Colony-level immunity benefits and behavioral mechanisms of resin collection by honey bees.

Abstract

The general goal of this thesis is to understand the proximate and ultimate mechanisms of resin collection and use in honey bees, Apis mellifera. While there has been significant research on bee-collected resins with respect to human health and various chemical component analyses, this thesis provides the first review and studies on the direct implications of the role of resin in regard to honey bee health, and thus, pioneers a new area of research. I also provide novel information concerning the stimuli that may be involved in the recruitment of foragers and initiation of resin foraging. Overall my thesis provides the first evidence that resin collection is a form of social immunity in honey bees and may both have direct and indirect effects on individual immunity and colony health. I have also shed new light on the behavioral mechanisms that may be mediating this behavior at both the colony level (self-medication) and individual level (assessment of tactile information). I tested original hypotheses that led to new questions and opportunities for further research that will be conducted by me and others for a long period of time.