prevalence of honey bee (apis mellifera) yeast infections in apiaries of iran

Honey bees (apis mellifera) are vital insects that play an important role in both ecological and economic processes. as primary pollinators, honey bees help to increase agricultural production and preserve the natural ecosystem. however, recent research has increasingly focused on the growing impact of microbial threats, particularly fungi. while the interactions between honey bees, fungi on honeybees, and their broader environment have been acknowledged for years, the full extent of these relationships, particularly regarding their effects on honey bee health, remains largely unexplored. yeasts, a type of fungi, be either beneficial or harmful for honey bees. the gut microbiota of honey bees is known to influence their nutrition, endocrine signaling, immune function, and resistance to pathogens. recent studies suggest that this microbiota may serve as an important indicator of honey bee health and as a potential source of functional yeasts that could provide benefits to the bees. this study aimed to assess the prevalence of yeast infections in apiaries located across various provinces of iran. during july and august 2024, 500 samples of adult bees were collected and examined for yeast contamination using microscopic and then they were cultured on culture media including sabauro dextrose agar. the results revealed a yeast prevalence of 99.2% in the honey bee samples. despite this high level of yeast presence, no specific symptoms of the disease were observed in the bees. based on these findings, and the fact that most of the bees did not display any clinical symptoms of illness, it can be inferred that the detected low levels are not harmful pathogens. on the contrary, they may play a beneficial role in maintaining bee health. further research is needed to fully understand the functional role of these yeasts within the honey bee microbiome and to explore their potential benefits for bee populations, particularly in the context of pollination and agriculture.