Red-tailed bumblebees found to be key hosts for dangerous bee virus

Wild bumblebees serve as key hosts for acute bee paralysis virus. While the virus appears to cause little harm to bumblebees, infection is usually fatal to honeybees. Until now, it was assumed that honeybees were the key host for the virus. By using data from extensive field trials, a team from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and Georg August University of Göttingen has now identified the red-tailed bumblebee as the key host for acute bee paralysis virus.