Assessing the health of commercial honey bees (Apis mellifera) across varying agricultural landscapes

The goal of this study is to determine the overall strength, resiliency, and survival of commercial migratory honey bees during the summer when they are located in agricultural landscapes in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota and during the winter months when the colonies are moved to California for almond pollination.  Colony and individual bee level health are being assessed using a variety of measures of nutritional and immunological status.  Preliminary data suggest that specific landscapes within North Dakota differentially affect abdominal fat stores, vitellogenin, and the cellular and humoral immune responses of honey bees.  These data therefore highlight the importance of quality landscapes to support healthy and robust commercial honey bees for honey production and pollination services.