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Section Symposium

Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

RNAi-based Bioinsecticides: Realizing the Commercial Potential for Sustainable Pest Management

Varroa control in honey bee hives using dsRNA: The New Zealand experience

Sunday, November 10, 2024
2:45 PM – 3:00 PM MST
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, 131 A, PCC
Oral Presentation

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Phil Lester, Ph.D. (he/him/his)

    Professor of Biology
    Victoria University of Wellington
    Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

    • Co-author(s)

  • JB

    James Baty

    Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

  • MB

    Mariana Bulgarella

    Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

  • AF

    Antoine Felden

    Victoria University of Wellington
    Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

  • JH

    John Haywood

    Senior Lecturer in Statistics
    Victoria University of Wellington
    Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

  • Rose Ann McGruddy

    PhD student
    Victoria University of Wellington
    Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

  • JM

    Joana Merk

    PhD Student
    Victoria University of Wellington
    Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

  • ZS

    Zoe Smeele

    Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

  • Brian Manley, Ph.D.

    Director, Regional Product Development, North America
    GreenLight Biosciences, Inc.
    Wake Forest, North Carolina

  • Kenneth Narva (he/him/his)

    Head of Insecticides, Research Fellow
    GreenLight Biosciences
    Durham, North Carolina

Varroa destructor mites are the most damaging pest in honey bee hives. We have been working in New Zealand with GreenLight Biosciences’ dsRNA targeting the calmodulin gene of Varroa as a next-generation pest control method. Our work in laboratory mini-hives has shown vadescana can induce a near complete knock-down of mite reproduction. Female varroa are not killed but have significantly altered gene expression after dsRNA exposure. By tagging newly emerging bees with Radio Frequency Identification tags (RFID), we found that bees from hives treated with vadescana survive significantly better and forage more during their lifetime than in hives without mite control. Our field trials have shown vadescana to have a good ability to maintain low mite numbers, although it is less suitable for hives with extremely high mite abundances. Non-target effects were assessed bioinformatically and in an experiment with multiple generations of wax moth. Bioinformatically, the only species to be possibly affected by this dsRNA would be mites related to Varroa including Tropilaelaps species. Surveys of beekeepers in New Zealand have shown support for the registration and use of vadescana.