Beekeeping Management Practices Are Associated with Operation Size and Beekeepers' Philosophy towards in-Hive Chemicals.

Robyn M Underwood,Brenna E Traver,Margarita M López-Uribe

doi:10.3390/insects10010010

Robyn M Underwood, Brenna E Traver + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/insects10010010

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Abstract

Management by beekeepers is of utmost importance for the health and survival of honey bee colonies. Beekeeping management practices vary from low to high intervention regarding the use of chemicals, hive manipulations, and supplemental feeding of colonies. In this study, we use quantitative data from the Bee Informed Partnership’s national survey to investigate drivers of management practices among beekeepers in the United States. This is the first study to quantitatively examine these variables to objectively describe the management practices among different groups of beekeepers in the United States. We hypothesized that management practices and goals among beekeepers are different based on the beekeeper’s philosophy (as determined by their willingness to use chemicals to control pests and pathogens) and the size of the beekeeping operation. Using a multiple factor analysis, we determined that beekeepers use a continuum of management practices. However, we found that beekeepers’ willingness to use in-hive chemicals and the number of colonies in their operation are non-randomly associated with other aspects of beekeeping management practices. Specifically, the size of the beekeeping operation was associated with beekeepers’ choices of in-hive chemicals, while beekeepers’ philosophy was most strongly associated with choices of in-hive chemicals and beekeeping goals. Our results will facilitate the development of decision-making tools for beekeepers to choose management practices that are appropriate for the size of their operations and their beekeeping philosophy.

Highlights

Honey bees, Apis mellifera L., are the most important managed pollinators for agriculture, providing direct benefits to crops valued at $5–10 billion annually in the United States [1]
When management practices and goals were categorized by beekeeping philosophy, we found general groups of practices that differentiate conventional, organic, and natural beekeepers
Our study provides the first empirical assessment of the associations between management practices and goals among beekeepers, and sheds light on the potential drivers of different sets of management choices

Summary

Introduction

Apis mellifera L., are the most important managed pollinators for agriculture, providing direct benefits to crops valued at $5–10 billion annually in the United States [1]. The annual loss of managed colonies has significantly increased in North America and Europe for a variety of reasons, including reduction of available floral resources, increased use of pesticides, and emerging diseases [2,3,4]. Beekeeping management practices are considered key for the productivity, overall health, and overwintering success of managed honey bee colonies [5]. When making choices concerning honey bee management, a continuum of options is available (Figure 1). It is unclear whether beekeepers’ choices along this continuum

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