Molecular Pathogens 2024, Vol.15, No.3, 129-141 http://microbescipublisher.com/index.php/mp 134 5.3 Case studies of multifactorial stress Several case studies have highlighted the detrimental effects of multifactorial stress on bee populations. For example, a study on bumblebees exposed to a combination of the gut parasite Nosema ceranae and multiple pesticides found that these stressors reduced food collection, colony growth, and queen production, ultimately impacting colony health and performance (Figure 2) (Botías et al., 2020). Another study demonstrated that the combined effects of pesticides and electromagnetic fields led to higher mortality, disease appearance, and behavioral alterations in honeybee colonies, with only one colony surviving out of four after one year of exposure (Lupi et al., 2021). These case studies illustrate the severe consequences of multifactorial stress and the need for comprehensive risk assessments and management strategies to protect bee populations (Siviter et al., 2021). Figure 2 Fitness parameters measured in the Bombus terrestris colonies (Adopted from Botías et al., 2020) Image caption: (a) Mean colony weight observed for the control and treatment groups at weekly intervals. The change in weight over time was significantly smaller (p=0.009) in the colonies that received the four stressors (NPFM) compared to control colonies. (b) Boxplots of the number of workers in each treatment group. (c) Boxplots of the number of males in each treatment group. (d) Boxplots of the number of brood (workers and males) cells produced in each treatment group. (e) Boxplots of the number of queen cells produced in each treatment group. Boxplots with similar letters are significantly different (p<0.05; GLMs with Poisson error distribution followed by Tukey´s post-hoc tests). NPFM=TMX+CYPER+TEB+N. ceranae; NPF=TMX+CYPER+TEB; PFM=TEB+CYPER+N. ceranae; NPM=TMX+CYPER+N. ceranae; NFM=TMX+TEB+N. ceranae; M=N. ceranae; Control=Untreated (Adopted from Botías et al., 2020) The research of Botías et al. (2020) depicts the fitness parameters of Bombus terrestris colonies under different treatment conditions. Panel (a) shows the cumulative weight gain over nine weeks, indicating that colonies exposed to multiple stressors (NPFM) exhibited significantly smaller weight gains compared to control colonies. Panels (b) and (c) illustrate the number of workers and males produced, respectively, with noticeable variations
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