Honey Supers Research Articles

Correction to: Requeening queenright honey bee colonies with queen cells in honey supers

Correction to: Requeening queenright honey bee colonies with queen cells in honey supers

Requeening queenright honey bee colonies with queen cells in honey supers.

Many Canadian beekeepers replace a subset of their honey bee queens annually. However, introducing a new queen to a honey bee colony is a management practice with a high degree of uncertainty. Despite the consensus that it is most effective to introduce queens to queenless colonies, some commercial beekeepers claim success with introducing queen cells into the honey super of queenright colonies. We tested the success rate of this practice by introducing queen cells to 100 queenright colonies in southern Alberta during a honey flow. The genotypes of the resultant offspring drones were determined using the microsatellite marker A76 to identify their laying queen mothers. Our results show that new queens successfully supersede original queens in 6% of queenright colonies, suggesting that the practice does not result in the new queen taking over leadership in most colonies. Additionally, supersedure by daughter queens is more common (13%) than new queen supersedure when introducing queen cells to queenright colonies during a honey flow. However, there could be a benefit to the practice of requeening queenright colonies with queen cells in honey supers if the colonies that accepted a new queen (whether a daughter of or unrelated to the old queen) were colonies with a failing queen.

MANUFACTURE AND EVALUATION OF A SOLAR UNIT FOR MANAGING APIARY

Honey bees are a vital part of the food chain, as it consider the most important pollinator for most crops. Beehive boxes must be inspected, cured, fed with syrup and repaired fairly often. The main objectives of this study were to manufacture and evaluate of a unit for safe inspection, optimum syrup fed, quick identify of different states of the bee colony, maximize the colony health and prevent colony losses. The new unit provided with several subunits such as: a holding rack with a shallow dripping drawer; Ultra Violet (UV) sterilization cabinet; climate indicator; hives and honey supers carrier; sugar syrup feeder; swarm vacuum; solar power system and control panel. The evaluation included two inspection methods; Four levels of UV lamp intensity (556, 711, 813, and 933 µW/cm2); three operation times of the UV lamp (2.67, 5.34 and 8.01 s); and four levels of air speed for the swarm vacuum (2.7, 6.7, 8.6 and 9.4 m/s). Significant decrease in crushing bees number (82.6 %); bee stings (62.7 %); mean time needed for one hive inspection (37.5%), mean time needed for hive feeding (28.57%) and percentage of damaged combs (71.43 %) were detected when using the new unit. Significant increase in sterilization efficiency and suction efficiency were detected when using ultra violet light for sugar syrup treatment and the swarm vacuum subunit for catching bees, respectively. Also, there was a little percentage of dead bees at higher suction air speeds, so it is recommended to use the new managing unit.

Utilização de potes artificiais por Melipona fasciculata Smith, 1854 (tiúba) para produção de mel em diferentes modelos de colmeias

Apesar do seu alto valor e potencial de produção, a meliponicultura é carente de práticas tecnológicas que aprimorem o processo de extração dos produtos. Neste trabalho objetivou-se comparar a aceitação de potes artificiais por Melipona fasciculata na produção de mel em diferentes modelos de colmeias. O experimento foi realizado entre os meses de agosto a dezembro de 2017, no povoado Limoeiro, município de Viana, Baixada Maranhense (Brasil). Foram utilizados potes artificiais de acrílico de 50ml em melgueiras de diferentes modelos de colmeia (PNN, MARTHI, EMBRAPA). Foram observadas a aceitabilidade e a produção de mel dentro dos potes artificiais. Mensalmente, os potes cheios e fechados foram retirados e encaminhados para o Laboratório, sendo substituídos por potes artificiais vazios. Resultados indicaram maior aceitação de potes artificiais pelas abelhas no modelo de colmeia EMBRAPA. No dendrograma de similaridade, baseado nas distâncias de Bray-Curtis, ocorreu forte agrupamento (95%) entre as colmeias PNN e MARTHI, sendo o modelo EMBRAPA o mais dissimilar. A produção de mel em potes artificiais de acrílico pode ser uma alternativa prática, higiênica e econômica, sendo uma forma inovadora de produzir e consumir o mel.

Bee Bread Cells in Honey Super Distort The Results of Pollen Analysis of Honey

Abstract The pollen analysis is currently the only reliable test to determine honey variety, but the results are sometimes burdened with error. The main reason for this is additional pollen that got into honey in a way other than with nectar collected by bees but through the centrifugation of combs containing bee bread cells. Studies were conducted in 2012 - 2013 on how different numbers of bee bread cells placed in the honey super influence lime honey pollen analysis. Bee bread pollen getting into honey during extraction in centrifugal-force honey extractors was proven to significantly influence the results of pollen analysis. In some extreme cases, it might skew the results so much that correct determination of honey variety by pollen analysis is no longer possible.

Impact of beneficial bacteria supplementation on the gut microbiota, colony development and productivity of Apis mellifera L.

Honey bees are important pollinators of several crops and ecosystems, having a great ecological and economic value. In Europe, the restricted use of chemicals and therapeutic agents in the beekeeping sector has stimulated the search for natural alternatives with a special focus on gut symbionts. The modulation of the gut microbiota has been recognised as a practical and successful approach in the entomological field for the management of insect-related problems. To date, only a few studies have investigated the effect of bacterial supplementation on the health status of colonies, colony productivity and gut symbionts. To this purpose, a preparation of sugar syrup containing bifidobacteria and lactobacilli isolated from bee gut was sprayed on the frames of an apiary located in open field once a week for four weeks. Treated and control hives were monitored for two months for brood extension, honey and pollen harvest. The presence of beneficial gut microorganisms within bee gut was investigated with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and next generation sequencing. The administered bacteria led to a significant increase of brood population (46.2%), pollen (53.4%) and harvestable honey in honey supers (59.21%). Analysis of the gut microbiota on the new generation of bees in treated hives showed an increase in relative abundance of Acetobacteraceae and Bifidobacterium spp., which are known to be involved in bee nutrition and protection.

Determination of Dicyclohexylamine in Beeswax by Aqueous Normal Phase Liquid Chromatography Coupled With Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Dicyclohexylamine (DCH) is an excipient present in commercial formulations of fumagillin (Fumagilin-B® and Fumidil-B®), an antibiotic which is employed in apiculture for the control of nosema disease. DCH has been demonstrated to be stable in harvested honey; however, its fate in the beehive has not been investigated. In this study, DCH residues were determined in beeswax samples collected from brood chambers and honey supers from various apiaries throughout Alberta. The determination of DCH was performed using a simple extraction procedure followed by low-temperature cleanup and finally analysis with aqueous normal phase liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The method was found to yield high accuracy and precision (94.9 ± 1.7% to 110.8 ± 6.6%) for replicate beeswax samples spiked with 4, 80, 360 and 2,000 μg kg-1 of DCH. With a limit of quantification of 1 μg kg-1, 100% of the 61 beeswax samples analyzed were found to contain residues of DCH ranging from 15 to 6,410 μg kg-1. The results indicate that DCH can accumulate in beeswax when Fumagilin-B® or Fumidil-B® is applied in apiculture and that these concentrations can vary significantly among beekeeping operations.

An Evaluation of the Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Safety Profile of a New Systemic Insecticide, Flupyradifurone, Under Field Conditions in Florida.

Flupyradifurone (Sivanto) is a novel systemic insecticide from the butenolide class developed by Bayer. Based on available data (USEPA 2014), this insecticide appears to have a favorable safety profile for honey bee colonies. As a result, the label permits the product to be applied during prebloom and bloom in various crops, including citrus, except when mixed with azole fungicides during the blooming period. We placed 24 honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies adjacent to eight flowering buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) fields that either had been sprayed with the maximum label rate of flupyradifurone or with water only (control fields), with three colonies placed adjacent to each field. We conducted colony strength assessments during which the number of adult bees, eggs, uncapped brood cells, capped brood cells, food storage cells, and weights of honey supers and brood chambers were determined prior to, during, and after the flowering period. We also analyzed bee-collected pollen and nectar for flupyradifurone residues. Overall, there were no differences in any colony strength parameter for colonies placed at control and flupyradifurone-treated buckwheat fields. Residue analyses showed that pollen (x = 565.8 ppb) and nectar (x = 259.4 ppb) gathered by bees on fields treated with flupyradifurone contained significantly higher flupyradifurone residues than did bee bread and unprocessed nectar collected by bees from control fields (75% of samples <LOD). Within the conditions set forth by our experimental design, our collective data suggest no adverse effects of flupyradifurone on honey bee colonies when following label directions.

Comparison of within hive sampling and seasonal activity of Nosema ceranae in honey bee colonies

Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite of the European honey bee, Apis mellifera, that is found worldwide and in multiple Apis spp.; however, little is known about the effects of N. ceranae on A. mellifera. Previous studies using spore counts suggest that there is no longer a seasonal cycle for N. ceranae and that it is found year round with little variation in infection intensity among months. Our goal was to determine whether infection levels differ in bees collected from different areas of the hive and if there may be seasonal differences in N. ceranae infections. A multiplex species-specific real-time PCR assay was used for the detection and quantification of N. ceranae. Colonies were sampled monthly from September 2009–2010 by collecting workers from honey supers, the fringe of the brood nest, and the brood nest. We found that all bees sampled were infected with N. ceranae and that there was no significant difference in infection levels among the different groups of bees sampled ( P = 0.74). However, significant differences in colony infection levels were found at different times of the year ( P < 0.01) with the highest levels in April–June and lower levels in the fall and winter. While our study was only performed for one year, it sheds light on the fact that there may be a seasonality to N. ceranae infections. Being able to predict future N. ceranae infections can be used to better advise beekeepers on N. ceranae management.

Timing of acaracide treatments for control of low-level populations of Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) and implications for colony performance of honey bees

AbstractThe timing of acaracide treatments for control of low-level populations of Varroa destructor Anderson et Trueman has implications for colony performance of honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Replicated colonies with low levels of V. destructor were left untreated, exposed to fluvalinate at each of two doses for 42 days, or exposed to three applications of formic acid, with the four treatments applied in either spring or fall. Varroa destructor densities were measured by alcohol wash and drop boards, and both gave similar estimates. Over the course of one season, the mean abundance of V. destructor increased from 0.002 to 0.11 mites per bee. Extended broodless periods during winter reduced the mean abundance of V. destructor by 28%, but mite mortality over winter was not high enough to prevent the need for treatment the following year. Apistan® was more effective than formic acid in both spring and fall treatments. Doses of one or two strips of Apistan® per colony were equally effective in spring or fall treatments. The mean abundance of V. destructor remained low throughout the season following spring treatment with either dose of Apistan®. Fall formic-acid treatments were more effective than spring treatments. Fluvalinate residues in samples of honey and wax collected from brood chambers and from honey supers were slightly higher in colonies treated with two strips of Apistan® than with one strip, but no detectible residue was found in extracted honey from 4500 commercial colonies treated in spring with Apistan® one strip per brood chamber for single or double storey hives. The levels of V. destructor in this study did not affect honey production or colony survival over winter.

Determination of Menthol in Honey by Gas Chromatography

A gas chromatographic method was developed for the determination of L-menthol in honey at levels as low as 0.1 ppm. The method includes steam distillation and hexane extraction with an internal standard (2,6-dimethylphenol). Beehives treated to control Acarapis woodi over 21 days with 30-60 g L-menthol contained L-menthol residues in honey and beeswax. L-Menthol was found only in treated portions of the hive and not later transferred to added honey supers. The highest levels of residues in honey (18 ppm) and beeswax (2790 ppm) were found when pure L-menthol was adsorbed into foam strips placed on top of the hives. L-Menthol residues in honey were not reduced by storage in open containers at room temperature for up to 55 days. Untrained panelists could not detect L-menthol in honey until the levels approached 36 ppm.

Requeening Honeybee Colonies with Queen Cells

SummaryIn a test of replacement of queens in queenright colonies, mature queen cells (within about a day of queen emergence) were introduced into honey supers during the nectar flow. In the period 1977–1979 a queen cell was introduced into each of 919 colonies. An examination made 5 days after cell introduction showed that queens had successfully emerged from 70·3% of the cells, while 11·1% of the cells had been destroyed, 5·7% contained dead queens, and 12·9% were not found. In a comparison of overwintered and package colonies in 1978, in overwintered colonies significantly more queens emerged (61% vs 44%) and significantly fewer cells were destroyed (8·9% vs 25%). Of 474 introductions in 1978–1979 only 12·7% resulted in successful requeening, whereas 53% of the resident queens were retained and 24% were replaced by new queens reared in the colonies.

The use of Plastic Combs for Brood Rearing and Honey Storage by Honeybees

SummaryWax-extended portions of cells of one-piece plastic comb had larger diameters than cells of beeswax comb drawn on foundation. Honeybees tended to constrict the open ends of the large cells in plastic comb, and also, but much less, those of cells of wax comb drawn on foundation. The width of the head capsule of bees reared in combs made from different plastics showed some differences; there were also differences between beeswax comb and some plastic combs. The three types of plastic comb used were moulded on the same mould, but differences in shrinkage gave cells with slightly different diameters.Wax production was greater and honey production slightly less in honey supers furnished with plastic combs than in supers with the same number of wax combs drawn on foundation. Yields of both honey and wax decreased as the number of plastic combs in a super was increased from 9 to 11.Honey could be extracted effectively from plastic combs, without prior uncapping, if the combs were completely drawn out, filled, and sealed, provided they were held in a conditioning room at 37·5° to 40°C for 24 h before extraction.

An Evaluation of Oleandomycin as a Control of American Foulbrood Disease of Honey Bees

Oleandomycin is a relatively new antibiotic produced by Sterptomyces antibioticus, a fungus belonging to the Actinomycetes. These fungi are widely found in soils and composts, in air and on dust particles and in close association with plants. Oleandomycin was first described in 1954 under the designation P.A. 105. Chemically it is a basic compound composed of the sugars L-oleandrose and desosamine, glycosidically attached to a complex lactone nucleus, termed oleandolide. The approximate empirical formula is C37H31NO12. This chemical is used medicinally in the treatment of a number of bacterial infections of man. It has also been shown to be effective against viruses, rickettsia and certain protozoa. Combinations of oleandomycin with other antibiotics, primarily with terramycin, are popular, and there are indications that certain combinations achieve both synergistic action and a suppression of the development of resistant bacteria (Colville et al. 1959). The colonies of bees used in this experiment were obtained by the local bee inspector from several beekeepers. They were in both 8 and 10 frame hives with one to three honey supers. All were infected with American foulbrood. Four levels of oleandomycin were tested. They were 0.125, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 gram of oleandomycin per treatment. Each treatment was replicated three or more times. The oleandomycin used was a 25 per cent concentrate obtained from Chas. Pfizer & Company. Each test level of oleandomycin was thoroughly mixed in one-fourth cup of powdered sugar by sifting 4 times through a kitchen flour sifter. A simple method of application of the antibiotic was used (Fig. 1). The hives were opened, exposing the brood nest, and the mixture of oleandomycin and powdered sugar was dusted with a flour sifter evenly over the top bars of the brood frames. Applications were repeated in this manner at one to two week intervals until the disease disappeared. No manipulation of the hive to induce brood rearing in all brood frames or super frames was attempted. No honey, which could harbor disease spores, was removed from the hive. This simplified method of treatment was selected because if successful it would be practical in comnmercial beekeeping. The method required the minimum of time for the treatment, was inexpensive, and disrupted the colony as little as possible, thereby preventing robbing and a chance of spreading disease through the apiary. Observations were made of each hive at time of treatment. Records were kept as to the amount of disease present, the population of the hive, conditions of the brood and queen, and the amount of honey in the hive.

Benzaldehyde: A New Repellent for Driving Bees

This report, from the Apiculture Department of Ontario Agricultural College at Guelph in Canada, was promised in the last issue of Bee World (page 94). It describes trials with a number of possible repellents for clearing bees out of honey supers, for which carbolic acid and propionic anhydride are already used with varying success. Benzaldehyde (artificial oil of almonds) proved to be the best so far tested, and can be highly satisfactory. Some beekeepers have found difficulty with it, as they did initially with carbolic acid and propionic anhydride. As Professor Townsend says here: Each substance will eventually find its proper place in bee management.