Nosema apis in drone honeybees

SummaryDrone honeybees were found to be at least as susceptible as workers to infection by Nosema apis, and the median infective dose was fewer than 100 spores. Nevertheless proportionately many fewer drones than workers became infected in enzootically infected, undisturbed honeybee colonies. This suggests that infection does not spread primarily via food and water, although the comparatively few drones that become infected may receive spores from the mouthparts of comb-cleaning worker bees when they obtain food from these.