Stress-induced loss of social resilience in honeybee colonies and its implications on fitness.

ABSTRACT: Stressors may lead to a shift in the timing of life-history events of species, causing a mismatch with optimal environmental conditions, potentially reducing fitness. In honeybees, the timing of brood rearing and nest emergence in late winter/early spring is critical as colonies need to grow fast after winter to prepare for reproduction. However, the effects of stress on these life-history events in late winter/early spring and the possible consequences are not well understood. Therefore, we tested whether (i) honeybee colonies shift timing of brood rearing and nest emergence as response to stressors, and (ii) if there is a consequent loss of social resilience, reflected in colony fitness (survival, growth and reproduction). We monitored stressed (high load of the parasitic mite Varroa

SUBMITTER: Ulgezen ZN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10777151 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature