Determining the changes of queen honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) pheromone composition when exposed to the commonly encountered in-hive miticides coumaphos and tau-fluvalinate

Honey bees Apis mellifera L. are frequently exposed to the miticides coumaphos and tau-fluvalinate, commonly used for varroa mite control, in the hive. These miticide residues are slow to break down and persist within the hive for several years. The sub-lethal impact of coumaphos and tau-fluvalinate on honey bee health is unclear. In our study, we examined the role of these two miticides on queen pheromone composition and production. The queen pheromone blend is critical for proper worker honey bee behavior and colony dynamics. In this experiment, queen pheromone production for each treatment was sampled through a series of Super-Q and Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) volatile collections and GC-FID/GC-MS analysis. In addition, Queen Mandibular Gland (QMG) extracts were analyzed and quantified on GC-MS for differences of pheromone composition between the miticide and control treatments. Determining whether miticides are playing a role in the variation of queen pheromone composition and production will aid us in furthering our understanding of the role of miticides on colony dynamics and their impact on worker honey bee health.