You are trying to determine if honeybees have social immunity to nosema, an economically devastating parasite that attacks adult honeybees. You mark some honeybees with a spot of red dye and expose them to a solution containing a sublethal dose of the parasites. Another set of honeybees is exposed to the same solution without parasites. After this exposure, you mix some of the unmarked bees with the marked bees (Mixed Group). The rest of the unmarked bees are not mixed with other bees (Unmixed Group). If honeybees can develop social immunity to nosema, what are the expected results of your experiment?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If honeybees can develop social immunity to nosema, the unmarked bees in the Mixed Group, which were exposed to the marked bees that encountered the parasite, would likely have a higher survival rate due to potential immunity benefits gained through social interactions, compared to the Unmixed Group that had no such exposure.

You Are Trying to Determine If Honeybees Have Social Immunity