Brenda V. Ball

Bio: Brenda V. Ball is an academic researcher from Rothamsted Research. The author has contributed to research in topics: Honey bee & Varroa destructor. The author has an hindex of 26, co-authored 41 publications receiving 2453 citations. Previous affiliations of Brenda V. Ball include The Hertz Corporation.

The incidence and world distribution of honey bee viruses

Abstract: Honey bee viruses are increasingly of interest to both bee researchers and beekeepers, primarily because of their association with the parasitic mite Varroa jacobsoni. The identification of viruses requires specialized techniques, and reviews of honey bee disease distribution that have been published so far do not contain much information on viruses. The authors, leading experts on bee viruses, have collected together data from many sources to produce this important review.

Standard methods for virus research in Apis mellifera

Abstract: SummaryHoney bee virus research is an enormously broad area, ranging from subcellular molecular biology through physiology and behaviour, to individual and colony-level symptoms, transmission and epidemiology The research methods used in virology are therefore equally diverse This article covers those methods that are very particular to virological research in bees, with numerous cross-referrals to other BEEBOOK papers on more general methods, used in virology as well as other research At the root of these methods is the realization that viruses at their most primary level inhabit a molecular, subcellular world, which they manipulate and interact with, to produce all higher order phenomena associated with virus infection and disease Secondly, that viruses operate in an exponential world, while the host operates in a linear world and that much of the understanding and management of viruses hinges on reconciling these fundamental mathematical differences between virus and host The article concentrates

Fungal Biocontrol of Acari

Abstract: Mites and ticks are susceptible to pathogenic fungi, and there are opportunities to exploit these micro-organisms for biological control. We have collated records of 58 species of fungi infecting at least 73 species of Acari, either naturally or in experiments. Fungal pathogens have been reported to kill representatives of all three orders of the Actinotrichida (the Astigmata, Oribatida and Prostigmata) and the Ixodida and Mesostigmata in the Anactinotrichida. Most reports concern infections in the Prostigmata, particularly in the families Tetranychidae and Eriophyidae. Two species of Acari-specific pathogens - Hirsutella thompsonii and Neozygites floridana - are important natural regulators of pestiferous eriophyoid and tetranychid mites respectively. Research has been done to understand the factors leading to epizootics of these fungi and to conserve and enhance natural pest control. Hirsutella thompsonii was also developed as the commercial product Mycar for the control of eriophyoid mites on citrus, b...

The prevalence of pathogens in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies infested with the parasitic mite Varroa jacobsoni

Abstract: SUMMARY The prevalence of nine honey bee viruses in samples of dead adult bees from Apis mellifera colonies in the Netherlands and Germany infested with the parasitic mite Varroa jacobsoni was compared with virus incidence in uninfested colonies in Britain. In colonies with low mite populations the viruses present and their incidence during the year were similar to the results obtained from British colonies. However, in marked contrast with findings in Britain, acute paralysis virus (APV) was the primary cause of adult bee mortality in German honey bee colonies severely infested with V. jacobsoni. Dead brood from unsealed and sealed infested cells from German colonies with high mite populations also contained much APV. The evidence suggests that V. jacobsoni activates APV replication in adult bees by its feeding behaviour and transmits virus from adult honey bees to pupae. In addition, adult bees, in which APV is multiplying, transmit the virus to unsealed brood in the larval food.

Honey bee colony collapse and changes in viral prevalence associated with Varroa destructor

Abstract: Present address: Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 9QG, UK. Received 16 March 2009, accepted subject to revision 15 July 2009, accepted for publication 30 November 2009. *Corresponding author: Email: norman.carreck@btinternet.com

Honey bee colony losses

Abstract: Apis mellifera, colony losses. honey bee, Varroa destructor Journal of Apicultural Research 49(1): 1-6 (2010) © IBRA 2010 DOI 10.3896/IBRA.1.49.1.01 Apiculture has been in decline in both Europe and the USA over recent decades, as is shown by the decreasing numbers of managed honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies (Ellis et al., 2010; Potts et al., 2010). It therefore is crucial to make beekeeping a more attractive hobby and a less laborious profession, in order to encourage local apiculture and pollination. Apart from socio-economic factors, which can only be addressed by politicians, sudden losses of honey bee colonies have occurred, and have received considerable public attention. Indeed, in the last few years, the world’s press has been full of eye catching but often uninformative headlines proclaiming the dramatic demise of the honey bee, a world pollinator crisis and the spectre of mass human starvation. “Colony Collapse Disorder” (CCD) in the USA has attracted great attention, and scientists there and in Europe are working hard to provide explanations for these extensive colony losses. Colony losses have also occurred elsewhere (Figs 1 and 2), but examination of the historical record shows that such extensive losses are not unusual (vanEngelsdorp and Meixner, 2009). Almost exactly a century ago, in 1906, beekeepers on the Isle of Wight, a small island off the south coast of England, noticed that many of their honey bee colonies were dying, with numerous bees crawling from the hive, unable to fly. Despite some sceptical beekeepers suggesting that this was “paralysis”, a condition which had long been known, the colony losses were widely reported in the media, and beekeepers became convinced that the cause was a novel

Biological control of locusts and grasshoppers

Abstract: ▪ Abstract Control of grasshoppers and locusts has traditionally relied on synthetic insecticides, and for emergency situations this is unlikely to change. However, a growing awareness of the environmental issues associated with acridid control as well as the high costs of emergency control are expanding the demand for biological control. In particular, preventive, integrated control strategies with early interventions will reduce the financial and environmental costs associated with large-scale plague treatments. The recent development of effective oil formulations of Metarhizium anisopliae spores in Africa, Australia, and Brazil opens new possibilities for environmentally safe control operations. Metarhizium biopesticide kills 70%–90% of treated locusts within 14–20 days, with no measurable impact on nontarget organisms. An integrated pest management strategy, with an emphasis on the use of Metarhizium, that incorporates rational use of chemical pesticides with biological options such as the microsporid...