Molecular detection of deformed wing virus, black queen cell virus in honey bees in Balikesir province

Abstract

Viral infections are among the risk factors affecting the health of honey bees, which are economically and ecologically important insects. These infections cause large-scale colony losses. The primary threat to the well-being of western honey bees (Apis mellifera) is the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor, mainly because of its role as a transmitter of viruses. This study aimed to investigate the presence of deformed wing virus (DWV) and black queen cell virus (BQCV) infections, which cause significant colony losses in honey bees, using the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. For this purpose, adult bees were taken from 50 hives by random sampling in three different regions of Balıkesir. As a result of the analysis of the samples, the genome positivity of DWV and BQCV infections was determined to be 86% (43/50) and 24% (12/50), respectively. In the study’s bee colonies, multiple infections with both viruses were found at a rate of 18% (9/50). The results obtained revealed that Varroa was not effectively controlled in the colonies, especially in the last month of spring, and accordingly, that viral diseases may occur due to Varroa infestation in the winter months.