Short communication. The detection of Israeli Acute Paralysis virus (IAPV), fipronil and imidacloprid in professional apiaries are not related with massive honey bee colony loss in Spain

This study is presented in order to determine the presence and impact of some factors related with honeybee colony losses such as Israeli Acute Paralysis virus (IAPV) and certain pesticides. Samples (house worker bees and stored pollen from brood chamber) were selected from one hundred apiaries, half of them with a clear underpopulation, in accordance with region and time of the year. Total prevalence of IAPV either in spring or in autumn was 18% (CI95% = 9.9-26.0; p < 0.0001), no relationship between IAPV and depopulated colonies was established. Fipronil was only detected in two samples of stored pollen from asymptomatic colonies and imidacloprid was not detected in any sample. Like IAPV, neither fipronil nor imidacloprid appeared to be directly related with the generalized problem of colony death and honey bee losses in professional Spanish apiaries.