Frames Of Bees Research Articles

Effects of temperature adjustment with a heating device in weak honey bee colonies in cold seasons.

Temperature adjustment was used to buffer against changes in external environmental temperature by a heating device. Two groups of honey bee colonies Apis mellifera anatoliaca were used: one as experimental (20) and the other control (10), which were equalized in terms of the number of brood frames, frames with bees, food, hive materials, and health treatments. The experimental colonies were heated during the cold season, and the temperature and humidity inside the hive were recorded. The number of frames of brood, frames of bees, and Varroa destructor mite numbers were also determined for all hives. Results suggest that the number of brood frames and frames with bees increased significantly in the hives with the heating treatment. However, varroa mite numbers also increased significantly in the heated colonies in comparison to the control colonies. Colony losses were significantly less (15%) in heated colonies compared to a 40% loss in control colonies. This is the first account demonstrating that using simple heating devices can support weak colonies during the cold season in general, and colony losses can be reduced significantly from this heating treatment in cold seasons.

Comparison of indoor (refrigerated) versus outdoor winter storage of commercial honey bee, Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae), colonies in the Western United States.

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are critical to the pollination of many important crops in the United States, and one crop that demands large numbers of colonies early each year is almonds. To provide adequate numbers of colonies for almond pollination, many beekeepers move colonies of bees to high-density holding yards in California in late fall, where the bees can fly and forage, but little natural pollen and nectar is available. In recent years, high colony losses have occurred in some operations following this management strategy, and alternative approaches, including indoor storage of colonies, have become more commonly used. The current study evaluated colonies kept indoors (refrigerated and/or controlled atmosphere) for the winter compared with those kept outdoors in either Washington or California. Colonies were evaluated for strength (frames of bees), brood area, lipid composition of worker bees, colony weight and survival, parasitic mites (Varroa mites, tracheal mites), and pathogens (Nosema spp.). No differences were found in colony weight, survival, parasitic mite levels, or pathogen prevalence among the treatments. Colonies stored indoors and outdoors in WA had significantly more frames of bees and less brood present after the storage period than colonies stored outdoors in CA. Lipid composition of honey bees stored indoors was significantly higher than colonies stored outdoors in WA or CA. The implications of these findings for overall colony health and improved pollination activity are discussed.

Effects of hive entrance orientation on honey bee colony activity

In an effort to determine the effects of the orientation of hive entrance on honey bee colony activity and temperature, hives were placed facing different cardinal directions (3–5 hives per direction). Hive weight was recorded every 5 minutes and temperature every 30 minutes from April 2019 to June 2020. Daily weight data were analyzed using piecewise regression. In southern Arizona from December to March, hives facing east started daily flight activity 50 minutes earlier than hives facing west and ended flight activity 57 minutes earlier than hives facing south. During that period east-facing hives had the lowest daily hive weight loss, 62 g per d compared to 100 g per d for north-facing hives. East-facing hives were also about 7 °C cooler on average than west-facing hives, suggesting that lower hive weight loss was due to lower food consumption which was directly related to lower colony cluster temperatures. From December to March hives facing east also had significantly lower morning weight loss due to departing foragers than hives facing north (indicating more foragers) but higher weight loss from April to June 2020. Most effects were observed from December to March, probably due to restricted daylight hours and lower ambient temperatures. No significant effects were observed with respect to visually-estimated adult bee numbers (frames of bees) or the surface areas of the sealed brood. We recommend hive orientation be taken into account in the design of field experiments that involve monitoring colony activity.

Landscape factors influencing honey bee colony behavior in Southern California commercial apiaries

Colony brood levels, frames of bees (adult bee mass) and internal hive temperature were monitored for 60 colonies for each of two years as they were moved from agricultural, tree crop and mountain landscapes in southern California to blueberry and almond pollination sites. Hive weight was also continuously monitored for 20 of those hives for 6 weeks for both years, during commercial pollination. Pesticide residues in wax, honey and beebread samples were analyzed by composite apiary samples. While colonies in mountain sites had more adult bees and brood than those in agricultural sites in August, by October brood levels were higher in colonies from agricultural sites. Though hives from different original landscapes differed in size in October, hive assessments revealed no differences between the groups after co-wintering when graded for commercial almond pollination. Beebread from hives in agricultural sites had greater agrochemical diversity and in general higher pesticide hazard quotients than those from mountain sites, but those hives also had higher and more constant temperatures from September until January than hives from mountain sites. Hives placed in commercial almond pollination gained on average 287 g per d, compared to an average loss of 68 g per d for colonies in commercial blueberry pollination, although weight data indicated greater foraging effort by colonies in blueberries, possibly due to the proximity and abundance of almond pollen during bloom. Temperature monitoring was effective at distinguishing hive groups and had the best overall value in terms of equipment, installation, colony disturbance and information yield.

Towards integrated control of varroa: 3) mortality proportion from early spring trapping in drone brood

We determined the proportion of varroa mites, Varroa destructor, in capped drone cells in southern England in spring, when drone rearing was beginning and was at a high level. We introduced two separate test frames of foundation (2/3 drone cells and 1/3 worker cells) into 20 honey bee hives, the first on 2 May, when drone rearing was just starting, and the second on 3 June 2013. Varroa populations were determined per colony by extracting mites from samples of worker bees, and from sealed drone cells and sealed worker cells in the test frame, and from additional samples of sealed worker cells. Samples were collected three times on 2 May, 3 June and 28 June. Colony populations were estimated from photographs of frames of bees and brood. The drone cells in the first and second test frames represented 14 and 11% of all capped brood cells (drone + worker combined) and trapped 44 and 48% of all the mites in the colonies, respectively. Sealed drone cells had 13 times as many mites as sealed worker cells, on average. We conclude that trapping in drone brood is not very effective in controlling varroa within bee hives, even when carried out in early spring with a trap frame that allows all the capped drone cells in each hive to be removed. By reducing a colony’s varroa population by 46%, slightly less than one population doubling is needed to restore the varroa population to its previous level. In the study area varroa populations double c. 5–6 time in one year. Thus, the duration of control from one month’s drone trapping is only 2 months.

Negative evidence for effects of genetic origin of bees on Nosema ceranae, positive evidence for effects of Nosema ceranae on bees

In two tests, honey bee colonies of different origins were sampled monthly to detect possible differential infection with Nosema ceranae; colony sizes and queen status were monitored quarterly. One experiment used queens crossed with drones of the same type obtained from colonies which had previously exhibited high and low infections. A second experiment used queens from ten commercial sources. No clear genotypic (P = 0.682) or phenotypic (P = 0.623) differences in infection were evident. Colony deaths and supersedures did not relate significantly with infection except for deaths of colonies in the autumn (P = 0.02). Significant effects on colony growth were found in all seasons: average 3-month decreases in population ranged from 0.4 to 1.4 frames of bees per million N. ceranae per bee. These results confirm that N. ceranae can be involved in weakening of colonies even in warm climates and suggest that breeding for resistance may require more intense selection, larger base populations, or different screening methods.

Efficacy and safety of the insecticidal small hive beetle refuge trap APITHOR™ in bee hives

AbstractResearch into the insecticidal control of adult small hive beetle culminated in the development of an insecticidal refuge trap for deployment inside commercial bee colonies. The device (APITHOR™) is comprised of a two‐piece rigid plastic shell encasing a fipronil‐treated corrugated cardboard insert. Comparison of key hive health parameters (frames of bees, area of brood and weight of honey produced) between ‘control’ and APITHOR™‐treated hives demonstrated no significant differences over a 6‐week trial conducted during a spring honey flow. Mean fiprole (fipronil plus its toxic metabolites) residues in honey ripened while the devices were in place did not exceed the limit of quantification (1 µg/kg). In a 36‐day field trial conducted in a beetle‐infested apiary, all live adult beetles were eliminated from hives containing APITHOR™, while beetle numbers increased by approximately 20% in co‐located control hives.

The over wintering survival of highly Varroa destructor infested honey bee colonies determined to be hygienic using the liquid nitrogen freeze killed brood assay

SummaryA study was performed to test the over wintering survival of honey bee (Apis mellifera anatoliaca) colonies heavily infested with Varroa destructor which had been found to be ‘hygienic’ using a liquid nitrogen freeze killed brood assay. 563 colonies in 11 apiaries were screened for hygienic behaviour at different times of the season. Frames of bees were randomly exchanged among test colonies to equalize colony size and mite load. Double-selected hygienic and unselected control colonies were left to over winter to test for survival. Only two out of 25 colonies survived, and one of them was from the double-selected group and the other one from unselected control group. The results suggest that hygienic behaviour as determined by the freeze killed brood assay may not be a predictor of resistance to V. destructor.

Overwintering of honey bee queens en mass in reservoir colonies in a temperate climate and its effect on queen performance

SUMMARYThe mass storage of mated honey bee (Apis mellifera) queens in reservoir colonies over the winter was investigated under continental climatic conditions. The mated queens were stored in (a) queenright reservoir (QRR) colonies on a frame with partitioned honeycomb, (b) QRR colonies on frame holding wire screen cages, (c) queenless reservoir (QLR) colonies on frame with partitioned honeycomb, and (d) QLR colonies on frame holding wire screen cages. In addition to mass storage, the queens were individually wintered in colonies held in Kirchainer mating hives and in 5–frame nucleus hives with standard combs as the control group. The queen survival in reservoir colonies was observed from October 2000 to March 2001. No queen survived the winter in QRR colonies, whereas 16.7% of the queens stored in screen cages and 40.5% of the queens on honeycomb in QLR colonies survived for five months. The queen survival in mating hives and in 5–frame nucleus hives was 80.0% and 83.3%, respectively. Reproductive performances of surviving queens overwintered in reservoir colonies, mating hives and 5–frame nucleus hives were evaluated by comparing brood areas and adult bee populations produced in test colonies. There were no differences in numbers of frames of bees and in brood production of queens in test colonies. Thus, mass storage of queens over the winter did not impair their reproductive performance.