African Honey Research Articles

Bounding species distribution models

Abstract Species distribution models are increasing in popularity for mapping suitable habitat for species of management concern. Many investigators now recognize that extrapolations of these models with geographic information systems (GIS) might be sensitive to the environmental bounds of the data used in their development, yet there is no recommended best practice for “clamping” model extrapolations. We relied on two commonly used modeling approaches: classification and regression tree (CART) and maximum entropy (Maxent) models, and we tested a simple alteration of the model extrapolations, bounding extrapolations to the maximum and minimum values of primary environmental predictors, to provide a more realistic map of suitable habitat of hybridized Africanized honey bees in the southwestern United States. Findings suggest that multiple models of bounding, and the most conservative bounding of species distribution models, like those presented here, should probably replace the unbounded or loosely bounded techniques currently used.

Beehive fences as effective deterrents for crop-raiding elephants: field trials in northern Kenya

Increasing elephant populations in Kenya since 1989 have been widely praised as a conservation success story. However, where elephants and agricultural land overlap, incidents of human‐elephant conflict are on the increase. Wildlife managers and farmers are now trying different farm-based deterrents to keep elephants out of crops. Here, we present data on the effectiveness of a novel beehive fence deployed in a Turkana community of 62 communally run farms in Kenya. Specifically, 1700 m of beehive fences semi-surrounded the outer boundaries of seventeen farms, and we compared elephant farm invasion events with these and to seventeen neighbouring farms whose boundaries were ‘protected’ only by thorn bush barriers. We present data from 45 farm invasions, or attempted invasions, recorded over 2 years. Thirteen groups of elephants approached the beehive fences and turned away. Of the 32 successful farm invasions, only one bull elephant broke through the beehive fences. These results demonstrate that beehive fences are more effective than thorn bush barriers at deterring elephants and may have a role to play in alleviating farmer‐elephant conflict. Additionally, the harvesting of 106 kg of honey during the trial period suggests that beehive fences may also improve crop production and enhance rural livelihoods through honey sales.

Resource abundance and distribution drive bee visitation within developing tropical urban landscapes

Urban landscapes include a mix of biotic and anthropogenic elements that can interact with and influence species occurrence and behaviour. In order to outline the drivers of bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) occurrence in tropical urban landscapes, foraging patterns and community characteristics were examined at a common and broadly attractive food resource, Tecoma stans (Bignoniaceae). Bee visitation was monitored at 120 individual resources in three cities from June 2007 to March 2009. Resource characteristics, spatial distribution, and other local and regional landscape variables were assessed and then used to develop descriptive regression models of forager visitation. The results indicated that increased bee abundance and taxon richness consistently correlated with increased floral abundance. Resource distribution was also influential, with more spatially aggregated resources receiving more foragers. Individual bee guilds had differential responses to the variables tested, but the significant impact of increased floral abundance was generally conserved. Smaller bodied bee species responded to floral abundance, resource structure, and proximity to natural habitats, suggesting that size-related dispersal abilities structure occurrence patterns in this guild. Larger bees favoured spatially aggregated resources in addition to increased floral abundance, suggesting an optimization of foraging energetics. The impact of the urban matrix was minimal and was only seen in generalist feeders (African honey bees). The strongly resource-driven foraging dynamics described in this study can be used to inform conservation and management practices in urban landscapes. download Appendix

Nosema ceranae has parasitized Africanized honey bees in Mexico since at least 2004

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image sizeKeywords: Nosema ceranaeAfricanized beesMexicoCCDNosemosis

Explaining the Best Management Practices for Maintaining European Honey Bee Colonies

ENY158, a 4-page fact sheet by M. K. O’Malley, J.D. Ellis and G. W. Hayes, Jr., outlines and explains the 12 recommendations listed in the voluntary agreement between Florida beekeepers and state officials to minimize the spread of African honey bees. Published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, October 2010.

Viabilidade financeira da produção de geleia real com abelhas africanizadas suplementadas com diferentes nutrientes

This study was carried out to evaluate the financial viability of five supplements made with different sources of oil and protein, to be given to Africanized honeybees for royal jelly production. The study verified whether the investments with colony supplementation give financial returns to beekeepers, increasing profits for the diversification of bee products. In order to evaluate the five supplements, two experimental assays were performed. In each, 20 colonies were distributed randomly in four treatments, with 15 replications per colony. In assay I, the treatments were: linseed oil plus palm oil supplement, linseed oil, palm oil, and control without supplementation. In assay II, isolated soy protein plus brewer’s yeast, isolated soy protein, brewer’s yeast, and control without supplementation were evaluated. The following production financial indicators were determined: net operating income, total cost, profit and benefit-cost ratio. Supplements made with mixtures of linseed oil plus palm oil and isolated soy protein plus beer yeast showed ratios between the obtained profit and the calculated values for indirect production costs of 2.58 and 2.50, respectively, differing from the control (p < 0.05), which indicates it is economically viable to supplement Africanized honey bees in royal jelly production when compared to other treatments and control without supplementation.

Cómo Lidiar con Abejas Africanas: Una Guía Práctica

ENY-141S, a 4-page fact sheet by M. K. O’Malley, J. D. Ellis, Pablo Herrera, and A. S. Neal, is the Spanish language version of ENY-141/IN739 What to do about African Honey Bees: A Consumer Guide. It provides information about Africanized honey bees (AHB), which have been labeled "killer" bees, steps people can take to avoid negative interactions, how to handle stings, and bee-proofing basics. Published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, August 2010.

Aethina tumida (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) and Oplostomus haroldi (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): Occurrence in Kenya, Distribution Within Honey Bee Colonies, and Responses to Host Odors

Abstract Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) is considered a minor parasitic pest of African honey bee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), colonies, but little information is available on other coleopteran pests. We surveyed for A. tumida and other beetles in honey bee colonies at four major beekeeping locations: Watamu, Chawia-Taita, Matuu, and Nairobi in Kenya and compared their distribution within the colonies. The presence of A. tumida was confirmed in all the colonies surveyed, whereas Oplostomus haroldi Witte (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) was found for the first time to be associated with honey bee colonies in varying numbers at all the sites, except that none were found in colonies in Nairobi. More than 90% of A. tumida and O. haroldi were found in Watamu and Chawia, located within the coastal province of Kenya. Although A. tumida was found mostly on the bottom board of the hives, consistent with previous reports, O. haroldi was found on the frames. Laboratory bioassays using a two-choice olfactometer showed that both beetle species were significantly attracted to worker honey bee volatiles and commercial pollen dough inoculated with the yeast Kodamaea ohmeri associated with A. tumida. Based on these findings, we report for the first time O. haroldi as a pest of African honey bee colonies in Kenya, We propose that differences in their densities recorded in the colonies may be due to dissimilarities in the colony environments in the areas surveyed and that odor-baited traps that have been successfully been used to manage populations of A. tumida also will be suitable for use against O. haroldi.

Variation in and Responses to Brood Pheromone of the Honey Bee (APIS mellifera L.)

The 10 fatty acid ester components of brood pheromone were extracted from larvae of different populations of USA and South African honey bees and subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry quantitative analysis. Extractable amounts of brood pheromone were not significantly different by larval population; however, differences in the proportions of components enabled us to classify larval population of 77% of samples correctly by discriminant analysis. Honeybee releaser and primer pheromone responses to USA, Africanized and-European pheromone blends were tested. Texas-Africanized and Georgia-European colonies responded with a significantly greater ratio of returning pollen foragers when treated with a blend from the same population than from a different population. There was a significant interaction of pheromone blend by adult population source among Georgia-European bees for modulation of sucrose response threshold, a primer response. Brood pheromone blend variation interacted with population for pollen foraging response of colonies, suggesting a self recognition cue for this pheromone releaser behavior. An interaction of pheromone blend and population for priming sucrose response thresholds among workers within the first week of adult life suggested a more complex interplay of genotype, ontogeny, and pheromone blend.

In Search of an Appropriate Beekeeping Technology for African Honey Bees

Dr Edrich founded the Manyara Project which is now being helped by a group of Dutch beekeepers. It aims to develop innovative and appropriate technology for African beekeeping. The project is partly financed by Health Initiatives, St. Joseph's, Baltimore and Durango, Denver.

Mating frequencies of Africanized honey bees in the south western USA

SummaryEmerging evidence suggests that there are significant adaptive advantages conferred to genetically diverse honey bee colonies through multiple matings with queens. We determined the intracolony genetic diversity of Africanized honey bee (AHB) colonies from a feral population in the south western USA. A total of 1,253 worker offspring were genotyped from 20 feral colonies (all but three of African mitotype), four managed AHB, three managed European honey bee (EHB), and four control colonies (headed by EHB queens instrumentally inseminated with one, two, five, or ten drones, respectively) using eight microsatellite markers. The 17 feral AHB queens mated with an average of 20.0 ± 6.53 (range 10–32) drones, resulting in effective paternity frequencies of 20.0 ± 8.46 (range 10.56–37.53), which is one of the highest mating numbers recorded within the species. Though Africanized honey bee colonies are among the most genetically diverse Apis mellifera yet recorded, their queen mating frequencies are within the expected range of the species overall, including African honey bees in their native range. The factors responsible for these findings are discussed.

Differences Between European and African Honey Bees

ENY147, a 3-page illustrated fact sheet by M. K. O’Malley, J. D. Ellis, and C. M. Zettel Nalen, describes key differences between the aggressive African bee and the docile European honey bee, including hive defense and stinging, swarming and absconding, and selection of nesting site. Includes additional resources. Published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, October 2009. ENY-147/IN784: Differences Between European and African Honey Bees (ufl.edu)

African Honey Bee, Africanized Honey Bee, Killer Bee, Apis mellifera scutellata Lepeletier (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Revised! EENY-429, a 7-page illustrated fact sheet by James D. Ellis and Amanda Ellis, is part of the Featured Creatures collection. It describes a subspecies of western honey bee occurring naturally in sub-Saharan Africa that has been introduced into the Americas — distribution, description, life cycle and biology, public risks, economic impact, and management. Includes selected references. Published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, February 2009. Revised November 2009. EENY 429/IN790: African Honey Bee, Africanized Honey Bee, Killer Bee, Apis mellifera scutellata Lepeletier (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apidae) (ufl.edu)

Living with African Bees in Florida's Outdoor Workplaces

ENY-146, a 5-page illustrated fact sheet by M. K. O’Malley and J. D. Ellis, offers African honey bee related recommendations and precautions specific to outdoor workers in Florida. Includes additional resources. Published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, June 2008. ENY-146/IN783: Living with African Bees in Florida's Outdoor Workplaces (ufl.edu)

Brains and brain components in African and European honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) - a volumetric comparison

Brains and brain components in African and European honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) - a volumetric comparison

Características das colônias de abelhas africanizadas (&lt;em&gt;Apis mellifera&lt;/em&gt; L.), coletadas de alojamentos naturais em Jaboticabal, Estado de São Paulo

The experiment was conducted to observe characteristics of African honey bee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera Apidae) swarms collected in nature, for 16 years (1981 to 1996), in Jaboticabal , state of Sao Paulo -Brasil . During the collection, location, presence of queen, position of the swarms in the nature (exposed or housed), brood and food area, aggressiveness and quantity of honeybees were evaluated. The position of the combs was observed in relation to entrance of the beehive, classifying them in perpendicular and parallel. 51.43% of the swarms were collected in Faculdade de Ciencias Agrarias e Veterinarias , especially in reforestation area and nature reserve. Only 18.6% of the swarms were exposed and 81.4% were housed inside cavities. In housed swarms, the honeybees preferred to install their swarms under roofs (30.0%), hollows of trees (20.0%), inside cement cavities (12.9%) and in soil hollows (10.0%). The honey bees were not aggressive in 86.2% of the collected swarms and preferred to build their combs in perpendicular position (70.4%) to the entrance of the beehive in relation to the parallel one (29.6%). Regarding the amount of individuals, brood and food, we observed that 54.7% of the 70 swarms had a lot of bees, 43.9% had medium area of brood and 51.7% presented little area of food. The queen was observed in half of the collected swarms (56.4%).

What to do about African Honey Bees: A Consumer Guide

ENY-141, a 3-page fact sheet by M. K. O’Malley, J. D. Ellis, and A. S. Neal, provides information about Africanized honey bees (AHB), which have been labeled “killer” bees, steps people can take to avoid negative interactions, how to handle stings, and bee-proofing basics. Published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2007.

African Honey Bee Information for School Administrators

ENY-142, a 2-page fact sheet by M. K. O’Malley, J. D. Ellis, and A. S. Neal, provides information about Africanized honey bees (AHB), precautions that can be taken on school grounds, an administrator’s checklist, and additional resources. Published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2007. ENY-142/IN740: African Honey Bee Information for School Administrators (ufl.edu)

Brains and brain components in African and European honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)—a volumetric comparison

SummaryThe volumes of brains and major brain regions were compared between European (EHB) and African (AHB) honey bee workers. The brain volume was not significantly different between the two bee races. The overall composition of major brain regions appeared similar except for the lobes of the mushroom bodies, which were significantly larger in EHB. Discriminant analysis indicated that brains from EHB could be distinguished from those of AHB based on the volumes of the central body together with either the mushroom body lobe or the mushroom body calyx. Whether learning and memory capacities differ between AHB and EHB based on the size of mushroom body lobes and whether the differences are adaptive due to the environments where EHB and AHB originated are discussed.

Queen replacement in African and European honey bee colonies with and without afterswarms

We examined the dynamics of the queen replacement process in African and European colonies that did and did not produce afterswarms. In colonies without afterswarms, the queen replacement process was completed in 24–48 hours, the first-emerging virgin queen (VQ) typically inherited the natal nest even if multiple queens emerged, workers performed few vibration signals on emerged queens, and all signaling activity was directed toward early emerging VQs. In contrast, if colonies did produce afterswarms, the queen replacement process required 5–6 days, there was no advantage for first-emerging queens, vibration rates on emerged queens were 25 times greater, and signaling activity was directed toward all VQs. Although vibration signal activity was more pronounced in colonies with afterswarms, the signal was consistently associated with increased VQ survival under all conditions. These trends were exhibited similarly in the African and European colonies, suggesting that they have broad applicability to queen-replacement decisions over a range of environmental and racial conditions. However, the African and European colonies differed in the total number of queens involved in the elimination process and the relative importance of queen duels and pre-emergence destruction under the different reproductive strategies. Taken together, our results suggest that worker behavior is a major determinant for the outcome of queen replacement, either through reduced interactions that allow first-emerged queens to rapidly eliminate rivals, or through increased use of interactions such as the vibration signal, which may allow workers to influence the ultimate fate of each emerged VQ. We discuss the possibility that these behavior patterns may reflect the roles of cooperation and conflict in shaping honey bee reproductive decisions.