"Are Commercial Honeybees Making Wild Bees Sick?"

Question

by Berly McCoy

All of the honeybee colonies tested by the researchers were positive for both viruses, an unfortunate but common occurrence for commercial colonies.

But the number of wild bumblebees carrying viruses varied depending on the proximity to the domesticated hives. There was also variation between the two viruses.

More than 90 percent of bumblebees collected close to apiaries carried black queen cell virus. In sites farther from apiaries, and where no honeybees were foraging, just under 40 percent were positive for this virus. When the researchers checked for actual infections, they found that the proximity to an apiary wasn’t telling of whether a bumblebee was infected with black queen cell virus. That means sites near and far from a commercial beehive had the same abundance of black queen cell virus infections.

The connection was clearer for deformed wing virus infections. Twenty percent of bumblebees foraging close to apiaries carried the virus on their outsides and 10 percent had active infections. But in sites more than a half mile away from an apiary, where honeybees were absent, not a single bumblebee tested positive for deformed wing virus — as a carrier or with an infection..

When the researchers looked at infected flowers, they noticed a similar trend. Of the 20 percent of flowers that tested positive for viruses, all were picked close to apiaries. And the denser the flower patch in these areas, the higher the rate of deformed wing virus infection in bumblebees.

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Question
Use the article excerpt to answer the question.

What evidence from the text best supports the inference that honeybees—not bumblebees—are responsible for infecting the studied flowers? Select the two correct answers.

(1 point)
Responses

More bumblebees foraging close to apiaries had viruses on their outsides than had active infections.
More bumblebees foraging close to apiaries had viruses on their outsides than had active infections.

All the infected flowers researchers picked and tested were close to apiaries.
All the infected flowers researchers picked and tested were close to apiaries.

All of the bumblebees infected with deformed wing virus were close to apiaries.
All of the bumblebees infected with deformed wing virus were close to apiaries.

All of the honeybees researchers collected were infected with both viruses.
All of the honeybees researchers collected were infected with both viruses.

More than 90 percent of bumblebees collected close to apiaries were infected with black queen cell virus.
More than 90 percent of bumblebees collected close to apiaries were infected with black queen cell virus.

Answer 1

The two pieces of evidence from the text that best support the inference that honeybees—not bumblebees—are responsible for infecting the studied flowers are:

1. All the infected flowers researchers picked and tested were close to apiaries.

2. All of the honeybees researchers collected were infected with both viruses.

These statements indicate that the presence of viruses was associated with the proximity to the commercial honeybee hives, suggesting that honeybees are the likely source of the infection observed in the flowers.