Wild bumblebees all over the world could be in major trouble due to it appearing that they are catching lethal diseases from their domesticated honeybee cousins, reports a new research study. This is a problem even though bumblebees are not sent from farm to farm the way honeybees are. They provide an important part of the entire world’s pollination of flowers and even food, particularly greenhouse tomatoes, explained experts on bumblebees. The ailments they are coming down with are hurting bumblebees in a widespread manner, states the study which has been printed up in the newest edition of the journal Nature.

It seems that the populations of wild bumblebees seems to be in a major decline all over North America, South America Europe and also Asia, explained the research study lead author Mark Brown, who works for the University of London. He stated that the study he and his associates performed showed that a main source of the decline was a crossover of pathogens, parasite and disease coming from honeybee hives.

Other studies, more minor in detail, have picked up diseases moving back and forth from between the two different sets of bees. Brown exclaimed that his study was the first to actually take a look at the problem on a much wider scale and also included three different parasites and diseases. The study followed over 760 bees in nearly 30 sites through Great Britain alone. It also proceeded to do lab work on confined bees to show just how much the disease has spread.

One of the research study co authors, Matthias Furst, who works for the University of London stated that the group’s research really has not absolutely proven the diseases are moving from honeybees to bumblebees. However the evidence aims toward that direction because infection levels and virus rates are much higher in the honeybees. Bumblebees are most likely picking diseases when they visit flowers after the sick honeybees, stated Furst. Even sometimes bumblebees the hives of honeybees and steal their nectar, therefore getting diseases that way Bumblebees are also usually about twice as big as honeybees, are able to sting over and over and do not make extra honey, the way honeybees do.

The newest research has shown that bumblebees are being more by various diseases. Usually, the typical wild bumblebee lives just over 20 days, but the diseased ones are only living around 14 days Even though honeybee hives could have tens of thousands of worker bees and are able to lose some, the wild bumblebee hives can only lose a few at the most. It is almost like comparing a Wal-Mart store to a mom and pop store, Brown stated.

Other studies have shown that bumblebees end up providing nearly $3 billion amount of flower and fruit pollination inside the United States alone, while honeybees are more close to the $20 billion mark. The newest study failed to examine the collapse of colony disorder, which seems to be more of an enigmatic problem in North America than anywhere else in the world. Various other parasites and diseases have killed off even more honeybees than the more recent collapse of colonies which appears to be happening. The bumblebees all over the world could be in major trouble due to they appear to be catching lethal diseases from their domesticated honeybee cousins, reports a new research study.

By Kimberly Ruble

Sources:

Christian Science Monitor

FOX News

BBC News

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