Co-infestation of Honey Bee Colonies with Tropilaelaps mercedesae and Varroa destructor in the Republic of Kazakhstan

Abstract

Beekeeping is a well-developed industry in the Republic of Kazakhstan; however, significant winter colony losses necessitate the annual import of thousands of honey bee package colonies from neighboring southern countries. The recent detection of the invasive mite Tropilaelaps mercedesae in several of these source countries poses a serious biosecurity threat to Kazakhstani apiculture. This study aimed to identify potentially infested apiaries across Kazakhstan and to evaluate the efficacy of standard diagnostic methods for the concurrent detection of Varroa destructor and Tropilaelaps mercedesae. A structured questionnaire survey was conducted across 33 farms in seven regions of Kazakhstan. In apiaries suspected of mite infestation, colonies were assessed using three diagnostic methods: sugar shake of adult bees, alcohol wash of bees, and brood uncapping. Survey results revealed that honey bee packages are purchased annually in approximately half of the surveyed apiaries, which, combined with the practice of migratory beekeeping, indicates a high risk of Tropilaelaps introduction. All inspected colonies across the surveyed apiaries were found to be infested with Varroa destructor. The presence of Tropilaelaps mercedesae was confirmed by molecular analysis (PCR) in honey bee colonies across four regions of Kazakhstan: Almaty, East Kazakhstan, Abai, and Turkestan. These findings highlight the urgent need for strengthened biosecurity measures and routine surveillance protocols for Tropilaelaps at points of colony importation to prevent further spread within Kazakhstan.