of the samples and have performed preliminary phylogenetic analyses on these samples to ascertain the ancestral and biogeographic relationships. We also have baits traps hung within forest fragments of the Duke Forest in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. These traps have been baited with lure in the spring of 2009 and 2010 prior to swarming season and have been checked for establishment the following fall. We are continuing to collect samples along the east coast and incorporate the samples into our data set. The swarm traps are also being baited and lured for another season this spring. The savethehive.com website that has been used to track and collect many of the unmanaged samples continues to get use and provide great assistance with collection efforts. These samples will also form the basis of a study looking at the introgression of Africanized alleles into the unmanaged honey bee population along the east coast. Based on microsatellite analyses we have found that the unmanaged colonies have a unique genetic profile from the older managed collections and also the old feral collection sampled before the reduction in this population by Varroa. Preliminary sequence analyses have found that these unmanaged colonies are primarily representative of the subspecies Apis mellifera ligustica and Apis mellifera carnica. However, 7 of the 40 colonies are representative of the subspecies Apis mellifera mellifera which was imported into North America over 3 centuries ago. We also have found diversity within subspecies using mitochondrial sequence data. As we sequence more of the samples we should begin to have a clearer picture of the relationships between these unmanaged colonies and how or if biogeography has any bearings on these relationships. PARTICIPANTS: Deborah Delaney: Co-PI, University of Delaware David Tarpy: PI, North Carolina State University TARGET AUDIENCES: Beekeepers, Apiary Inspectors and the Commercial Honey Bee Industry PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The findings from this work to date show the need for increased sampling along the eastern coast of the United States to see if there are regional differences within this unmanaged population of honey bees. This project highlights the importance of the unmanaged honey bee population in the United States as a reservoir for genetic diversity and also as a potential source of survivor stock for U.S. breeding programs.
Publications
- D.A. Delaney, J.J. Keller, J.R. Caren, D.R. Tarpy (2010). Reproductive quality of honey bee queens. Apidologie www.apidologie.org/10.1051/apido/2010027
- David R. Tarpy, Joel R. Caren, Deborah A. Delaney, Diana Sammataro, Jennifer Finley, Gerald M. Loper, and Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman (2010). Mating frequencies of Africanized honey bees in the southwestern United States. Journal of Apicultural Research 49(4): 302-310.
- D. R. Tarpy, J. J. Keller, J. R. Caren and D. A. Delaney (2011) Experimentally induced variation in the reproductive potential and mating success in honey bee queens. Insect Sociaux DOI 10.1007/s00040-011-0180-z
- Tarpy, D. R., J.R. Caren & D.A. Delaney (2011) Meta-analysis of the genetic relatedness among honey bee drones, queens, and their mates. American Beekeeping Federation Conference, January 4-8, 2011. Galveston, TX (Abstract).
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Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The goals of this project are to collect, analyze and determine the genetic identity of unmanaged honey bee hives in the southeastern United States. For centuries feral colonies have existed in the wild without human manipulation. This feral population was found to be genetically distinct from managed populations of honey bees collected during the early 1990's. With the arrival and establishment of Varroa destructor, a parasitic brood mite, 90% to 95% of the feral population was thought to be eliminated. However, the whereabouts of unmanaged honey bee colonies have been reported for years by beekeepers and citizen scientists. To date we have collected worker samples from over 200 nests spanning North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. We have analyzed workers from each nest using mitochondrial and microsatellite markers. We have sequenced the COI-COII intergenic spacer region of the mitochondrial DNA of 1/4 of the samples and have performed preliminary phylogenetic analyses on these samples to ascertain the ancestral and biogeographic relationships. We also have 90 baits traps hung within forest fragments of the Duke Forest in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. These traps have been baited with lure in the spring of 2009 and 2010 prior to swarming season and have been checked for establishment the following fall. The establishment of these traps with unmanaged honey bee colonies will allow us to follow their population dynamics and the dynamics of different pests and pathogens in the absence of human manipulation. We are continuing to collect samples along the east coast and incorporate the samples into our data set. The swarm traps are also being baited and lured for another season this spring. The savethehive.com website that has been used to track and collect many of the unmanaged samples continues to get use and provide great assistance with collection efforts. These samples will also form the basis of a study looking at the introgression of Africanized alleles into the unmanaged honey bee population along the east coast. Based on microsatellite analyses we have found that the unmanaged colonies have a unique genetic profile from the older managed collections and also the old feral collection sampled before the reduction in this population by Varroa. Preliminary sequence analyses have found that these unmanaged colonies are primarily representative of the subspecies Apis mellifera ligustica and Apis mellifera carnica. However, 7 of the 40 colonies are representative of the subspecies Apis mellifera mellifera which was imported into North America over 3 centuries ago. We also have found diversity within subspecies using mitochondrial sequence data. As we sequence more of the samples we should begin to have a clearer picture of the relationships between these unmanaged colonies and how or if biogeography has any bearings on these relationships. PARTICIPANTS: Deborah Delaney: Co-PI, University of Delaware David Tarpy: PI, North Carolina State University TARGET AUDIENCES: Beekeepers PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The findings from this work to date show the need for increased sampling along the eastern coast of the United States to see if there are regional differences within this unmanaged population of honey bees. This project highlights the importance of the unmanaged honey bee population in the United States as a reservoir for genetic diversity and also as a potential source of survivor stock for U.S. breeding programs.
Publications
- D.A. Delaney, J.J. Keller, J.R. Caren, D.R. Tarpy (2010). Reproductive quality of honey bee queens. Apidologie www.apidologie.org/10.1051/apido/2010027
- David R. Tarpy, Joel R. Caren, Deborah A. Delaney, Diana Sammataro, Jennifer Finley, Gerald M. Loper, and Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman (2010). Mating frequencies of Africanized honey bees in the southwestern United States. Journal of Apicultural Research 49(4): 302-310.
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Progress 09/01/08 to 08/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The collection and genetic analysis of feral honey bee populations is a crucial step towards determining the extent of genetic loss that these populations have experienced. The sampling approach for this project has three tiers (regional, state-wide, and individual population levels). Genetic characterization of non-managed populations at these three levels will provide a more comprehensive picture of these populations in terms of genetic loss and structuring. Quantification of the amount of genetic diversity present in non-managed populations is crucial for the development of sustainable management approaches whether they are plans for the importation of additional honey bee germplasm or the utilization of the genetic diversity found literally in "our own backyard". Findings from this research will also help to end the scientific debate about whether feral populations are rebounding or if managed swarms are simply repopulating feral nest sites. As mentioned earlier this study aims to re-sample non-managed honey bee nests from throughout the southeastern United States at three distinct levels. At the regional level we currently have samples from over 150 nests throughout North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. However, most of the samples are from within the state and are representative of the three different physiographic regions of North Carolina; Mountains, Piedmont, and the Coastal Plains. Analyses of these samples are being conducted in the laboratory at North Carolina State University. At the natural population level in conjunction with Duke Forest, we have 90 swarm traps placed within two forest plots near Durham, North Carolina. These traps are part of a longer term study. The goal is to establish a natural population in these forested areas that can be monitored over time to answer important biological and ecological questions. Two traps are currently occupied by non-managed honey bees and the traps are checked on a monthly basis for occupancy and damage. A three by three experimental design was used to ascertain whether pheromone lure , honey comb, a combination of the two or nothing has an affect on the nest establishment. The pheromone lure requires annual replacement. A blog has been developed tracing the collection's journey and has been used as a way to thank and keep the large number of citizen scientists and beekeepers who helped to locate these non-managed nests informed about the status of the project. North Carolina is made up of 100 counties and each county has a beekeeping organization. These organizations have been instrumental in launching this project. We have been able to speak at the different county meetings and inform people of our research ideas and goals. This project has been extremely well received by both beekeepers and concerned citizen scientists. The online site, savethehives.com developed by Ronnie Bouchon, has been instrumental in obtaining information on nest locations, as well, the media has played a large part in getting the word out about this research. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The collection of the feral nests throughout the state of North Carolina is helping to educate beekeepers as well as citizen scientists about basic honey bee biology and history. The most prominent outcome to date is the dissemination of information to the public. I find that a crucial component to this project is meeting with people and educating them on the various molecular tools we have available to study this feral population. Citizens and beekeepers alike are fascinated by the scientific process and how molecular techniques can be utilized to answer different questions about honey bee population structure. The website savethehives.com not only has been instrumental in obtaining contact and nest site information but will be very useful in future analyses concerning population structure. The site allows people to map the nest onto google maps and a three mile radius circle is generated around the nest site. The locations and coordinates generated on the map are surprisingly accurate. The samples from the collection are currently being analyzed and variation in COI-COII intergenic spacer region of the mitochondrial DNA is present.
Publications
- Delaney, D.A., Meixner, M.D., Schiff N.M., Sheppard, W.S. (2009) Genetic characterization of commercial honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) populations in the United States by using mitochondrial and microsatellite markers. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 102 (4): 666-673.
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