Glacier retreat could harm bees: Swiss research

Glacier retreat could spread diseases amongst bees Keystone-SDA

Changing fauna caused by melting glaciers could make it more likely for bees to pass diseases on to one another. This is shown by a new study led by the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.

Normally, wild bees and honeybees avoid each other whilst foraging by specialising in different plant species. This natural separation reduces the risk of cross-contamination with pathogens.

However, as a result of changes to the plant world caused by glacial melt, bees are increasingly using the same food sources. The flowers act as sources of infection. If a diseased bee leaves infectious particles there, these can be picked up by the next bee visiting the flower.

+ Glaciers of the world – local melting and global impactsExternal link

For their study, researchers from the Universities of Lausanne and Milan and the Italian research organisation Crea investigated bee populations at the Mont-Miné Glacier in the Val d’Hérens, canton Vaud. They focused on three viruses and two parasites.

In honeybees, the scientists found all five pathogens under investigation in the areas that had only recently become ice-free. Only two pathogens were detected among wild bees in areas that were still relatively well protected.

+ Why melting glaciers affect us all

However, a completely different picture emerged in the older ice-free zones, where the vegetation has already undergone significant changes. Here, the prevalence of the wing-deforming virus – a pathogen typically found in honeybees – increased significantly amongst wild bees.

The study thus sheds light on a less visible consequence of climate change. The retreat of a glacier not only means the loss of ice and water resources, but also alters the entire subsequent ecosystem and the complex interactions between organisms.

“Understanding these processes is crucial for developing effective strategies to protect pollinators and the ecosystem services they provide,” commented Gianalberto Losapio, co-author of the study at the University of Lausanne.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.