Zombie Honey Bees?!

The dear honey bees, already battling to maintain their numbers, have another newly discovered enemy!  According to San Francisco State University, honey bees are vulnerable to becoming hosts of a fly parasite that makes them to abandon their hives and die after experiencing a period of disoriented, “zombie-like” behavior.

This discovery may help answer some of the questions surrounding CCD or colony collapse disorder which has been being studied across the country since 2006.

SFSU biology professor John Hafernik has stated that at this time, the fly parasite has only been found in honey bee hives in California and South Dakota.  In an article written by Hafernik and colleagues in PloS One, they make the point that because this is an emerging parasite and because we transport commercial hives all over the U.S., there is a real danger that the parasite could spread throughout North America, potentially destroying huge numbers of bee colonies.

Apparently the fly lays its eggs in the bee’s belly and about seven days after the bee dies, fly larvae emerge from between the bee’s head and thorax.  One of the most interesting parts of this story is that after the bees have been invaded, they abandon their hives and head towards light.

Stay tuned for more information on the plight of the honey bee!