Foraging Behavior Of Honey Bees Research Articles

Biological Insights Into Robotics: Honeybee Foraging Behavior by a Waggle Dance

A honeybee informs her nestmates of flower locations by a unique behavior called a 'waggle dance'. We regard this behavior as a good model of the 'propagation and sharing of knowledge' to maintain a society. We have attempted to reveal how this dance benefits the colony using mathematical models and computer simulation based on parameters obtained from observations of bee behavior. Our simulation indicated that the most successful forages were made by a putative bee colony that used the dance to communicate. Video analysis of worker honeybee behavior in the field showed that a bee does not dance in a single, random place in the hive, but waggles several times in one place and several times in another. The orientation and duration of waggle runs varied from run to run, within ranges of ±15° and ±15%, respectively. We also found that most of the bees that listened to the waggle dance turned away from the dancer after listening to one or two runs. These data suggest that honeybees use the waggle dance as a method of communication, but that they must base their forages on ambiguous information about the location of a food source.

Effect of intensity of bee visitation and the foraging behaviour of honeybees on the fruit set and yield of apple (Malus domestica Borkh.)

Based on the results of our experiments, both the relative and the effective intensity of bee visitation were rather different depending on the cultivars as well as the time of the day. While it varied between relatively extreme values (40-80%) in the morning for the varieties examined, there were much smaller differences between the intensity of bee visitation at the afternoon, because the relative bee visitation attained 70-90% at each cultivar. These results showed that the differences arising from intensity of bee visitation of different cultivars should be taken into consideration more carefully in the morning in orchard planning and in estimating the number of honeybee colonies required.
 The results showed that the greatest percentage of fruit set and the highest number of viable seeds per fruit were measured on branches of those cultivars that were most frequently visited by pure pollen gatherer bees as well as by bees collecting both nectar and pollen (mixed behaviour). The effect of pure pollen gatherers and of bees with mixed behaviour was highly significant from the statistical point of view on the fruit set and the number of viable seeds per fruit.
 Those bees that were sucking nectar only from apple flowers did not proved to be effective pollinators at all. Relationship between their number and the fruit set as well as the number of viable seed per fruit were not significant because the coefficient of correlation was close to nil.
 The ratio of side worker nectar gatherers was negatively correlated with the fruit set and the seed content of fruits of apple cultivars examined at both of our experimental sites, at Mosonmagyaróvár and Feketeerdő as well. The presence of side worker nectar gatherers resulted in higher decrease of fruit set and seed content of fruits at Feketeerd6 than at Mosonmagyaróvár, especially in the morning.
 The effect of flower visiting intensity by other pollinating insects was found to be fairly variable according to the time of the day. In the morning they had no effect on the fruit set as well as on the seed content of fruits either at Mosonmagyaróvár or at Feketeerdo. However, at the afternoon, when their intensity was greater, the correlation was a bit stronger.

Pleiotropy, epistasis and new QTL: the genetic architecture of honey bee foraging behavior.

The regulation of division of labor in social insects, particularly in the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.), has received considerable attention from a number of biological subdisciplines, including quantitative and behavioral genetics, because of the high complexity of the behavioral traits involved. The foraging choices of honey bee workers can be accurately quantified, and previous studies have made the foraging behavior of honey bees one of the best studied naturally occurring behavioral phenotypes. Three quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been identified that influence a set of foraging variables, including the concentration of nectar collected and the amount of pollen and nectar brought back to the hive. This study extends previous genetic investigations and represents the most comprehensive investigation of the genetic architecture of these foraging variables. We examined the effects of markers for the three established QTL and for one further candidate gene (Amfor), in two reciprocal backcross populations. These populations were also used to carry out two new QTL mapping studies, with over 400 Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) markers in each. We detected a variety of effects of the genetic markers for the established QTL and the candidate gene, which were mostly epistatic in nature. A few new QTL could be detected with a variety of mapping techniques. Our results add complexity to the genetic architecture of the foraging behavior of the honey bee. Specifically, we support the hypotheses that pln1, pln2, pln3, and Amfor are involved in the regulation of foraging behavior in the honey bee and add some new factors that deserve further study in the future.

Are honey bees' foraging preferences affected by pollen amino acid composition?

Abstract. 1. Although pollen is a vital nutritional resource for honey bees, Apis mellifera, the influence of pollen quality on their foraging behaviour is little understood.2. In choice‐test experiments, bees showed no innate pollen‐foraging preferences, but preferred oilseed rape Brassica napus pollen over field bean Vicia faba pollen after previous foraging experience of oilseed rape.3. The free amino acid content of oilseed rape and field bean pollen was compared using high‐performance liquid chromatography. Oilseed rape pollen contained a greater proportion of the most essential amino acids required by honey bees (valine, leucine, and isoleucine) than field bean, suggesting that oilseed rape pollen is of greater nutritional quality for honey bees than is field bean pollen.4. Honey bee foraging preferences appeared to reflect pollen quality. The hypothesis that pollen amino acid composition affects the foraging behaviour of honey bees is discussed.

Risk-indifferent foraging behaviour in honeybees

We studied the influence of variance in reward volume on choice behaviour of honeybees, Apis mellifera carnica, by training bees to collect sucrose solution from four newly developed artificial feeders. The feeders were electromechanical devices, each controlled by a microprocessor, which monitored the experiments, controlled reward delivery and stored the data. The parameters that varied between the feeders were the amount and variance of reward. The four feeders were arranged in two pairs, with the two feeders in each pair set to the same reward parameters. Constant feeders offered a fixed amount of sucrose solution at each bee visit; variable feeders offered a normally distributed reward with a standard deviation equal to the mean. We tested three reward combinations under two variance conditions. The bees matched their choice frequencies to the mean amount of reward. This applied both to the constant and the variable feeders. Thus the bees were able to discriminate feeders by the amount of reward and were able to estimate the mean reward for the variable flowers. The proportion of immediate returns to the same feeder increased with the amount of sucrose solution imbibed at each visit, indicating that bees were able to perceive the amount of reward at each visit. However, there was no influence of variance on the choice behaviour of the bees, ruling out the possibility that bees are risk sensitive under these conditions. We discuss risk indifference in choice behaviour of bees in the context of several models of risk sensitivity.

Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) visitation at the flowers of quince cultivars (Cydonia oblonga Mill.)

Studies were made on the bee visitation of 6 quince cultivars and on the foraging behaviour of honeybees at quince flowers for 3 consecutive years. The bee visitation was highly intense because both the plantation and its surrounding was overpopulated by honeybee colonies. Some 5.5 bee visits were counted in average at 50 opening quince flowers in 10 minutes and some 9.7 flowers were visited of the 50 ones observed meanwhile. This equals some 7 bee visits per flower per day per in good weather. Bee visitation, however, was variable and it was greatly different in the three consecutive years with fairly favourable weather. Some cultivars tended to be more and others less visited by honeybees than the others but these differences were not consequent at each occasion. No consequent relationship between the weather and the bee visitation of quince trees could be recognised. It was concluded that .other factors were responsible for the variable nature of the bee activity at quince. Most honeybees tended to collect pollen (51.6% in average for the 3 years) and usually much less gathered for nectar only (19.9%), and the rest of them were mixed behaviour foragers gathering for both (28.5%). There were some slight differences in the foraging behaviour of honeybees at some cultivars but these differences were not always consequent in consecutive years. Also the nectar production of flowers failed to affect the bee visitation and the foraging behaviour of honeybees definitely. For the variable nature of bee visitation and bee behaviour at quince flowers, supplementary pollination is needed to achieve as high set of fruits as high is required to a good crop at quince (at least 20-25% because the flower density is low of this fruit tree species). Since the intensity of bee visitation at the flowers is the only reliable estimate of the necessity of supplementary bee pollination further research is needed to explore the relationship between the number of honeybee visits and the consequent fruit set at quince.

A bee flight room designed for studies of bee foraging behaviour

SUMMARYA new design for a bee flight room is described, which is suitable for observing the foraging behaviour of honey bees and bumble bees. The most novel feature of this room is the use of prismatic reflectors to create even illumination within the room which measures 4.7×4.7 × 2.7 m high. The angular radiance of distribution of light in the room was measured using a spectrophotometer and this demonstrated that the 8 luminaire units used were sufficient for even illumination, thus considerably reducing the number of such units normally required for rooms of this size. Both UV and ‘white’ fluorescent tubes were incorporated, thus providing light which is suitable for both bees and the human observers within the room. Air conditioning units were placed in two corners of the room to maintain a temperature of 25° ± 1°C and relative humidity of 60% ± 5%, and a Ven- taxia extraction fan was used to ensure good circulation of fresh air within the room. To assess the suitability of the flight room for behavioural studies, a number of experiments were conducted. These included detailed observations on the foraging pattern of a bumble bee colony over a 6-day period as well as the use of computer software to compare, in detail, the foraging behaviour of individual honey bees and individual bumble bees. Since the room was commissioned, a number of colonies have been kept in the room and honey bees have successfully reared brood and survived many months. Although the room cannot totally simulate outdoor conditions, studying bees under such controlled conditions allows very detailed studies to be undertaken and we describe several further studies which we will undertake in the future.

Honeybee Foraging Behavior, In-Hive Survival of Infectious, Pollen-Borne Blueberry Leaf Mottle Virus and Transmission of the Virus in Highbush Blueberry

Factors associated with honeybees that facilitate the spread of pollen-borne blueberry leaf mottle nepovirus (BBLMV) to highbush blueberries were examined. These factors included the longevity of infectious BBLMV in the honeybee colony and in-hive pollen transfer within and between colonies. Blueberry leaf mottle virus remained infectious for at least 10 days within colonies of the honeybee, which is the primary pollinator. Flowering blueberry plants were caged for various periods with colonies of honeybees derived from a blueberry farm where a high percentage of bushes were infected by BBLMV (...)

Age-related foraging behaviour in honey bees under artificial conditions

Analyse du comportement d'approvisionnement chez A. mellifera et de la repartition de ce comportement en fonction de l'âge des ouvrieres. Comparaison de ces resultats obtenus en milieu naturel a ceux obtenus en milieu controle. Evaluation du degre de flexibilite de la repartition des tâches

Effects of Fungicide Sprays During Apple Bloom on Pollen Viability and Honey Bee Foraging

Fungicide applications were made during apple, Malus domestica Borkch., bloom to determine the duration of fungicide effects on pollen viability in the field and whether spray applications affect the foraging behavior of honey bees. Apis mellifera L. Fungicide sprays did not affect the numbers of honey bees foraging on trees or their foraging behavior. Mean percent pollen germination was depressed to levels between 12.2 and 31.1% by captan and to 29.5% by Dikar 2 h after spray application. Recovery of pollen viability required 24 to 48 h, depending upon orchard conditions. Benlate, Polyram, Baycor, and Topsin-M had no significant effect on pollen viability. The rapid recovery of pollen viability after initial spray applications and the lack of effect on flower visitation by bees indicate minimal effects on pollination or fruit set under most conditions.

Foraging Behaviour of Honeybees on Golden Delicious Apple

SummaryEarlier work had demonstrated that in mixed plantings of Delicious and Golden Delicious apple (Malus domesticus Borkh), the flower structure of Delicious influenced the foraging behaviour of honeybees on Golden Delicious flowers, thereby reducing pollination efficiency. In an orchard composed of Golden Delicious alone, the ‘sideworking’ foraging behaviour observed in mixed plantings was not observed.

Morphological and ultraviolet absorption differences between fertile and sterile anthers of Japanese apricot cultivars in relation to their pollination stimuli

Antheral structures and their UV absorption properties were compared between malesterile and fertile cultivars of Japanese apricot ( Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc.) in relation to the foraging behavior of honey bees. Floral structures of male-sterile cultivars were not different from those of male-fertile ones. However, sterile anthers contained many shrivelled pollen grains which aborted after exine sculpture formation and which were firmly fixed to the anther wall. Photographic observations under UV light showed that most of the floral parts, sepals, petals, anthers and pistil, could absorb UV in all cultivars. However, yellow fluorescence was emitted only from dehiscent male-sterile anthers. Nectars from all cultivars emitted aquamarine fluorescence upon UV absorption. It is very likely that visual differences between sterile and fertile anthers observed under UV light relate to the foraging of honey bees, provided that fluorescence could be accepted by insect vision.

Foraging Behavior of Honey Bees on ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Delicious’ Apple1

Abstract “Sideworking,” a foraging behavior of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) which does not result in pollination, previously has been reported to occur on blossoms of ‘Delicious’ cultivar (Malus domestica Borkh.). “Sideworking” is also apparent on the blossoms of ‘Golden Delicious’ cultivar. The structure of a ‘Golden Delicious’ blossom, a commonly used pollinizer of ‘Delicious’ cultivar, permits honey bees to forage for nectar by standing on the petals of the blossom while forcing their proboscises through the stamens. As a result, the honey bees usually do not contact the blossom’s anthers and pollen transfer is unlikely. In an orchard of ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Delicious’ cultivars where ‘Delicious’ bloomed slightly ahead of ‘Golden Delicious’, the percentage of honey bees working from the side on the blossoms of ‘Golden Delicious’ was initially high but dropped as the bloom of ‘Golden Delicious’ advanced. A preponderance of sideworking honey bees on the pollinizer ‘Golden Delicious’ during the period in which the blossoms of ‘Delicious’ optimally set fruit might have a negative effect on fruit shape and/or fruit set of ‘Delicious’ apples.

Honey Bee Foraging Behavior: Responses to Queens, Larvae, and Extracts of Larvae1

Workers of Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) from small colonies collected more syrup in cages and more nectar in the open when a caged queen was present in the hive than when no queen was present. Free-flying colonies containing larvae but no queens collected more nectar than similar colonies provided with an alcoholic extract of larvae and their food. When nectar was available, free-flying colonies with queens had more incoming bees per 4 minutes and more pollen carriers per 4 minutes than colonies without queens but with larvae or brood extracts. When nectar was not available, queenless colonies with larvae had the greatest number and percent of pollen foragers of all treatments. Extracts of larvae and their food appeared to increase both nectar and pollen foraging in the presence of a queen. However, the response was not always clearly evident, and the pheromone responsible was not identified. When nectar was freely available, foraging bees apparently collected pollen incident to nectar collection, thereby creating the appearance of a direct influence by the queen on pollen collection. However, in the absence of available nectar, when pollen also was less readily available, larvae exerted more influence on pollen collection than did the queen.