Performance Of Honey Bee Colonies Research Articles

EFFECT OF SOME FOOD ADDITIVE FORMULATIONS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF HONEYBEE, Apis mellifera L. COLONIES

The present investigation was carried out in a private apiary located at Abu-Hammad District, Sharkia Governorate during 2017 and 2018 seasons. The study aimed to evaluate the effect (suitability) of four veterinarian food additive formulations on the performance of honeybee colonies. Summarized results showed that feeding honeybee colonies on sucrose syrup (1:1) enriched with the food additive formulations AD3H, VIGO I. Sel, VIGO mino vit and VIGO-FLU caused noticeable increase in colonies activities, that recorded 13.0, 9.0, 9.8 and 8.0% over the control in the area of sealed brood reared; 37.50, 1.09, 26.20 and 62.35% in drawn area of wax foundation; 26.9, 108.6, 27.8 and 100.2% in the hoarded amount of fortified syrup and 51.72,8.62,49.13 and 46.55% in clover honey yield for the four tested formulations, respectively.

Organic farming positively affects honeybee colonies in a flower‐poor period in agricultural landscapes

Abstract Conventional farming has been implicated in global biodiversity and pollinator declines and organic farming is often regarded as a more ecological alternative. However, the effects of organic farming on honeybees remain elusive, despite honeybees’ importance as pollinators of crops and wild plants. Using 6 years of data from a large‐scale study with fortnightly measurements of honeybee colony performance traits (10 apiaries per year distributed across a 435 km2‐large research site in France), we related worker brood area, number of adult bees and honey reserves to the proportions of organic farmland in the surroundings of the hives at two spatial scales (300 m and 1,500 m). We found evidence that, at the local scale, organic farming increased both worker brood production and number of adult bees in the period of flower scarcity between the blooms of oilseed rape and sunflower (hereafter ‘dearth period’). At the landscape scale, organic farming increased honey reserves during the dearth period and at the beginning of the sunflower bloom. The results suggest that worker brood development benefitted from organic farming mostly through a more diverse diet due to an increase in the availability of diverse pollen sources in close proximity of their hives. Reduced pesticide drift may have additionally improved bee survival. Honey reserves were possibly mostly affected by increased availability of melliferous flowers in foraging distance. Synthesis and applications. Organic farming increases honeybee colony performance in a period of resource scarcity, likely through a continuous supply of floral resources including weeds, cover crops and semi‐natural elements. We demonstrate how worker brood area increases in the critical dearth period (between the blooms of oilseed rape and sunflower). This has previously been linked to winter colony survival, suggesting that organic farmland may mitigate repercussions of intensive farming on colony vitality. We conclude that organic farming benefits a crucial crop pollinator with potential positive implications for agriculture in the wider landscape.

Honey bee colony performance and health are enhanced by apiary proximity to US Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands

Honey bee colony performance and health are intimately linked to the foraging environment. Recent evidence suggests that the US Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has a positive impact on environmental suitability for supporting honey bee apiaries. However, relatively little is known about the influence of habitat conservation efforts on honey bee colony health. Identifying specific factors that influence bee health at the colony level incorporates longitudinal monitoring of physiology across diverse environments. Using a pooled-sampling method to overcome individual variation, we monitored colony-level molecular biomarkers during critical pre- and post-winter time points. Major categories of colony health (nutrition, oxidative stress resistance, and immunity) were impacted by apiary site. In general, apiaries within foraging distance of CRP lands showed improved performance and higher gene expression of vitellogenin (vg), a nutritionally regulated protein with central storage and regulatory functions. Mirroring vg levels, gene transcripts encoding antioxidant enzymes and immune-related proteins were typically higher in colonies exposed to CRP environments. Our study highlights the potential of CRP lands to improve pollinator health and the utility of colony-level molecular diagnostics to assess environmental suitability for honey bees.

Mist-Netting of Migrating Bee-Eaters Positively Influences Honey Bee Colony Performance

Abstract Bee-eaters (Meropidae) are considered agricultural pests and their presence provokes conflicts with beekeepers and farmers who rely on the pollination services of honey bees. This problem is often deal with through the mass killing of the birds, even though the quantitative evidence on the impact of bee-eaters on honey bee colonies is scarce. The current paper reports the performance of honey bee colonies protected with mist nets from migrating flocks of European bee-eaters Merops apiaster in Israel. In the study the weight gains of bee hives surrounded by mist nets were 6.44 times higher than that of unprotected hives (26.4 kg vs. 4.1 kg). The results confirmed that bee-eaters locally pose a problem to apiaries and potentially to the crops that require pollination. Mist- netting appeared to be an effective mitigation method for alleviating conflicts between beekeepers and bee-eaters. However, the study also showed that bees were able to differentiate between their main predator and other avian species trapped in mist nets and stung only bee-eaters. Moreover, the bees were targeting the most vulnerable body parts of birds which resulted in some bird fatalities. Therefore, due to accidental mortal- ity of birds, mist-netting is recommended only on the migratory routes in cases when bee hives cannot be moved to other areas.

Assessment of Honeybee Colony Performance in the Agro-Ecological Zones of Uganda

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) live in colonies composed of worker groups of diverse genotypes and behaviours which are artificially altered when a beekeeper moves combs between colonies

Using an in vitro system for maintaining Varroa destructor mites on Apis mellifera pupae as hosts: studies of mite longevity and feeding behavior.

Varroa destructor mites (varroa) are ectoparasites of Apis mellifera honey bees, and the damage they inflict on hosts is likely a causative factor of recent poor honey bee colony performance. Research has produced an arsenal of control agents against varroa mites, which have become resistant to many chemical means of their control, and other means have uncertain efficacy. Novel means of control will result from a thorough understanding of varroa physiology and behavior. However, robust knowledge of varroa biology is lacking; mites have very low survivability and reproduction away from their natural environment and host, and few tested protocols of maintaining mites in vitro are available as standardized methods for varroa research. Here, we describe the 'varroa maintenance system' (VMS), a tool for maintaining in vitro populations of varroa on its natural host, and present best practices for its use in varroa and host research. Additionally, we present results using the VMS from research of varroa and host longevity and varroa feeding behavior. Under these conditions, from two trials, mites lived an average of 12 and 14days, respectively. For studies of feeding behavior, female mites inflicted wounds located on a wide range of sites on the host's integument, but preferred to feed from the host's abdomen and thorax. Originally in the phoretic-phase, female mites in VMS had limited reproduction, but positive instances give insights into the cues necessary for initiating reproduction. The VMS is a useful tool for laboratory studies requiring long-term survival of mites, or host-parasite interactions.

Performance of two honey bee subspecies during harsh weather and Acacia gerrardii nectar-rich flow

Both climatic factors and bee forage characteristics affect the population size and productivity of honey bee colonies. To our knowledge, no scientific investigation has as yet considered the potential effect of nectar-rich bee forage exposed to drastic subtropical weather conditions on the performance of honey bee colonies. This study investigated the performance of the honey bee subspecies Apis mellifera jemenitica Ruttner (Yemeni) and Apis mellifera carnica Pollmann (Carniolan) in weather that was hot and dry and in an environment of nectar-rich flora. The brood production, food storage, bee population and honey yield of Yemeni (native) and Carniolan (imported) colonies on Talh trees (Acacia gerrardii Benth.), a nectar-rich, subtropical, and summer bee forage source in Central Arabia were evaluated. Owing to their structural and behavioral adaptations, the Yemeni bees constructed stronger (high population size) colonies than the Carniolan bees. Although both groups yielded similar amounts of Talh honey, the Yemeni bees consumed their stored honey rapidly if not timely harvested. A. m. jemenitica has a higher performance than A. m. carnica during extremely hot-dry conditions and A. gerrardii nectar-rich flow.

Agricultural Landscape and Pesticide Effects on Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Biological Traits.

Sixteen honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies were placed in four different agricultural landscapes to study the effects of agricultural landscape and exposure to pesticides on honey bee health. Colonies were located in three different agricultural areas with varying levels of agricultural intensity (AG areas) and one nonagricultural area (NAG area). Colonies were monitored for their performance and productivity for one year by measuring colony weight changes, brood production, and colony thermoregulation. Palynological and chemical analyses were conducted on the trapped pollen collected from each colony and location. Our results indicate that the landscape’s composition significantly affected honey bee colony performance and development. Colony weight and brood production were significantly greater in AG areas compared to the NAG area. Better colony thermoregulation in AG areas’ colonies was also observed. The quantities of pesticides measured in the trapped pollen were relatively low compared to their acute toxicity. Unexplained queen and colony losses were recorded in the AG areas, while colony losses because of starvation were observed in the NAG area. Our results indicate that landscape with high urban activity enhances honey bee brood production, with no significant effects on colony weight gain. Our study indicates that agricultural crops provide a valuable resource for honey bee colonies, but there is a trade-off with an increased risk of exposure to pesticides.

Performance of honey bee colonies under a long-lasting dietary exposure to sublethal concentrations of the neonicotinoid insecticide thiacloprid.

BACKGROUNDSubstantial honey bee colony losses have occurred periodically in the last decades. The drivers for these losses are not fully understood. The influence of pests and pathogens are beyond dispute, but in addition, chronic exposure to sublethal concentrations of pesticides has been suggested to affect the performance of honey bee colonies. This study aims to elucidate the potential effects of a chronic exposure to sublethal concentrations (one realistic worst‐case concentration) of the neonicotinoid thiacloprid to honey bee colonies in a three year replicated colony feeding study.RESULTSThiacloprid did not significantly affect the colony strength. No differences between treatment and control were observed for the mortality of bees, the infestation with the parasitic mite Varroa destructor and the infection levels of viruses. No colony losses occurred during the overwintering seasons. Furthermore, thiacloprid did not influence the constitutive expression of the immunity‐related hymenoptaecin gene. However, upregulation of hymenoptaecin expression as a response to bacterial challenge was less pronounced in exposed bees than in control bees.CONCLUSIONUnder field conditions, bee colonies are not adversely affected by a long‐lasting exposure to sublethal concentrations of thiacloprid. No indications were found that field‐realistic and higher doses exerted a biologically significant effect on colony performance. © 2017 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Differential performance of honey bee colonies selected for bee-pollen production through instrumental insemination and free-mating technique

ABSTRACT The use of bee-pollen as a nutritional supplement or as a production-enhancing agent in livestock has increased the demand for this product worldwide. Despite the current importance of this niche within the apiculture industry, few studies have addressed the pollen production. We tested the performance of free-mated (FM) and instrumentally inseminated queens (IQ) in order to establish the effect of different breeding systems on pollen production. The F1 generation of IQ queens produced 153.95±42.83g/day, showing a significant improvement on the pollen production (2.74 times) when compared to the parental generation (51.83±7.84g/day). The F1 generation of free-mated queens produced 100.07±8.23 g/day, which increased by 1.78 times when compared to the parental generation. Furthermore, we observed a statistically significant difference between the pollen production between colonies from the IQ and FM treatments. This study suggests that inseminated queens should be considered by beekeepers that aim to increase pollen production.

Determination of pesticide residues in honey: a preliminary study from two of Africa’s largest honey producers

The presence of pollutants in honey can influence honey bee colony performance and devalue its use for human consumption. Using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), various clean-up methods were evaluated for efficient determination of multiclass pesticide contaminants in honey. The selected clean-up method was optimized and validated and then applied to perform a preliminary study of commercial honey samples from Africa. The most efficient method was primary-secondary amine (PSA) sorbent which was significantly different from the others (P <0.05; average recovery ~94 %) and was applied to analyze 96 pesticide residues in 28 retail honey samples from Kenya and Ethiopia. From our preliminary data, a total of 17 pesticide residues were detected at ~10-fold below maximum residue limit (MRL) established for food products except for malathion which was detected at almost 2-fold above its acceptable MRL. A highly efficient approach for determining pesticide residues in honey with good recoveries was developed. All residue contaminants were detected at levels well below their acceptable MRLs except malathion suggesting that the retail honey analyzed is safe for human consumption. Although PSA clean-up method was selected as the most efficient for cleaning honey samples, omitting the clean-up step was the most economical approach with potential applicability in the food industry.

Season and landscape composition affect pollen foraging distances and habitat use of honey bees.

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) show a large variation in foraging distances and use a broad range of plant species as pollen resources, even in regions with intensive agriculture. However, it is unknown how increasing areas of mass-flowering crops like oilseed rape (Brassica napus; OSR) or a decrease of seminatural habitats (SNH) change the temporal and spatial availability of pollen resources for honey bee colonies, and thus foraging distances and frequency in different habitat types. We studied pollen foraging of honey bee colonies in 16 agricultural landscapes with independent gradients of OSR and SNH area within 2km and used waggle dances and digital geographic maps with major land cover types to reveal the distance and visited habitat type on a landscape level. Mean pollen foraging distance of 1347 decoded bee dances was 1015m (± 26m; SEM). In spring, increasing area of flowering OSR within 2km reduced mean pollen foraging distances from 1324m to only 435m. In summer, increasing cover of SNH areas close to the colonies (within 200m radius) reduced mean pollen foraging distances from 846 to 469m. Frequency of pollen foragers per habitat type, measured as the number of dances per hour and hectare, was equally high for SNH, grassland, and OSR fields, but lower for other crops and forests. In landscapes with a small proportion of SNH a significantly higher density of pollen foragers on SNH was observed, indicating that pollen resources in such simple agricultural landscapes are more limited. Overall, we conclude that SNH and mass-flowering crops can reduce foraging distances of honey bee colonies at different scales and seasons with possible benefits for the performance of honey bee colonies. Further, mixed agricultural landscapes with a high proportion of SNH reduce foraging densities of honey bees in SNH and thus possible competition for pollen resources.

Performance of honeybee colonies located in neonicotinoid‐treated and untreated cornfields in Quebec

AbstractTwenty‐two honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies were placed in four different cornfield areas in order to study the potential in situ effects of seed‐coated systemic neonicotinoid pesticides used in cornfields (Zea mays spp) on honeybee health. Two apiaries were located in two independent neonicotinoid‐treated cornfield areas and two others in two independent untreated cornfield areas used as controls. These experimental hives were extensively monitored for their performance and health traits over a period of one year. Trapped pollen was collected and microscopically identified to define the visited flowers and the amount of corn pollen collected by bees. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry was performed to detect pesticide residues in honeybee foragers and trapped pollen. Honeybee colonies located in neonicotinoid‐treated cornfields expressed significantly higher varroa mite loads than those in untreated cornfields. However, brood production and colony weight were less disturbed by the treatment factor. Sublethal doses of neonicotinoids were detected in the trapped corn pollen and none in bee foragers. Overall, our results show that forager bees collected 20% of corn pollen containing variable concentrations of neonicotinoids. Colonies located in treated cornfields expressed higher varroa loads and long‐term mortality than those in untreated cornfields. On the other hand, no significant differences were observed regarding the brood production and colony weight.

Reconciling laboratory and field assessments of neonicotinoid toxicity to honeybees.

European governments have banned the use of three common neonicotinoid pesticides due to insufficiently identified risks to bees. This policy decision is controversial given the absence of clear consistency between toxicity assessments of those substances in the laboratory and in the field. Although laboratory trials report deleterious effects in honeybees at trace levels, field surveys reveal no decrease in the performance of honeybee colonies in the vicinity of treated fields. Here we provide the missing link, showing that individual honeybees near thiamethoxam-treated fields do indeed disappear at a faster rate, but the impact of this is buffered by the colonies' demographic regulation response. Although we could ascertain the exposure pathway of thiamethoxam residues from treated flowers to honeybee dietary nectar, we uncovered an unexpected pervasive co-occurrence of similar concentrations of imidacloprid, another neonicotinoid normally restricted to non-entomophilous crops in the study country. Thus, its origin and transfer pathways through the succession of annual crops need be elucidated to conveniently appraise the risks of combined neonicotinoid exposures. This study reconciles the conflicting laboratory and field toxicity assessments of neonicotinoids on honeybees and further highlights the difficulty in actually detecting non-intentional effects on the field through conventional risk assessment methods.

Impact of chronic neonicotinoid exposure on honeybee colony performance and queen supersedure.

BackgroundHoneybees provide economically and ecologically vital pollination services to crops and wild plants. During the last decade elevated colony losses have been documented in Europe and North America. Despite growing consensus on the involvement of multiple causal factors, the underlying interactions impacting on honeybee health and colony failure are not fully resolved. Parasites and pathogens are among the main candidates, but sublethal exposure to widespread agricultural pesticides may also affect bees.Methodology/Principal FindingsTo investigate effects of sublethal dietary neonicotinoid exposure on honeybee colony performance, a fully crossed experimental design was implemented using 24 colonies, including sister-queens from two different strains, and experimental in-hive pollen feeding with or without environmentally relevant concentrations of thiamethoxam and clothianidin. Honeybee colonies chronically exposed to both neonicotinoids over two brood cycles exhibited decreased performance in the short-term resulting in declining numbers of adult bees (−28%) and brood (−13%), as well as a reduction in honey production (−29%) and pollen collections (−19%), but colonies recovered in the medium-term and overwintered successfully. However, significantly decelerated growth of neonicotinoid-exposed colonies during the following spring was associated with queen failure, revealing previously undocumented long-term impacts of neonicotinoids: queen supersedure was observed for 60% of the neonicotinoid-exposed colonies within a one year period, but not for control colonies. Linked to this, neonicotinoid exposure was significantly associated with a reduced propensity to swarm during the next spring. Both short-term and long-term effects of neonicotinoids on colony performance were significantly influenced by the honeybees’ genetic background.Conclusions/SignificanceSublethal neonicotinoid exposure did not provoke increased winter losses. Yet, significant detrimental short and long-term impacts on colony performance and queen fate suggest that neonicotinoids may contribute to colony weakening in a complex manner. Further, we highlight the importance of the genetic basis of neonicotinoid susceptibility in honeybees which can vary substantially.

The Effects of Age of Grafted Larvae and of Supplemental Feeding on Performance of Iranian Honey Bee Colonies (Apis Mellifera Meda)

Abstract The performance of bee colonies greatly depends on the quality of the queens. The current research was conducted at the apiary of the Faculty of Agriculture, Zanjan University, in Zanjan, Iran. Together, 24 rearing colonies were assigned to 4 grafting larvae age groups: 1-day-old, 2-day-old, 3-day-old, and emergency queens. Two feeding groups, fed and not fed, were created. The effects of reared queens on biological characteristics and performance of honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera meda) headed by those queens were measured. Age of grafted larvae significantly influenced the results. The performance ratios of the most efficient colonies headed by queens reared from 1-day-old larvae compared with the least-efficient queens reared from 3-day-old larvae were 118% in brood production, 140% in bee population, and 154% in honey production. However, the age of grafted larvae did not affect colony defense behavior. Supplemental feeding of rearing colonies increased brood production to 111%, bee population to 116%, and honey production to 115%. A combination of the effect of age of larvae and supplemental feeding resulted in twice as much honey (12 kg) produced by colonies with queens reared from 1-day-old larvae in fed rearing colonies compared to those with queens raised from 3-day-old larvae in unfed rearing colonies.

Effects of altitude and beehive bottom board type on wintering losses of honeybee colonies under subtropical climatic conditions

The effects of altitude and beehive bottom board types (BBBT) on the wintering performance of honeybee colonies were investigated in the South Aegean Region of Turkey: Experiment I (E-I), with 32 colonies, in 2010–2011, and Experiment II (E-II), with 20 colonies, in 2011–2012. Each lowland (25 m) and highland (797 m) colony was divided randomly into two BBBT subgroups, open screen floor (OSF) and normal bottom floor (NBF), and wintered for about three months. In E-I, the local genotype Aegean ecotype of Anatolian bee (AE) and Italian race (ItR) were used, while in E-II, only the AE genotype was present. In E-I, the effect of wintering altitudes on the number of combs covered with bees (NCCB), and the effects of BBBT on brood area (BA) and the NCCB were found to be statistically significant (p0.05). In the E-II, the effect of wintering altitude on beehive weight was found to be statistically significant (p0.05). The wintering losses in the highland and lowland groups in E-I were determined to be 25% and 62.5% respectively. In contrast to this result, no loss was observed in E-II for both altitudes. In E-I, the wintering losses for both OSF and NBF groups were the same (43.75%). In conclusion, under subtropical climatic conditions, due to variations from year to year, honeybee colonies can be wintered more successfully in highland areas with OSF bottom board type.

A Europe-Wide Experiment for Assessing the Impact of Genotype-Environment Interactions on the Vitality and Performance of Honey Bee Colonies: Experimental Design and Trait Evaluation

A Europe-Wide Experiment for Assessing the Impact of Genotype-Environment Interactions on the Vitality and Performance of Honey Bee Colonies: Experimental Design and Trait EvaluationAn international experiment to estimate the importance of genotype-environment interactions on vitality and performance of honey bees and on colony losses was run between July 2009 and March 2012. Altogether 621 bee colonies, involving 16 different genetic origins of European honey bees, were tested in 21 locations spread in 11 countries. The genetic strains belonged to the subspeciesA. m. carnica, A. m. ligustica, A. m. macedonica, A. m. mellifera, A. m. siciliana.At each location, the local strain of bees was tested together with at least two "foreign" origins, with a minimum starting number of 10 colonies per origin. The common test protocol for all the colonies took into account colony survival, bee population in spring, summer and autumn, honey production, pollen collection, swarming, gentleness, hygienic behaviour,Varroa destructorinfestation,Nosemaspp. infection and viruses. Data collection was performed according to uniform methods. No chemical treatments against Varroa or other diseases were applied during the experiment. This article describes the details of the experiment set-up and the work protocol.

Beneficial Effects of Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis Mori2, a Honey-Associated Strain, on Honeybee Colony Performance.

A Bacillus spp. strain isolated from a honey sample in Morillos (Salta, Argentina) was phylogenetically characterized as B. subtilis subsp. subtilis Mori2. The strain was administered to bee colonies as a monoculture in one litre of sugarcane syrup (125g/L) at a final concentration of 10(5)spores/mL to evaluate the bee colony performance. The treated colony was monitored, and any changes were compared with the control hives. All conditions were identical (weather, nourishment and supervision), except for the Bacillus spore supplement. The new nourishment, which was administered monthly from May to December 2010, was accepted by the bees and consumed within ca. 24-48h. Photograph records and statistic analyses revealed significant differences in the open and operculated brood areas between the treated and control groups. The status of the colony improved after the second administration of the Bacillus spores until the end of the experiment. A higher number of bees were counted in the treated groups (26% more than the control) with respect to the initial number. Furthermore, at the time of harvest, honey storage in the treated hives was 17% higher than in the control hives. In addition, spore counts of both Nosema sp. and Varroa sp. foretica in treated hives were lower than in the control hives. These results with experimental hives would indicate that B. subtilis subsp. subtilis Mori2 favoured the performance of bees; firstly, because the micro-organism stimulated the queen's egg laying, translating into a higher number of bees and consequently more honey. Secondly, because it reduced the prevalence of two important bee diseases worldwide: nosemosis and varroosis.

Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Colony Performance in Relation to Supplemental Carbohydrates1

The increasing use of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as a supplemental carbohydrate source for honey bee colonies suggested the need for research concerning potential deleterious effects of HFCS on colony performance. Sucrose,42% HFCS, and 55% HFCS were compared as supplemental carbohydrate sources for colonies established from packages during 1982 and 1983 at Madison, Wis. During 1982, there were no significant differences among treatments in early season weight gains, season honey production, or sealed brood measurements. There were no significant differences among treatments in winter consumption. During 1983, there were no significant differences among treatments in cluster size or newly emerged worker whole-body dry weights in the spring or head and thorax dry weights. Spring sealed brood was significantly greater in the sucrose treatment than in the HFCS treatments. Differences among treatments in season honey production were not significant. We concluded that feeding either 42 or 55% HFCS as carbohydrate supplements does not adversely affect honey bee colony performance.