BE-EDNA: ADVANCING MONITORING PROGRAMS FOR HONEY BEE PESTS AND PATHOGENS USING NOVEL EDNA APPROACHES

Our overall goal is to improve the health of honey bees by reducing colony losses to pests and pathogens via improved detection/monitoring techniques. Our specific aim is to develop eDNA and eRNA metagenomics as diagnostic technologies to improve honey bee monitoring and early detection of invasive organisms, and evaluate the feasibility of including this tool in future national monitoring programs (e.g., USDA APHIS National Honey Bee Pests and Diseases Survey).We will address this overall goal through the following objectives.(1) Objective 1. Determine if eRNA can be used to detect honey bee viruses in colonies and the surrounding landscape(2) Objective 2. Determine if eDNA and eRNA can be used to detect emergent threats to U.S. honey bees by testing the methods in locations where potentially invasive species exist:2a. Vespa mandarinia (northern giant hornet) detection in Washington State, U.S.2b. Apis species, V. mandarinia, and Tropilaelaps spp. detection in Thailand2c. Apis mellifera capensis detection in South Africa(3) Objective 3. Establish an eDNA/eRNA survey method that can be adopted for honey bee pest/pathogen monitoring programs in the U.S.