Overview
- UBC researchers report in PNAS that common viral infections shrink queen ovaries, cutting egg production and lowering methyl oleate output.
- Lower methyl oleate weakens the queen’s chemical signal, prompting workers to start rearing a replacement in a process known as supersedure.
- Proof-of-concept field trials found colonies given synthetic blends containing methyl oleate were far less likely to raise new queens.
- The team identifies varroa mites as major virus vectors and recommends stronger mite control as the most practical near-term intervention.
- Beekeepers have long cited premature queen failure as a driver of losses affecting pollination and honey yields, and no antiviral treatments are currently available.