Worker Bees Research Articles

Small-Cell Combs Offer as Favorable Conditions of Rearing Worker Bees as Standard-Cell Combs in the Temperate Climate in Spring

During the spring development of bee colonies, small-cell combs were found to create equally favorable conditions for worker bee rearing as standard-cell combs, since the workers reared in the small-cell combs did not differ significantly in the majority of morphometric traits, including the length of wings and the sum of the widths of the third and fourth tergites, from those reared in standard-cell combs. Moreover, they had a significantly longer and wider thorax. It can be assumed that the workers reared in small-cell combs collect nectar as effectively as those reared in standard-cell combs, as both groups did not differ in the proboscis length. It was confirmed that the body size of workers is relatively constant and is less influenced by the width of comb cells than was assumed previously, as the values of their morphometric parameters did not increase proportionally with the increasing cell width. The colony kept on small-cell combs provided worse rearing conditions for workers reared in standard-cell combs than the colony kept on standard-cell combs, which may have been related to the less abundant feeding of larvae by workers reared in small-cell combs.

Regulatory roles of long non-coding RNAs in short-term heat stress in adult worker bees

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are crucial modulators of post-transcriptional gene expression regulation, cell fate determination, and disease development. However, lncRNA functions during short-term heat stress in adult worker bees are poorly understood. Here, we performed deep sequencing and bioinformatic analyses of honeybee lncRNAs. RNA interference was performed by using siRNA targeting the most highly expressed lncRNA. The silencing effect on lncRNA and the relative expression levels of seven heat shock protein (HSP) genes, were subsequently examined. Overall, 7,842 lncRNAs and 115 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) were identified in adult worker bees following heat stress exposure. Structural analysis revealed that the overall expression abundance, length of transcripts, exon number, and open reading frames of lncRNAs were lower than those of mRNAs. GO analysis revealed that the target genes were mainly involved in “metabolism,” “protein folding,” “response to stress,” and “signal transduction” pathways. KEGG analysis indicated that the “protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum” and “longevity regulating pathway-multiple species” pathways were most enriched. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) detection of the selected DELs confirmed the reliability of the sequencing data. Moreover, the siRNA experiment indicated that feeding siRNA yielded a silencing efficiency of 77.51% for lncRNA MSTRG.9645.5. Upon silencing this lncRNA, the expression levels of three HSP genes were significantly downregulated (p < 0.05), whereas those of three other HSP genes were significantly upregulated (p < 0.05). Our results provide a new perspective for understanding the regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs in adult worker bees under short-term heat stress.

Variability and Number of Circulating Complementary Sex Determiner (Csd) Alleles in a Breeding Population of Italian Honeybees under Controlled Mating.

In Apis mellifera, csd is the primary gene involved in sex determination: haploid hemizygous eggs develop as drones, while females develop from eggs heterozygous for the csd gene. If diploid eggs are homozygous for the csd gene, diploid drones will develop, but will be eaten by worker bees before they are born. Therefore, high csd allelic diversity is a priority for colony survival and breeding. This study aims to investigate the variability of the hypervariable region (HVR) of the csd gene in bees sampled in an apiary under a selection scheme. To this end, an existing dataset of 100 whole-genome sequences was analyzed with a validated pipeline based on de novo assembly of sequences within the HVR region. In total, 102 allelic sequences were reconstructed and translated into amino acid sequences. Among these, 47 different alleles were identified, 44 of which had previously been observed, while 3 are novel alleles. The results show a high variability in the csd region in this breeding population of honeybees.

Understanding the Impact of Heat Stress on Honeybee Populations: Insights into Thermoregulation, Colony Dynamics, and Environmental Interactions

Nowadays, heat stress is emerging as a significant issue for honeybees in apiculture due to its potential to negatively impact the honey bees' health, the bee colony, and the economic stability. This review aims to thoroughly analyze the impact of heat stress on honeybee populations by consolidating existing research to provide accurate information. The thermoregulation process in honeybees and associated behavioral and molecular adaptations in worker bees, specific to Apis mellifera. Additionally covers the various ways that individual bees respond to heat stress, including changes in their metabolic rate and feeding habits. Furthermore, the paper provides a comprehensive analysis of how heat stress affects the entire bee colony, including detrimental effects on brood development, decreased productivity, and heightened susceptibility to illnesses and parasites. Also, it investigates the correlation between heat stress and other stressors, such as pesticide exposure, nutritional stress, biotic pressures, habitat loss, and the combined effects on bee health. To safeguard these important pollinators from the negative effects of climate change, this review stresses the need of interdisciplinary research and the need of identifying health stress as a major component influencing honeybee populations.

Effects of Artificial Sugar Supplementation on the Composition and Nutritional Potency of Honey from Apis cerana.

In the global apiculture industry, reward feeding and supplementary feeding are essential for maintaining bee colonies. Beekeepers provide artificial supplements to their colonies, typically in the form of either a honey-water solution or sugar syrup. Owing to cost considerations associated with beekeeping, most beekeepers opt for sugar syrup. However, the effects of different types of artificial sugar supplements on bee colonies and their subsequent impact on honey composition remain unclear. To address this gap, this study compared the chemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and nutritional potency of three types of honey: honey derived from colonies fed sugar syrup (sugar-based product, SP) or a honey-water solution (honey-sourced honey, HH) and naturally sourced honey (flower-sourced honey, FH), which served as the control. The results revealed that FH outperformed HH and SP in terms of total acidity, sugar content, total protein content, and antioxidant capacity, and HH outperformed SP. Regarding nutritional efficacy, including the lifespan and learning and memory capabilities of worker bees, FH exhibited the best outcomes, with no significant differences observed between HH and SP. This study underscores the importance of sugar source selection in influencing honey quality and emphasizes the potential consequences of substituting honey with sugar syrup in traditional apiculture practices.

Features of determining the subspecies status of honey bees (Apis mellifera) based on morphometric wing indicators of drones

As of today, in Ukraine, there are no opportunities to conduct genetic research on a sufficient scale to identify the composition of the genomes of honey bees. Wing morphometrics of drones is a readily available alternative for obtaining information about the approximate composition of DNA. The goal of the work was to formulate the principles of the main stages of research and illustrate the procedure for obtaining morphometric data, methods of their processing, and possibilities for interpreting the obtained results. In the package of statistical data processing application programs Statistica, the classification of 2,147 drone wings obtained from 6 apiaries of Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, and Kyiv regions was carried out according to eight indices: Ci, Dbi, Disc.sh, Pci, Ri, Ci.3, Ci.2.1, and Ci.2.2. We propose a method for obtaining morphometric wing standards of bees based on studying a significant number of bee colonies from various apiaries in specific regions of Ukraine. Using a two-stage methodology, three datasets were formed and recommended for use as standards: one for the local population of Ukrainian bees and two for populations of the A.m.mellifera subspecies distributed in the Polissia region. We analyzed the reliability of results in determining the taxonomic affiliation of bees was analyzed. Using the example of a single bee colony, a detailed procedure is demonstrated to identify taxonomic affiliation through utilization of the obtained standards. It has been demonstrated that in case of reliable identification of standards belonging to specific subspecies, it is possible to predict the likely composition of chromosomal sets in the genomes of drones, queens, and worker bees partially corresponding to the wing phenotype.

The Nutritional Year-Cycle of Italian Honey Bees (Apis mellifera ligustica) in a Southern Temperate Climate

Nutrition is a key aspect influencing honey bee health and overwintering. Since honey bee seasonality in southern temperate climates represents a significant research gap, this study conducted long-term monitoring of honey bees in the Mediterranean (Sassari, Italy). Specifically, individual weight, fat body, and size measurements (head, thorax, abdomen, and total body) were recorded monthly so to detect changes in the nutrient storage of worker bees during an annual cycle. Data were analysed according to sampling date, climate (temperature, precipitation, and daylength), and flower diversity and were conducted for nurse and forager bees separately. The nutritional honey bee year-cycle generally followed the nectar flow and showed two critical timepoints: summer and winter dearth. A short cessation of activities in late fall/early winter coupled with an increase in nutrient storage indicated the presence of winter bees. Precipitation was found to play an important role in honey bee nutrition in the study area through its impacts on colony demography and plants in particular illustrating how climate change could pose a threat to European honey bee populations in the future. These results provide valuable insights into the nutritional dynamics of Apis mellifera ligustica in the Mediterranean that could support management decisions to improve overwintering success and prevent unnecessary colony losses.

The influence of geographical area on morphometric parameters of the honey bee in Serbia

In this study, morphological characteristics were measured on worker honey bee samples collected from seven different locations covering the territory of the Republic of Serbia. Three samples were taken from the territory of AP Vojvodina, namely from the Southern Banat District (Vršac; I), the South Bačka District (Bač; II), and the West Bačka District (Crvenka; III). The worker bees from the central Serbia originated from different sites namely, the Rasina District (Aleksandrovac; IV), the Zlatibor District (Lučani; V), Pešter (Sjenica; VI), and the Bor District (Negotin; VII). From each sample, 15 bees were randomly selected, and their front right wings were dissected and mounted on slides in two rows. After wing preparation, they were scanned using an Epson Perfection V600 Photo scanner with a resolution of 4800 dpi. The measurement included a total of 14 parameters, 11 of which were the angles on the forewing, while the other parameters analyzed were the forewing length and width and the cubital index. The results have shown that there is a high statistically significant difference between the localities in the characteristics examined in this study. From a total of 11 angles analyzed, statistical significance (p0.01) of average values between the localities was determined for the following angles: A4, J16, K19, L13, N23, G18, and O26. The analysis of the results of the front wings length and the cubital index has shown a significant difference between the groups of honey bees. The average forewing length across all locations in the study was 9.17mm, while the average forewing width was 3.43. The difference in terms of the average forewing width was not statistically significant between the locations. The values of the cubital index ranged from 2.28 to 2.79, with an average of 2.49 across all locations.

Impact of colony age on Trigona sp. activities in the green zones of Universitas Sumatera Utara Campus

Trigona, a stingless bee pollinator, is widely domesticated for plant pollination due to its versatility and adaptability to various environments. This study aimed to assess the suitability of green open spaces in Universitas Sumatera Utara campus as a potential habitat for introducing Trigona sp. and to observe how colony age affects the foraging behavior of worker bees. Bee colonies were introduced into specific areas within the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences garden, positioned at a height of 3.4 meters above ground level. Nine bee hives were strategically placed around the garden for observations in October 2022, focusing on three different colonies based on their ages i.e. 2 m.o (Colony-A), 4 m.o (Colony-B), and 6 m.o (Colony-C). Activities were closely monitored between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, with at least three measurements taken for each 10-minute interval. The results showed variations in foraging activity among colonies in terms of peak hours and the number of worker bees. Colonies aged 4 and 6 months had over 50 foragers, while the 2-month-old colony had fewer. Notably, the 6-month-old colony displayed the highest average number of workers engaged in transporting pollen and resin, particularly at 9:00-10:00 AM. Results of Pearson’s correlation analysis indicated that light intensity negatively and significantly influenced the number of returning/entering worker bees, while wind velocity posed a negative and significant impact on the number of returning bees carrying resin. This study provides practical implications for the successful integration of Trigona bees into green open spaces, particularly inside campus area.

Honey bee colony behavior and ontogeny are adversely affected when exposed to a pesticide-contaminated environment.

Honey bees exhibit age polyethism and thus have a predictable sequence of behaviors they express through developmental time. Numerous laboratory studies show exposure to pesticides may impair critical honey bee behaviors (brood care, foraging, egg-laying, etc.) that adversely affect colony productivity and survival. There are fewer studies that examine the impacts of pesticides in natural field settings, especially given the challenges of implementing treatment groups and controlling variables. This study helps address the need for impact studies on pollinators under field conditions to assess the consequences of chemical overuse and dependency in agricultural and urban landscapes. To assess the impact of systemic pesticides in a natural field setting on worker bee behavioral development, observation hives were established to monitor changes in behaviors of similarly aged workers and sister queens within 2 experimental groups: (i) colonies located near point-source systemic pesticide pollution (pesticide contaminated treatment), and (ii) colonies embedded within a typical Midwestern US agricultural environment (control). In this study, worker bees in the contaminated environment exhibited important and biologically significant behavioral differences and accelerated onset of hive tasks (i.e., precocious behavioral development) compared to similarly aged bees at the control site. Queen locomotion was largely unaffected; however, the egg-laying rate was reduced in queens at the contaminated (treated) site. These results show that environmental pesticide exposure can disrupt colony function and adversely affect worker bee behavioral maturation, leading to reduced worker longevity and decreased colony efficiency.

Detrimental effects of amitraz exposure in honey bees (Apis mellifera) infected with Nosema ceranae.

In recent years, there has been growing concern on the potential weakening of honey bees and their increased susceptibility to pathogens due to chronic exposure to xenobiotics. The present work aimed to study the effects on bees undergoing an infection by Nosema ceranae and being exposed to a frequently used in-hive acaricide, amitraz. To achieve this, newly emerged bees were individually infected with N. ceranae spores and/or received a sublethal concentration of amitraz in their diets under laboratory conditions. Mortality, food intake, total volume excrement, body appearance, and parasite development were registered. Bees exposed to both stressors jointly had higher mortality rates compared to bees exposed separately, with no difference in the parasite development. An increase in sugar syrup consumption was observed for all treated bees while infected bees fed with amitraz also showed a diminishment in pollen intake. These results coupled with an increase in the total number of excretion events, alterations in behavior and body surface on individuals that received amitraz could evidence the detrimental action of this molecule. To corroborate these findings under semi-field conditions, worker bees were artificially infected, marked, and released into colonies. Then, they were exposed to a commercial amitraz-based product by contact. The recovered bees showed no differences in the parasite development due to amitraz exposure. This study provides evidence to which extent a honey bee infected with N. ceranae could potentially be weakened by chronic exposure to amitraz treatment.

The Effects of Using Heating Panels in Smart Beekeeping Systems on Honeybee (Apis mellifera) Colonies during Winter: Worker Bee Activity

The Effects of Using Heating Panels in Smart Beekeeping Systems on Honeybee (Apis mellifera) Colonies during Winter: Worker Bee Activity

Does the use of chlorantraniliprole during queen development adversely impact health and viability?

The queen is the sole reproductive individual and the maturing brood replenishes the shorter-lived worker bees. Production of many crops relies on both pesticides and bee pollination to improve crop quantity and quality. Despite the certain knowledge on chemical pesticides caused damage to worker bee physiology and behavior, our understanding of the relationship between honeybee queen development and chemical pesticides remains weak. Here, we comprehensive investigate the effects of the widely used insecticide chlorantraniliprole on the growth, hormone levels, and detoxifying enzyme activity of queen larvae. It has been determined that chlorantraniliprole present a chronic toxic effect on queen larvae and also reduced the fitness of queen, and that these effects are positively correlated with pesticide levels. It has been found that queen larvae began to show reduced capping and emergence rates when exposed to 2 ng/larva of chlorantraniliprole. At 20 ng/larva, queen capping and emergence rates were the lowest, and there were significant reductions in larval hormone level. Chlorantraniliprole have an effect on detoxification enzyme activity and hormone levels in queen larvae. In conclusion, chlorantraniliprole can adversely affect the growth and development of queen larvae. Our findings may guide the scientifically sound use of chemical pesticides to reduce potential risks to queen larvae.

Evaluating the role of social context and environmental factors in mediating overwintering physiology in honey bees (Apis mellifera).

In temperate climates, honey bees show strong phenotypic plasticity associated with seasonal changes. In summer, worker bees typically only survive for about a month and can be further classified as young nurse bees (which feed the developing brood) and older forager bees. In winter, brood production and foraging halt and the worker bees live for several months. These differences in task and longevity are reflected in their physiology, with summer nurses and long-lived winter bees typically having large fat bodies, high expression levels of vitellogenin (a longevity-, nutrition- and immune-related gene), and large provisioning glands in their head. The environmental factors (both within the colony and within the surrounding environment) that trigger this transition to long-lived winter bees are poorly understood. One theory is that winter bees are an extended nurse bee state, brought on by a reduction in nursing duties in autumn (i.e. lower brood area). We examined that theory here by assessing nurse bee physiology in both the summer and autumn, in colonies with varying levels of brood. We found that season is a better predictor of nurse bee physiology than brood area. This suggests that seasonal factors beyond brood area, such as pollen availability and colony demography, may be necessary for inducing the winter bee phenotype. This finding furthers our understanding of winter bee biology, which could have important implications for colony management for winter, a critical period for colony survival.

Cytotoxic and apoptotic effectiveness of Cypriot honeybee (Apis mellifera cypria) venom on various cancer cells

Abstract Objectives The bee stinger is the defense organ of honeybees. The venom sac of a worker bee is connected to its stinger, which is used as a defense mechanism, and it has a potent and complex combination of substances that is unique in the animal kingdom. Many immune-related illnesses have been successfully treated with bee venom and recent evidence on the efficacy of applications targeting malignancies has attracted considerable attention. Methods The 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) test was used to determine the cytotoxicity of the crude venom, and the flow cytometric analysis was used to determine the apoptotic potential. The cytotoxic activity of Apis mellifera cypria venom collected from two different apiaries in Cyprus was evaluated for the first time against breast (MDA-MB-231), colon (Caco-2), cervix (HeLa), prostate (PC-3), pancreas (Panc-1), lung (A549), glioblastoma (U-87MG) human cancerous and healthy lung fibroblast (CCD-34Lu) cells. Results The venom concentration that killed 50 % of the cells (inhibitory concentration, IC50) is expressed as venom cytotoxicity. The IC50 values of A. m. cypria crude venom on cultured cells varied from 4.18±0.75 to 22.00±1.71 μg/mL after treatment with crude venom for 48 h, with the most potent activities against PC-3, Panc-1, and HeLa cells. Analysis of apoptotic cells by flow cytometry of both venom samples showed that bee venom slightly induced early apoptosis on A549 and Panc-1 cells. Conclusions The venom of the A. m. cypria is discussed in this article, displaying promising results as a potential source for an alternative treatment method because of its cytotoxic effect.

Early larval exposure to flumethrin induces long-term impacts on survival and memory behaviors of adult worker bees Apis mellifera

Flumethrin has been supplied as an acaricide for Varroa mite control in world-wide apiculture due to its low lethal effects on honey bees. However, little is known about the effects of short-term flumethrin exposure in the larval stage on adult life stage of bees involving survival status, foraging and memory-related behaviors. Here, we found that exposure to flumethrin at 1 mg/L during larval stage reduced survival and altered foraging activities including induced precocious foraging activity, decreased foraging trips and time, and altered rotating day-off status of adult worker bees using the radio frequency identification system. Furthermore, larval exposure at 1 mg/L flumethrin influenced the correct proboscis extension responses of 7-day-old worker bees and decreased homing rates of 20-day-old worker bees, suggesting that 1 mg/L flumethrin exposure at larval stage could affect memory-related behaviors of adult bees; meanwhile, three genes related to memory (GluRA, Nmdar1 and Tyr1) were certainly down-regulated varying different flumethrin concentrations (0.01, 0.1, and 1 mg/L). Combined with transcriptomic sequencing, differentially expressed genes involved in olfactory memory of adult bees were completely down-regulated under flumethrin exposure. Our findings highlight the unprecedented impact of short-term exposure of insecticides on honey bees in long-term health monitoring under field conditions.

Production and Quality Characteristics of Royal Jelly in Relation to Available Natural Food Resources

Royal jelly is a secretion produced from the hypopharyngeal glands of worker bees, which requires significant pollen reserves to stimulate gland secretion. The natural sources of food available to the hive during beekeeping season can greatly affect the quantity and quality of produced royal jelly. In this study, samples of royal jelly were collected throughout the beekeeping season, and their physical and chemical characteristics were analyzed to understand how natural variations in bee diet affect royal jelly production. Before each sample collection, the bees’ food reserves were removed from the experimental colonies so that the royal jelly was produced solely from natural sources. The results showed that the production was significantly lower during the summer months compared with spring and autumn. Additionally, the moisture, protein, fructose, and glucose content of fresh royal jelly also showed significant changes in the summer, and all physical and chemical characteristics decreased when the fresh samples were converted into dry matter. It seems that the quality of pollen entering the hives has a direct impact on the physical and chemical properties of the final product, highlighting the crucial role of available resources in stimulating bees to produce royal jelly.

Effectiveness of using different types of nuclei and methods of replanting queen bees in bags

In Ukraine, among other industries, beekeeping occupies an important place. This fact is facilitated by the developed agricultural direction of the country and the high percentage of cultivation of entomophilic crops. However, despite the broad prospects for development and transition to an industrial basis, the beekeeping industry of Ukraine is represented, in the vast majority, by relatively small farms. One of the reasons for the low development of industrial honey production in Ukraine is the high costs of organizing an industrial apiary, which include the purchase of modern equipment for quick and efficient opening of frames, special equipment for pumping honey, the construction of separate premises for the honey pumping workshop, as well as the constant updating of equipment, such as new hives and frames, and the purchase of breeding queens. Another significant problem is the death of bee colonies due to a variety of diseases, including Varroa mite infestation. The use of pesticides to combat diseases and pests of agricultural plants and forest lands contributes to its negative share. An effective and cost-effective way to expand and increase the productivity of the apiary is the formation of bee packages using high-quality breeding queens. The use of early fertile queens makes it possible to form a strong full-fledged family and make full use of the honey collection this year. The effectiveness of the use of different types of nuclei and methods of replanting fertile queen bees in the formation of bee packages was checked. The study was carried out on bees of the Ukrainian steppe breed. The best results in terms of the percentage of fertile queens and the cost of queens per fertile were obtained using a full-size nucleus for 3 standard frames in a 16-frame bed. However, the same method required a larger number (10 times) of worker bees compared to the micronucleus. With traditional replanting using the Titov cage, the share of accepted queen bees is 90 %, and the maximum rate of reception of queen bees in packages is recorded when using the fourth method of transplantation. So, when transferring a queen with a frame of printed brood and young worker bees, the relative proportion of accepted queen bees was 98 %. Therefore, the traditional method can be considered optimal in terms of indicators: reception, manufacturability, costs.

Expression of honey bee (Apis mellifera) sterol homeostasis genes in food jelly producing glands of workers.

Adult workers of Western honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) acquire sterols from their pollen diet. These food sterols are transported by the hemolymph to peripheral tissues such as the mandibular and the hypopharyngeal glands in the worker bees' heads that secrete food jelly which is fed to developing larvae. As sterols are obligatory components of biological membranes and essential precursors for molting hormone synthesis in insects, they are indispensable to normal larval development. Thus, the study of sterol delivery to larvae is important for a full understanding of honey bee larval nutrition and development. Whereas hypopharyngeal glands only require sterols for their membrane integrity, mandibular glands add sterols, primarily 24-methylenecholesterol, to its secretion. For this, sterols must be transported through the glandular epithelial cells. We have analyzed for the first time in A. mellifera the expression of genes which are involved in intracellular movement of sterols. Mandibular and hypopharyngeal glands were dissected from newly emerged bees, 6-day-old nurse bees that feed larvae and 26-day-old forager bees. The expression of seven genes involved in intracellular sterol metabolism was measured with quantitative real-time PCR. Relative transcript abundance of sterol metabolism genes was significantly influenced by the age of workers and specific genes but not by gland type. Newly emerged bees had significantly more transcripts for six out of seven genes than older bees indicating that the bulk of the proteins needed for sterol metabolism are produced directly after emergence.

Temporal and Spatial Foraging Activity of Indian Honey Bee (Apis cerana indica F.) at Different Migratory Sites

Migratory beekeeping increases honey production and reduces the feeding costs of stationary beekeeping during longer dearth periods. This study discerns the influence of environmental conditions on the foraging behavior of the Indian honey bee, Apis cerana indica F., at different migratory sites in Southern India. The total number of foraging bees, pollen foraging efficiency, and nectar foraging efficiency were estimated. Furthermore, the influence of environmental factors, including temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, and solar radiation, was recorded to identify its impact on the foraging behavior of honey bees. Among the climatic factors, maximum temperature (&gt;30 °C) was the most crucial, negatively affecting bee activity with correlation coefficients of -0.83, -0.34, and -0.33 for outgoing bees, nectar, and pollen collectors, respectively. The relative humidity showed a positive impact on the frequency of worker bees moving out of the hive (r = 0.79), those coming in with nectar (r = 0.27), and pollen (r = 0.29). Rainfall hampered foraging activity, while solar radiation was found to have no significant effect on bee activity. Diurnal variations showed peak activity of bee foragers between 6.00 and 10.00 am. The visits by honey bees were significantly higher at low temperatures, solar radiation, precipitation, and high relative humidity. They made about 90% of their flower visits in the early morning, although plenty of bee flora was available throughout the day. Also, the environmental conditions at different sites strongly influenced the foraging behavior. However, the honey bees still focused their activities on favorable conditions depending on their biology and fixed their daily foraging patterns, improving beekeeping and honey production throughout the year.