The fungal pathogen Nosema bombi impacts bumblebee fitness and is a factor in population declines throughout North America. Pesticides are also thought to contribute to declines, because they harm the innate immune system of insects, making them more susceptible to disease. A total of 232 bumblebees were collected at nine different farms across Michigan (U.S.A.), including farms that used pesticides and those that did not, in summer 2017. The bees were identified and tested for Nosema bombi. All bees were found to be free from N. bombi infection, suggesting this microsporidian may not yet have a biologically important impact on bumblebee populations in Michigan.
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4 October 2019
The Absence of Nosema bombi in Bumblebees (Bombus spp.) on Farms in Michigan
Britton Skuse,
Aimee Phillippi,
Ellen Batchelder
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