Preliminary analysis shows that feral and managed honey bees in Southern California have similar levels of viral pathogens

ABTRACT Bees provide critical pollination services but are threatened by multiple stressors, including viral pathogens. The role of feral honey bees (FHB) in spreading viral pathogens is of increasing interest. We provide preliminary evidence that FHB colonies may act as persistant reservoirs of acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), black queen cell virus (BQCV), and deformed wing virus (DWV) in southern California. Additionally, though FHB are not treated for diseases or parasites, they harbor similar pathogen loads to managed honey bees (MHB), emphasizing the need for future studies describing how FHB mitigate viral pathogen stress.