> The number of managed A. mellifera colonies has significantly declined in many countries in Europe and North America (Vanengelsdorp and Meixner 2010). In contrast, the number of managed A. mellifera colonies has increased over past decades in China. The managed honey bees in China grew from 3 million colonies in 1960 to 8.77 million colonies in 2008. China has the largest number of managed honey bee colonies, which produce the highest quantity of honey and royal jelly in the world; however, the presence of honey bee pathogens and parasites has never been rigorously identified in Chinese apiaries.

We found that N. ceranae was prevalent (70%) in the tested 
samples; however, N. apis was not detected

Although we detected only one colony infested by tracheal
mites (A. woodi) in our honey bee samples (YC, Table 2),
both V. destructor and T. mercedesae were prevalent among
A. m. ligustica colonies in China

All apiaries had both Varroa and Tropilaelaps mites in a single
hive (A. m. ligustica), although the infestation levels appear
to change seasonally. The negative impacts of Varroa mites
on A. mellifera colonies have been extensively documented
(for example, Rosenkranz et al. 2010); however, the effects
of Tropilaelaps mites are not well understood because Tropilaelaps
spp. is still considered to be restricted to Asia

Yang, B., Peng, G., Li, T., & Kadowaki, T. (2013). Molecular and phylogenetic characterization of honey bee viruses, Nosema microsporidia, protozoan parasites, and parasitic mites in China. Ecology and Evolution.

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