Honey Bee Viruses with Declan Schroeder (362)
This week on Beekeeping Today Podcast, Becky welcomes guest co-host Bridget Mendel as they sit down with virologist Dr. Declan Schroeder from the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Together, they explore the unseen world of honey bee viruses—how they evolve, how they spread, and why understanding them is essential for modern beekeeping.
Declan brings a fresh perspective to virus ecology, sharing how his early research on marine viruses led him into honey bee health just as colony losses began escalating worldwide. He describes why viruses were overlooked for so long and how the arrival of Varroa shifted viral dynamics from background agents to major colony-level threats.
Becky and Bridget dig into what this means for beekeepers: why Varroa management remains the cornerstone of reducing virus pressure, how viruses move within and between colonies, and what new research is revealing about potential spillover concerns between honey bees and native bees. Declan discusses findings from a multi-year Minnesota study showing that while bumblebees may encounter honey bee viruses, they are rarely infected—an important distinction in ongoing conservation conversations.
The discussion wraps with a look ahead: evolving virus–vector interactions, improved surveillance efforts, and the growing role of researchers and veterinarians in supporting beekeeper decision-making. It’s an engaging, approachable dive into a complex subject—one that every beekeeper will benefit from hearing.
Websites from the episode and others we recommend:
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University of Minnesota Schroeder Bee Lab: https://vetmed.umn.edu/bio/college-of-veterinary-medicine/declan-schroeder
- Project Apis m. (PAm): https://www.projectapism.org
- Honey Bee Health Coalition: https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org
- The National Honey Board: https://honey.com
- Honey Bee Obscura Podcast: https://honeybeeobscura.com
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Declan Schroeder
Professor
I am proud of my accomplishments as a PI, which is based on my high impact contributions to One Health and the opportunity to make a difference in helping our global food system become more sustainable. My team’s overarching research objectives are to develop molecular-based research approaches and tools, rooted in both the Life Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, to provide a mechanistic understanding as how to best intervene or mitigate the negative impact that viruses may have on food animals, wild-life and associated organisms in the modern food system. My research is focused on (1) the role of viral diversity (quasi-species) as it relates to seaweed production, bee pollination services, and swine or cattle production; and (2) establishing best detection and surveillance practices for viral pathogens responsible for significant losses to important wild-life, pollinator and agricultural species.
As it pertains to honey bees, we are driven to conduct meaningful, high impact research that contributes toward solving complex problems associated with viruses in U.S. and global agriculture. Honey bees are essential pollinators and food producers in the US and globally but more than 40% of them die on an annual basis. In 2025, this number increased to an alarming 60%. My research team was the first to confirm that Deformed wing virus (DWV) load, and its association with Varroa destructor (Varroa), are responsible for the death of millions of honey bee colonies worldwide. We are currently testing antiviral products capable of neutralizing and controlling the spread of … Read More
Bridget Mendel
Mom/beekeeper / science write
Bridget Mendel is the former Bee Squad Program Director. She is currently the Communications Director for the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory. She loves working with bees, beekeepers, and the public to make the world a more habitable place for all people and all pollinators.
Education: Bridget holds a B.A. from Northwestern University and an M.F.
