Chemical detection triggers honey bee defense against a destructive parasitic threat
January 25th, 2021 by Fanny Mondet
Nature Chemical Biology, Published online: 25 January 2021; doi:10.1038/s41589-020-00720-3
In honey bee colonies infested with the mite Varroa destructor, six Varroa-parasitization-specific (VPS) compounds trigger protective behavior in the bees, which are able to distinguish VPS compounds from healthy signals and recognize an infested brood.