Project Number: 6615-22000-027-01
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jul 21, 2008
End Date: Aug 14, 2012

Objective:
Development of novel approaches to control of arthropod and microbial pests of Honeybees. New Objective: To characterize using molecular techniques and elucidate the potential functioning of Wolbachia in regulation of sexual determination and reproductive capability of males of the Small hive beetle in order to develop biological and molecular approaches to control of the Small hive beetle.

Approach:
The molecular mechanisms associated with the multitrophic semiochemcial mediated infection of honeybee colonies by microbial/yeast pests vectored by arthropods will be elucidated using coupled molecular genetic and chemical techniques coupled with biological assays. Key genes associated with the communication system in both vectors and microbial/yeast pathogens will be identified and methods to inhibit functioning of the genes will be developed based on RNAI silencing.