McMullan John B, Brown Mark J F
Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Exp Appl Acarol. 2009 Mar;47(3):225-34. doi: 10.1007/s10493-008-9213-3. Epub 2008 Nov 14.
The tracheal mite has been associated with colony deaths worldwide since the mite was first discovered in 1919. Yet controversy about its role in honey bee colony mortality has existed since that time. Other pathogens such as bacteria and viruses have been suggested as the cause of colony deaths as well as degenerative changes in individual honey bees. Using data from published work we developed a qualitative mortality model to explain colony mortality due to tracheal mite infestation in the field. Our model suggests that colonies of tracheal-mite infested honey bees, with no other pathogens present, can die out in the late winter/early spring period due to their inability to thermoregulate. An accumulation of factors conspire to cause colony death including reduced brood/bee population, loose winter clusters, reduced flight muscle function and increasing mite infestation. In essence a cascade effect results in the colony losing its cohesion and leading to its ultimate collapse.
自1919年首次发现气管螨以来，这种螨虫在全球范围内都与蜂群死亡有关。然而，自那时起，关于它在蜜蜂蜂群死亡中所起作用的争议就一直存在。其他病原体，如细菌和病毒，也被认为是蜂群死亡以及单个蜜蜂退化性变化的原因。利用已发表研究的数据，我们建立了一个定性死亡率模型，以解释野外因气管螨感染导致的蜂群死亡。我们的模型表明，在没有其他病原体的情况下，感染气管螨的蜜蜂蜂群可能会在冬末/早春时期因无法调节体温而灭绝。多种因素共同作用导致蜂群死亡，包括幼虫/蜜蜂数量减少、冬季蜂团松散、飞行肌肉功能下降以及螨虫感染增加。本质上，一连串的效应导致蜂群失去凝聚力并最终崩溃。
