Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

The Costs And Benefits Of Sunflower Pollen Diet On Bumble Bee Colony Disease And Health, Jonathan J. Giacomini, Sara J. Connon, Daniel Marulanda, Lynn S. Adler, Rebecca E. Irwin

Biology Department Faculty Publication Series

Pathogen transmission between domesticated and wild host species has important implications for community ecology, agriculture, and wildlife conservation. Bumble bees provide valuable pollination services that are vital for both wildflowers and agricultural production. Intense concerns about pathogen spillover from commercial bumble bees to wild bee populations, and the potential harmful effects of pathogen spillback to commercial bees, has stimulated a need for practical strategies that effectively manage bumble bee infectious diseases. Here, we assessed the costs and benefits of a medicinal sunflower pollen diet (Helianthus annuus) on whole-colony bumble bee disease and performance using commercial colonies of the common eastern …