ABSTRACT
Recent declines in honey bee populations have inspired new efforts to diagnose honey bee diseases. One promising route is to use molecular traits to identify bee parasites and pathogens. This chapter describes gene-bassed efforts to find and quantify bee pathogens. These efforts allow for specifi c and sensitive detection of the microbes found in bees, aiding research efforts and giving new tools for improving bee breeding, management, and pest regulation. These methods can be used more generally to assess bee traits related to resistance, stress, and behavior. We provide protocols and cost estimates for a method now in place to screen U.S. bees for viruses and other pathogens.
