3 research outputs found
Accumulation of lithium chloride in tissue and crops of the honeybee and its effect on the colony
Obligatorno ektoparazitsko pršico Varroa destructor štejemo za eno izmed perečih groženj čebelarstvu zaradi neposrednega vpliva na medonosno čebelo (Apis mellifera) in zaradi vloge pomembnega vektorja čebeljih virusov. Uničujoč vpliv varoje spodbuja prizadevanje čebelarjev in raziskovalcev k razumevanju in nadzoru te pršice. Litijev klorid, ki je kot topilo za RNAi v uporabi pri raziskavah ciljno usmerjenega izključevanja življenjsko pomembnih genov zajedavca, se je izkazal sam po sebi učinkovit pri zatiranju varoje. Zanimalo nas je, ali se bo po tretiranju medonosnih čebel s sladkorno raztopino z dodatkom 25 mM LiCl, povečala koncentracija Li v tkivih, zalegi ter pridelkih medonosne čebele. Ugotovili smo, da se po per os hranjenju s 10,6 μg LiCl, v telesnih delih čebel delavk akumulira od 6,5 mg/kg do 40,1 mg/kg Li, ter da v obdobju sedmih dni po začetku tretiranja negativno vpliva na preživetje čebel. Smrtnost varoj se po tretiranju s testno raztopino poveča, posledično se zmanjša okuženost z varojo v družini. LiCl prav tako poveča smrtnost čebel pet dni po začetku tridnevnega tretmaja s testno raztopino. Po ad libitum tretiranju s 25 mM testno raztopino, se v ličinkah povprečno akumulira 39,5 ± 2,53 mg/kg, v medu 0,879 ± 0,356 mg/L ter v cvetnem prahu 30,75 ± 12,66 mg/kg (povprečje ± standardna deviacija) litija. Zaradi negativnega vpliva na preživetje čebel in visoke akumulacije v tkivih in pridelkih, je LiCl neprimeren kot edino sredstvo za boj proti varoji.The mite Varroa destructor is an obligatory ectoparasite of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) and is one of the major threats to apiculture worldwide, not only because of its direct effect on the honey bee, but also because of its role as a vector for various bee viruses. The devastating impact of the mite encourages researchers and beekeepers towards a better understanding and controlling of this mite. Lithium chloride, used as a solvent for RNAi in studies of the targeted exclusion of vital parasite genes, is an effective substance for the suppression of the varroa mites. We were interested in whether the concentration of lithium in tissue, brood and honey bee crops would increase after the treatment of honey bees with sugar solution containing 25 mM LiCl. We found that following per os feeding with 10,6 μg LiCl, 6,5 mg/kg to 40,1 mg/kg Li accumulated in worker bees body parts and had a negative impact on their survival over a period of seven days after the start of a treatment. The treatment with the test solution increased the mortality of varroa, resulting in a decrease in the infestation with the varroa mite in the honey bee family. LiCl also increased bee mortality five days after the start of three-day treatment with test solution. After ad libitum treatment with 25 mM test solution, the larvae accumulated on average 39,5 ± 2,53 mg/kg, while in honey there was 0,879 ± 0,356 mg/L and in pollen 30,75 ± 12,66 mg/kg (mean ± standard deviation) of lithium. Due to its negative impact on honey bee survival and high accumulation in tissue and crop, LiCl alone seems to be unsuitable for the control of varroa