Jones, Lachlan C, Feng, Xuan, O’Rourke, James A., Stevenson, Philip ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0736-3619 and Brown, Mark JF (2025) Heather nectar extracts reduce within-colony epidemics of the bumblebee parasite Crithidia bombi. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. ISSN 0962-8452 (Print), 1471-2954 (Online) (In Press)

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Abstract

Disease and habitat loss are significant causes of pollinator declines, and evidence indicates the two are linked. In Britain, lowland heath is an important bee habitat, but over 80% has been lost since the 1800s. This deprives wild bees of a rich food resource, but also the health benefits of an antimicrobial metabolite from Calluna vulgaris nectar, callunene, which reduces infection by the gut parasite Crithidia bombi in individual bumblebees. Here we test whether these individual impacts can control epidemics in social colonies. We inoculated workers in early-stage Bombus terrestris colonies with C. bombi and randomly assigned colonies to the following treatments: a) heather extract, b) callunene and c) a sugar-water control. Colony infection rates were measured weekly. Colonies that were exposed to heather-metabolites or callunene had lower prevalence of C. bombi, especially the flagellated, infectious form, when compared to controls. Consequently, we conclude that these antimicrobial metabolites can control epidemics in social bumblebees. This suggests that lowland heaths may act, not just as an important food source, but as an essential natural pharmacy for pollinators.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Calluna vulgaris, lowland heath, Bombus terrestris, antimicrobial, medicine, amastigote, disease, conservation, pollinator.
Subjects:	Q Science > Q Science (General) Q Science > QK Botany S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Engineering & Science Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Centre for Sustainable Agriculture 4 One Health Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Centre for Sustainable Agriculture 4 One Health > Chemical Ecology & Plant Biochemistry
Last Modified:	31 Oct 2025 12:28
URI:	https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/51328

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