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Simple Summary: Among the pests infesting the honeybee Apis mellifera, the parasitoid flies Megaselia scalaris and Senotainia tricuspis are not yet well characterized for the occurrence and harmfulness to bee colonies. These flies can attack the forager bee and lay eggs or larvae on its body, which will develop by feeding on the host tissues until it is killed. Their prevalence in different countries is still not well defined, so, in this study, rapid molecular methods were developed to facilitate their detection. The new methods were applied in a preliminary analysis of adult bees and hive debris from parts of Central Italy and the Republic of Kosovo. Both flies were detected in the two countries and more frequently in Italy. The M. scalaris flies isolated from Italian apiaries were genotypically related to biotypes from distant countries. Single flies were shown to possibly transmit honeybee microbial pathogens, so their presence should be efficiently contrasted in apiaries. The Megaselia scalaris and Senotainia tricuspis parasitoid flies of the honeybee Apis mellifera were found to infest apiaries of different European and Mediterranean countries but their prevalence and impact on apiary health are little known. Therefore, in this study, quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based methods were developed for their rapid detection directly in hive matrices. The newly developed qPCR assays were targeted at the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene for the M. scalaris and the cytochrome B (cytB) gene for the S. tricuspis. The tests were preliminarily applied to 64 samples of adult honeybees and hive debris collected in the Abruzzo and Molise regions, Central Italy, and the Republic of Kosovo showing that both flies occur in the two countries and more frequently in Italy. The positive apiaries in Italy were re-sampled by capturing viable forager bees and isolating emerging flies to carry out the genotyping and analyses aimed at defining if these flies can transmit honeybee pathogens. Genotyping based on the COI and cytB gene sequencing for M. scalaris and S. tricuspis, respectively, identified one S. tricuspis genotype and diverse genotypes of M. scalaris highly similar to those from distant countries. Some fly isolates harbored the DNA or RNA of honeybee microbial pathogens Paenibacillus larvae, deformed wing viruses A and B (DWVA and B), black queen cell virus (BQCV), chronic paralysis virus (CBPV), and Nosema ceranae. The results indicated that these parasites should be efficiently controlled in apiaries by using rapid detection methods to facilitate the large screening studies and early detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apiculture has presented significant growth in the last decades in Europe and worldwide. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), there were 25.1 million bee colonies in Europe in 2021, with most of them being located in the southeastern countries. Smart technologies have invaded almost every pillar of agriculture, including apiculture. Modern apiculture is rather more nomadic than sedentary. Nomadism in beekeeping requires monitoring the settlement of bee colonies, in more than one place per year, in order to select more honey and pollen and contribute to the overall growth of the bees. To this scope, it is efficient to monitor and have wide control of bees remotely, in parallel with other smart applications, in order to prevent crises that would affect bee survival and/or yield production. The objectives of this paper are to outline a series of automation systems in apiculture used as a means towards the optimization of bee apiary management processes. Four beekeepers' case studies were used to demonstrate how sensors and communication means transfer multiple bee-related data from various bee apiary locations to a single control system. The methodology was based on input/output data evaluation, risk prioritization based on real data, and feedback to the beekeeper based on the potential risks. Based on the results, the most significant risks are related to bad weather conditions, varroa mites, and bee colony health. Furthermore, the beekeeper is able to optimize the whole management, operations, and strategic planning throughout the year. Last, it should be noted that the presented remote monitoring system will never substitute the necessity of traditional beekeeper visits, but it contributes to minimizing them based on the monitored daily data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ants are ubiquitous and eusocial insects that exhibit frequent physical contact among colony members, thereby increasing their susceptibility to diseases. Some species are often found in beehives and in their surroundings, where they exploit the food resources of honey bees. This intricate relationship may facilitate the interspecific transmission of honey bee pathogens to ants, although ants themselves may contribute to spillback phenomena. The objective of this study was to assess the presence and abundance of honey bee pathogens in ants sampled from Italian apiaries. A total of 37 colonies within 24 apiaries across 7 regions were monitored. In total, 6 pathogens were detected in adult ants and 3 in the brood. In particular, the study revealed a high prevalence of honey bee pathogens in ants, with DWV, BQCV, and CBPV being the most commonly encountered. The brood also tested positive for the same viruses. Notably, all analyzed viruses were found to be replicative in both adult ants and ant broods. Furthermore, co‐infections were prevalent, suggesting complex pathogen interactions within ant populations. Statistical analysis indicated significant differences in pathogen prevalence and abundance among ant species and sample types. The findings highlight active infection in both the ants and the brood, suggesting a potential role of ants as reservoir hosts and vectors of honey bee pathogens emphasizing the need for further research to understand the implications of interspecific pathogen transmission on ant and bee health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim In this study, we investigated culturable yeast community, present in grape must sampled from vineyards with apiaries on the borders, and in honey bees collected in these apiaries. Methods and results To this aim, yeasts isolated from spontaneously fermented grapes randomly collected in two vineyards (P1 and P2) with apiaries on the borders (A1 and A2) were compared to those isolated from spontaneously fermented grapes collected from a vineyard without apiary (P4). At the same time, yeast community was analyzed on bees collected in each apiary placed in the vineyards, in comparison to yeasts isolated from an apiary (A3) located far from the vineyards. The analysis was performed for two consecutive years (2021 and 2022). The isolated yeasts were identified by restriction analysis of amplified ITS region, followed by sequencing of ITS fragment. Our research showed that the presence of apiaries seems to increase yeast counts of grape must, in particular of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ; furthermore, the permanence of apiaries in the vineyards allowed the recovering of these yeasts also from bees. Conclusions Our findings seem to corroborate the role of bees as vectors and reservoirs of oenologically relevant yeasts, such as a source of non-conventional yeasts with potential biotechnological applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aimed to adapt a methodological tool capable of improving the way to obtain the Innovation Adoption Index in the Puebla beekeeping system. A questionnaire was designed and applied to a sample of 62 beekeepers, from which information was obtained on the use of management, genetics, food, and health innovations, from which 32 original variables and seven innovation categories were defined. The Innovation Adoption Index (InAI) was redesigned and adapted using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), which made it easier to identify social aspects of beekeepers and innovations that contribute to improving honey productivity. The results show that the innovations that contribute the most to production are those contained in the categories of apiary location and health. On the other hand, the InAIalt evaluation proved to be a pertinent alternative for the explanation of the behavior of the yield per hive in addition to showing the specific contribution percentages on the innovations assessed, which can be used to calculate estimates that are more precise and consistent with the expected yields of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The small hive beetle Aethina tumida (SHB) Murray,1867, is an invasive bee pest that is expanding its range across Latin America, parts of Australia and the Philippines, and is now established in two regions in Italy. However, despite multiple recent introductions, there is scant information about the dynamics of the initial stages of colonization of the SHB and this knowledge gap could impact management and quarantine strategies decisions for many countries. This note describes the monitoring strategies and the patterns of SHB establishment in a previously SHB‐free apiary on the island of Oahu, Hawaii in 2010–2011. The weekly hive inspections, conducted over a ten‐month period, showed that beetle prevalence increased slowly at the apiary level, and adult beetles were more commonly found (87.9%) inside the oil traps that were placed inside the hives between the outermost frames of the hive. There were relatively few "free roaming" beetles detected at this point and they were more often found on the side frames and underneath the cover of the hive, not on the floor of the hive. The results also suggest that in the early stages of colonization careful visual inspections of the frames of each colony had relatively low detection success when compared to oil traps. Our results support previous modelling studies that suggest the need to inspect a high proportion of colonies per apiary (>80%) to ensure a 5% detection rate during the initial stages of invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

My paper wishes to delve into concepts such as assemblage and sympoiesis and examine them within the framework of my ethnographic fieldwork on beekeeping in the Western chain of the Italian Alps. I believe that the implications of notions such as sympoiesis and assemblage can be seen to surface in the context of beekeeping and bee culture, as they emerge as multispecies activities where everything and everyone involved can be regarded as a social actor. In this respect, the most relevant issues I would like to tackle are referred to knowledge production and know-how among beekeepers who keep their apiaries in the plains for most part of the year and move them to mountain areas for the summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronaviruses (CoVs), a subfamily of Orthocoronavirinae, are viruses that sometimes present a zoonotic character. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the recent outbreak of COVID-19, which, since its outbreak in 2019, has caused about 774,593,066 confirmed cases and 7,028,881 deaths. Aereosols are the main route of transmission among people; however, viral droplets can contaminate surfaces and fomites as well as particulate matter (PM) in suspensions of natural and human origin. Honey bees are well known bioindicators of the presence of pollutants and PMs in the environment as they can collect a great variety of substances during their foraging activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible role of honey bees as bioindicators of the prevalence SARS-CoV-2. In this regard, 91 samples of honey bees and 6 of honey were collected from different apiaries of Campania region (Southern Italy) in four time periods from September 2020 to June 2022 and were analyzed with Droplet Digital RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 target genes Orf1b and N. The screening revealed the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in 12/91 in honey bee samples and in 2/6 honey samples. These results suggest that honey bees could also be used as indicators of outbreaks of airborne pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managed honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies in North America and Europe have experienced high losses in recent years, which have been linked to weather conditions, lack of quality forage, and high parasite loads, particularly the obligate brood parasite, Varroa destructor. These factors may interact at various scales to have compounding effects on honey bee health, but few studies have been able to simultaneously investigate the effects of weather conditions, landscape factors, and management of parasites. We analyzed a dataset of 3,210 survey responses from beekeepers in Pennsylvania from 2017 to 2022 and combined these with remotely sensed weather variables and novel datasets about seasonal forage availability into a Random Forest model to investigate drivers of winter loss. We found that beekeepers who used treatment against Varroa had higher colony survival than those who did not treat. Moreover, beekeepers who used multiple types of Varroa treatment had higher colony survival rates than those who used 1 type of treatment. Our models found weather conditions are strongly associated with survival, but multiple-treatment type colonies had higher survival across a broader range of climate conditions. These findings suggest that the integrated pest management approach of combining treatment types can potentially buffer managed honey bee colonies from adverse weather conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honeybees are essential to human society, providing pollination services globally as well as producing honey and other valuable products. Effective management of apiaries should not only rely on beekeeper knowledge and skill, but also incorporate new information technologies. The options to identify, predict and prevent beekeeping problems are becoming more affordable and applicable. The interdisciplinary Horizon 2020 project HIVEOPOLIS focuses on developing a new approach in beekeeping, by creating novel mechatronic beehives and implementing new bio-hybrid ideas. These intelligent beehives aim to help honeybees to cope with adverse environmental factors and increase the survival rate of the bee colonies. This paper focuses on the software architecture design for these intelligent beehives, providing infrastructure for data management and decision support system operation. The presented infrastructure is suitable for highly dynamic and diverse environments where a multitude of components interact and exchange information across technology domains (embedded, cloud, UIs) in a reliable and secure way. Besides user support, the decision support system built upon this infrastructure enables closed-loop automated decision making and control. • Intelligent beehives comprise diverse sensors and robotic actuators. • A data processing architecture for these futuristic hive systems is presented. • A system of intelligent hives integrated into a network of online microservices. • Remote decision support and automated actions are provided for beekeepers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the objective of evaluating the morphology of pollen in honey species from the tropical dry forest of the Quimis enclosure, five apiaries distributed in said plant formation were selected, the pollen loads obtained directly from the apiaries were collected and the bee flora was recorded according to the flowering time. The results revealed 21 honey species belonging to 13 families and 21 genera, being Convolvulus arvensis, Eriotheca ruizii, Ceiba trischistandra and Prosopis pallida the most common species and the most abundant family was Fabaceae. In relation to the pollen units, 0.95 % corresponds to the monad type and referring to symmetry, 0.67 % is characterized by being of the radiosymmetric type, while 0.48 % has tricolporate openings. Regarding the shape of the exine, 0.43% exhibited a psyllate shape, and 0.38 % showed a spheroidal shape. The months of greatest flowering coincided with June, July and August, which correspond to the dry season. The vast majority of nectariferous and polliniferous species were dominant, with the exception of Bonellia sprucei, Caesalpinia paipai and Trema micrantha, Muntingia calabura, Cojoba arborea, Sarcomphalus thyrsiflorus, Bursera graveolens, which only provide pollen and Cordia lutea and Cynophalla sclerophylla, which are nectar producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 25 samples of beeswax (9 from the southern and 16 from the northern of Çankırı) were collected within the scope of this study. Heavy metal contents of these samples were analyzed by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The mean iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), vanadium (V), cadmium (Cd), selenium (Se) levels in the samples were found to be 36.28 ppm, 1.69 ppm, 1.65 ppm, 1.14 ppm, 0.78 ppm, 0.68 ppm, 0.30 ppm, 0.13 ppm, 0.06 ppm, 0.01 ppm, respectively. Comparing the northern and southern regions, only Cd (1.10 ppm) was found to be higher in the southern region, whereas the other heavy metals were found to be higher in the northern region. No statistical difference was found between mean Fe, Pb, Zn, Al, Cr, V, and Se levels in the wax samples obtained from the northern and southern regions, whereas a statistically significant difference was found in Mn, Cu, and Cd concentrations. As a result, the heavy metal concentration in beeswax varied between the regions. Except for Cd element, all values were higher in the northern region of Çankırı and this region that is close to the highway with heavy traffic should be evaluated in terms of beekeeping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors propose system dynamics modelling as a new direction in Precision Beekeeping. By modeling the production process in beekeeping, it is possible to forecast the potential production capacity before the season, using the resources available to the beekeeper. The model included in this article reflects one specialisation of beekeeping - queen bee rearing, from the process of queen bee breeding up to the sale of queen bees throughout the entire season. The model helps beekeepers make decisions about the workforce needed to maintain the desired production volume, expected income and costs and resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nest defense in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) is a complex collective behavior modulated by various interacting social, environmental, and genetic factors. Scutellata-hybrid ("Africanized") honey bees are usually considered to be far more defensive than European honey bees which are therefore preferred for commercial and hobbyist beekeeping. In the most recent zone of scutellata hybridization, the southern USA, the degree to which this defensiveness differs among current strains, and the extent to which defensiveness varies across a season has not been measured. We quantified the levels of A. m. scutellata ancestry in colonies and conducted a seasonal assessment (May through November) of colony nest defensiveness in feral scutellata-hybrid and a popular lineage of European honey bee commonly used in managed environments (sold as A. mellifera ligustica) hives at two apiaries in Southern California. Standard measures of defensiveness were low in both scutellata-hybrid and European colonies during May. Defensiveness increased during the later months of the study in scutellata-hybrid colonies. Most measures of defensiveness did not increase in managed colonies. Defensiveness in the scutellata-hybrids appears lower than what has been previously documented in Brazil and Mexico, possibly due to their lower proportion of A. m. scutellata ancestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The varroa mite (Varroa destructor) is the most economically important parasitic pest of honey bees (Apis mellifera) that causes global colony decline and loss. Since its first detection in Ethiopia in 2010, little is known about the current infestation levels and contributing factors to the mite's distribution across the country. In this study, we conducted a large‐scale assessment of varroa prevalence and infestation levels in managed colonies across three potential beekeeping regions of Ethiopia; Oromia, Amhara and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR). A total of 360 samples from 39 apiaries were collected following standard protocols and the mite prevalence and infestation levels were determined using the established method of varroa research. Overall, 89% of sampled colonies were infested by the mite, with varying prevalence rates across the regions: 95.8% in Oromia, 85.2% in Amhara and 71.9% in SNNPR, indicating the widespread nature of the parasite throughout the country. The varroa infestation levels were lower in local hives (2.6 ± 5.9) than in frame hives (5.0 ± 0.9), and significantly higher in brood bees (5.6 ± 0.8) than in adult bees (1.93 ± 0.17) (p < 0.001). Possible factors contributing to the varied mite prevalence and infestation levels in the country include differences in agro‐ecology, beekeeping practices, host age preference and the nature of bee hives. Therefore, our study provides insights into the current status of varroa prevalence and associated factors across regions in Ethiopia. Further investigation is required to explore the probable impact of the parasite on the health and productivity of local honey bees, in order to design future monitoring strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the ecological and evolutionary processes that drive host–pathogen interactions is critical for combating epidemics and conserving species. The Varroa destructor mite and deformed wing virus (DWV) are two synergistic threats to Western honeybee (Apis mellifera) populations across the globe. Distinct honeybee populations have been found to self-sustain despite Varroa infestations, including colonies within the Arnot Forest outside Ithaca, NY, USA. We hypothesized that in these bee populations, DWV has been selected to produce an avirulent infection phenotype, allowing for the persistence of both host and disease-causing agents. To investigate this, we assessed the titre of viruses in bees from the Arnot Forest and managed apiaries, and assessed genomic variation and virulence differences between DWV isolates. Across groups, we found viral abundance was similar, but DWV genotypes were distinct. We also found that infections with isolates from the Arnot Forest resulted in higher survival and lower rates of symptomatic deformed wings, compared to analogous isolates from managed colonies, providing preliminary evidence to support the hypothesis of adaptive decreased viral virulence. Overall, this multi-level investigation of virus genotype and phenotype indicates that host ecological context can be a significant driver of viral evolution and host–pathogen interactions in honeybees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nosemosis is a microsporidian disease caused by Nosema ceranae and N. apis and transmitted via oral-fecal and oral-oral routes. It is globally distributed among adult bees in honeybee colonies. Considering the health importance of nosemosis in honeybees, the study aims to determine the frequency of Nosema spp. infection in migratory apiaries in Hormozgan province by microscopic and molecular methods. In the present study, 20 bees from ten randomly selected hives in 84 migratory apiaries were collected. In the laboratory, the abdomen of the bees was separated from the rest of the body with entomological tweezers and scissors and then ground up in a mortar containing saline serum. The prepared suspension was filtered by passing through a sieve, then the prepared suspension was transferred to test tubes and centrifuged. The pellets were repeatedly washed by saline solution and centrifuged. Finally, the pellets were examined for spores of Nosema spp. by light microscopy and conventional PCR. In microscopy, 38.2 % of apiaries were positive for Nosema spp. spores. By PCR however, DNA of N. ceranae was detected in 39.2. % of apiaries with no samples positive for N. apis. Due to the considerable frequency of infection in migratory apiaries in Hormozgan province, it is necessary to carry out appropriate health measures such as screening of apiaries with appropriate diagnostic methods and training of beekeepers to disinfect hives in order to control Nosema infection in Iranian apiaries by the veterinary health officials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bee products from urban apiaries are increasingly used. They are mainly used to promote local apiaries and cities in which they are located. The aim of the study was to compare the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of propolis from 6 Polish apiaries located in cities (Legionowo, Torun, Cracow, Warsaw, Katowice, Lodz). The chemical composition was analyzed using liquid chromatography (HPLC-DAD) and the analysis of antioxidant activity by scavenging free radicals (ABTS and DPPH) and FRAP. The obtained results showed the presence of 24 phenolic compounds in propolis extracts. The tested samples showed differentiation in terms of the content of individual chemical components, however, cinnamic acid and its derivatives were dominant. High antioxidant activity of the tested extracts was demonstrated (ABTS was in the range of 16.80–51.53 mg Te/mL, DPPH was in the range of 7.54–22.13 mg Te/mL, while FRAP reduction was in the range of 10.93–29.55 mg Te/mL). The obtained results compared with literature data on propolis from agricultural areas allow to conclude that propolis samples from both Poland types of areas are similar and can be classified as poplar propolis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction in Europe of the yellow-legged hornet Vespa velutina in 2004 has been the most successful invasion of an eusocial vespid, with dramatic effects on honeybees. Whereas an eradication is almost impossible in mainland, attacks and pressure on beehives are arising. Here we study the efficiency of non-attractive interception traps, so-called electric harps, by following a recent work using the same type of device which took place in Galicia (Spain). We used eight beehives separated in two groups, four with electric harps and two without them. Electric harps captured a huge amount of individuals from V. velutina and other species. Thus, beehives with electric harps are expected to experiment less pressure than those without them. Our study is a first step which should motivate further studies on this system. It however illustrates the efficiency and high selectivity of electric harps in protecting beehives, and can be used to understand foraging periods of hornets. Here we conclude that, owing to their low impact on biodiversity, such interception non baited traps provide a good protection of hives as tested in small apiaries, and we advise beekeepers to use these traps for hives situated in areas with high predation pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apis mellifera pomonella is one of two subspecies that represent the eastern limits of honey bee (Apis mellifera) distribution, and it is important to understand its biogeography and evolution. Despite this, A. m. pomonella was not investigated after its discovery 20 years ago. In particular, it is not known if it was hybridized or not with exotic subspecies introduced by beekeepers. In this study, we analysed the variation in honey bee forewing shape in Kazakhstan. Bees were collected from apiaries, where the origin of the queens was not controlled by beekeepers; they formed a group called "local bees", and apiaries where queens declared as either A. m. carnica or A. m. mellifera were obtained from queen breeders. The two later groups were called "exotic bees". We showed that local bees are still distinct from exotic ones. However, some samples showed signs of introgression with exotic subspecies from lineage C. In terms of wing shape, the local bees were most similar to lineage O. We concluded that the local bees most likely represented A. m. pomonella. We provided wing images and identification data, which can help to identify A. m. pomonella and protect it in the future. It is interesting that the nearby honey bee population sourced from China, which is not separated by any clear barrier to gene flow, belonged to lineage M. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nest defense in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) is a complex collective behavior modulated by various interacting social, environmental, and genetic factors. Scutellata-hybrid ("Africanized") honey bees are usually considered to be far more defensive than European honey bees which are therefore preferred for commercial and hobbyist beekeeping. In the most recent zone of scutellata hybridization, the southern USA, the degree to which this defensiveness differs among current strains, and the extent to which defensiveness varies across a season has not been measured. We quantified the levels of A. m. scutellata ancestry in colonies and conducted a seasonal assessment (May through November) of colony nest defensiveness in feral scutellata-hybrid and a popular lineage of European honey bee commonly used in managed environments (sold as A. mellifera ligustica) hives at two apiaries in Southern California. Standard measures of defensiveness were low in both scutellata-hybrid and European colonies during May. Defensiveness increased during the later months of the study in scutellata-hybrid colonies. Most measures of defensiveness did not increase in managed colonies. Defensiveness in the scutellata-hybrids appears lower than what has been previously documented in Brazil and Mexico, possibly due to their lower proportion of A. m. scutellata ancestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A continuing trend in precision apiculture is to use computer vision methods to quantify characteristics of bee traffic in managed colonies at the hive's entrance. Since traffic at the hive's entrance is a contributing factor to the hive's productivity and health, we assessed the potential of three open-source convolutional network models, YOLOv3, YOLOv4-tiny, and YOLOv7-tiny, to quantify omnidirectional traffic in videos from on-hive video loggers on regular, unmodified one- and two-super Langstroth hives and compared their accuracies, energy efficacies, and operational energy footprints. We trained and tested the models with a 70/30 split on a dataset of 23,173 flying bees manually labeled in 5819 images from 10 randomly selected videos and manually evaluated the trained models on 3600 images from 120 randomly selected videos from different apiaries, years, and queen races. We designed a new energy efficacy metric as a ratio of performance units per energy unit required to make a model operational in a continuous hive monitoring data pipeline. In terms of accuracy, YOLOv3 was first, YOLOv7-tiny—second, and YOLOv4-tiny—third. All models underestimated the true amount of traffic due to false negatives. YOLOv3 was the only model with no false positives, but had the lowest energy efficacy and highest operational energy footprint in a deployed hive monitoring data pipeline. YOLOv7-tiny had the highest energy efficacy and the lowest operational energy footprint in the same pipeline. Consequently, YOLOv7-tiny is a model worth considering for training on larger bee datasets if a primary objective is the discovery of non-invasive computer vision models of traffic quantification with higher energy efficacies and lower operational energy footprints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contrary to popular belief, beekeeping, which dates back to prehistoric times and is one of the most important plant and animal production branches today, is not an innocent profession in terms of occupational health and safety. In this study, in order to determine the occupational health and safety risk factors in the beekeeping profession, Interviews with beekeepers were conducted in 10 apiaries operating in Bayburt, where especially wandering beekeeping is practiced. In light of the data obtained from the danger hunt applied by the occupational health and safety specialist, ergonomic, physical, biological, and chemical risks were revealed using the FMEA risk analysis method. The effect, probability, and detection values were found for each failure mode, and then Risk Priority Number values were calculated. As a result of the study, for the five basic stages of beekeeping, 15 processes, 39 failure modes, 72 potential effects, and 39 failure causes were determined. Failure modes with a Risk Priority Number value of 100 and above were evaluated as “situations where urgent action and axiom should be taken,” and preventive axioms were proposed for each relevant failure mode. The number of studies on the risk factors in the beekeeping profession is very limited in the literature. For this reason, it is predicted that this study will fill an important gap in the related field and make significant contributions to the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The longevity of honey bees, although genetically conditioned, is impacted by numerous factors including diseases, parasites, pesticides, predators, but also by environmental and socio-economic factors. Additionally, the decrease in pollen resources reduces the queen’s brood and finally the longevity of the bee colony. Therefore, a survey, based on clinical examinations in apiaries and a questionnaire completed by beekeepers was conducted in 2023 to analyze the major factors that adversely impact the honey bees colonies. For this a total of 50 beekeepers from five counties in Central and South-eastern Romania were enrolled in the study. Among the factors causing honey bee losses, diseases (including varroosis, wax moth, nosemosis, others) and unfavourable climatic conditions, such as longer dryness and cold periods, rains, or strong winds were reported. These findings emphasize on the importance of continuous monitoring, investigations, and specific control measures to be taken in order to preserve the health and activity of honey bee colonies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Since the accidental introduction of the yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) at the beginning of 21st century in Europe, it has become a threat to many pollinators, including domestic bees. After its arrival in France in 2004, it quickly spread across the continent, reaching Gipuzkoa (Basque Country) in 2010, where it poses a serious problem for beekeeping. To reduce this problem, various control strategies have been developed, such as the removal of nests or the capture of founder queens in spring. However, these methods have not been effective in reducing the impact of hornets on beekeeping. The use of protein baits with biocides has shown to be an effective method to control invasive wasp populations in natural environments, however, they have not been used to control V. velutina. This study evaluated the efficacy of these baits in reducing the impact of hornets in apiaries. The results have shown that when the presence of hornets in apiaries is high, high-bait consumption is produced, leading to a significant reduction in the number of hornets within 48 h. This reduction lasts for at least two weeks after baiting and allows the honey bees to recover and return to their normal activity. The yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax), outside its natural range, has become a major threat to domestic bees. Several control methods have been used to fight against V. velutina, but the results achieved are not satisfactory. The use of protein baits with biocides has shown to be an effective method to control invasive wasp populations, but they have not been used to control V. velutina. Thus, the efficacy of protein baits containing fipronil to reduce the presence of hornets in apiaries was evaluated in this study. After laboratory determination of the optimal efficacy of a protein bait at a 0.01% concentration of fipronil, field trials were conducted involving 222 beekeepers. The data reported by the 90 beekeepers who completed the requested questionnaire demonstrated that in the groups of apiaries with the highest pressure of hornets (groups with 10–30 and >30 hornets), there was a significant decrease in the presence of V. velutina, lasting at least two weeks. The reduction in the number of hornets was positively correlated with bait consumption, and bait consumption was positively correlated with the number of hornets present at the time of treatment. Although the method used has shown good efficacy and the concentration of fipronil used was very low; possible negative effects on the environment should also be evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beekeepers around the world try their best to find the convenient geographical and economical races for pollinating and highly amount of honeybee products. However, from all known geographical races, Carniolan and Italian and other developed genotypes such as Buckfast and Cordovan bees are widely use by beekeepers in the most of countries. Nicot Cupkit apparatus system for queen rearing used in this study to compare and evaluate the Carniolan, Italian, Buckfast, and Cordovan bees’ activity in the queen cells acceptance. In general, Cordovan genotype recorded the highest level of the percentage of queen cells acceptance followed by Buckfast, Italian, and Carniolan bees under the Egyptian environmental conditions. The highest queen cells acceptance percentage in general was in April, May, and July for all examined races and genotypes. In addition to, Buckfast bees recorded the highest rate of virgin queens’ weight followed by Carniolan bees, whereas Cordovan bees recorded regular rate of the virgin queens’ weight with no significant differences between the different study months. Furthermore, Carniolan and Buckfast bees had the best rate in virgin queens’ weight during the period from February to July with preference of virgin queens emerged in May and June. This study provides a firm basis for future research to better understand the biological and genetic differences between the examined honeybee races and genotypes and their roles in adaptation to the environmental conditions in Egyptian apiaries of bee breeding in Egypt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study is to investigate the honey yield obtained from bee colonies with naturally and instrumentally inseminated queen bees during two honey production seasons 2021 and 2022. The experiment was conducted at three apiaries 1, 2 and 3, located in the Veliko Tarnovo region. Two queen bee lines from each apiary participated in the experiment – Line 1 (LM-20) and Line 2 (LM45). Two groups of bee colonies were formed from each line. Each group consisted of 6 bee colonies with instrumentally inseminated queen bees and 6 bee colonies with naturally inseminated queen bees. Queen bees from the group of instrumentally inseminated bee colonies were inseminated once with 10 µl of semen at the age of 8 days from their hatching. In the first year of the queen bees (2021), a higher honey yield was found in bee colonies with instrumentally inseminated queens in the both lines, in the three apiaries. In the second year of the queen bees (2022), the honey yield of bee colonies with naturally and instrumentally inseminated queen bees was similar in the three apiaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Pollens being the primary source of protein, lipids, vitamins, and minerals are vital for bee development and reproduction. A major issue confronting beekeeping is developing strong and healthy honey bee colonies. The possibility of prosperous honey bee colonies depends on an effective pollen substitute especially when pollen supply is scarce during the dearth period. Many beekeepers feed their bees different pollen substitutes with sufficient nutrition throughout the period of inadequate pollen quantity or quality. We delivered four different pollen substitutes (chickpea, maize, sorghum, and wheat flour) and natural pollen to honey bee colonies for comparison. Each flour was mixed with a small quantity of cinnamon powder, turmeric powder, and both powders. Further, to investigate the preferred pollen foraging distance from the hives, the best performing pollen substitutes were placed at various distances of 10, 25, and 50 m from the apiary. Chickpea flour (comparatively rich in protein content) located very close to the apiary was the best pollen substitute among the tested flours. This study is very helpful for beekeepers in supplementing their bee colonies when there is a shortage or unavailability of pollens, and it is much better to keep the food source near the apiary. The availability of floral resources is crucial for honey bee colonies because it allows them to obtain protein from pollen and carbohydrates from nectar; typically, they consume these nutrients in the form of bee bread, which has undergone fermentation. However, the intensification of agriculture, urbanization, changes to the topography, and harsh environmental conditions are currently impacting foraging sites due to habitat loss and scarcity of food resources. Thus, this study aimed to assess honey bee preference for various pollen substitute diet compositions. Bee colonies perform poorly because of specific environmental problems, which ultimately result in pollen scarcity. Pollen substitutes located at various distance from the bee hive were also investigated in addition to determining the preferences of honey bees for various pollen substitute diets. The local honey bee (Apis mellifera jemenitica) colonies and different diets (four main treatments, namely, chickpea flour, maize flour, sorghum flour, wheat flour; each flour was further mixed with cinnamon powder, turmeric powder, flour only, flour mixed with both cinnamon and turmeric powder) were used. Bee pollen was used as a control. The best performing pollen substitutes were further placed at 10, 25, and 50 m distances from the apiary. Maximum bee visits were observed on bee pollen (210 ± 25.96) followed by chickpea flour only (205 ± 19.32). However, there was variability in the bee visits to the different diets (F (16,34) = 17.91; p < 0.01). In addition, a significant difference in diet consumption was observed in control (576 ± 58.85 g) followed by chickpea flour only (463.33 ± 42.84 g), compared to rest of the diets (F (16,34) = 29.75; p < 0.01). Similarly, foraging efforts differed significantly (p < 0.01) at the observed time of 7–8 A.M., 11–12 A.M., and 4–5 P.M. at the distance of 10, 25, and 50 m away from the apiary. Honey bees preferred to visit the food source that was closest to the hive. This study should be very helpful for beekeepers in supplementing their bee colonies when there is a shortage or unavailability of pollens, and it is much better to keep the food source near the apiary. Future research needs to highlight the effect of these diets on bee health and colony development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously showed that colonies of thriving and non-thriving honeybees co-located in a single geographically isolated apiary harboured strikingly different microbiomes when sampled at a single time point in the honey season. Here, we profiled the microbiome in returning forager bees from 10 to 12 hives in each of 6 apiaries across the southern half of Ireland, at early, middle, and late time points in the 2019 honey production season. Despite the wide range of geographical locations and forage available, apiary site was not the strongest determinant of the honeybee microbiome. However, there was clear clustering of the honeybee microbiome by time point across all apiaries, independent of which apiary was sampled. The clustering of microbiome by time was weaker although still significant in three of the apiaries, which may be connected to their geographic location and other external factors. The potential forage effect was strongest at the second timepoint (June–July) when the apiaries also displayed greatest difference in microbiome diversity. We identified bacteria in the forager bee microbiome that correlated with hive health as measured by counts of larvae, bees, and honey production. These findings support the hypothesis that the global honeybee microbiome and its constituent species support thriving hives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study was to determine whether colonies with clinical signs of foulbrood in apiaries and hive tools, smokers, gloves, feeders and beekeeper's veils used in the same colonies were a reservoir source for microbial infections. For this purpose, samples were taken from colonies with clinical signs of foulbrood and collected from 29 different apiaries in the Southern Marmara region of Türkiye. The samples were brought to the laboratory under appropriate conditions, and agent isolation and identification were performed. Different microorganisms were isolated from the feeder, hive tool, beekeeper smoker, gloves and beekeeper suit samples collected from each apiary. Bacteria isolated from the samples taken from the hives with clinical signs of foulbrood and from the samples taken from the tools and equipment were isolated as the same species or as a mixture. As a result, an intense presence of microorganisms was detected in the hive tool, beekeeper suit, gloves, feeder, and beekeeper's smoker, used by beekeepers, and it was determined that these materials used in beekeeping were a source of microbial reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honeybees are indispensable pollinator insects for vegetative pollination and biodiversity. Moreover, they serve medicinal importance with products such as honey, propolis, pollen, and royal jelly. Sudden bee deaths and colony collapse disorder (CCD) threaten the sustainability of colony health. Honeybee viruses, parasites, and pathogens trigger colony losses and CCD. This study investigated the presence and prevalence of Israeli acute bee paralysis virus (IAPV) in apiaries with sudden bee deaths, colony losses, and CCD-like problems in 16 provinces in different eco-geographic regions of Türkiye between 2011-2021. Samples were tested for the coexistence of honeybee pathogens with IAPV. The sampled apiaries were evaluated for other bee pathogens such as Acute bee paralysis virus, Black queen bee virus, Chronic bee paralysis virus, Deformed wing virus, Kashmir bee virus, Lake Sinai virus, Sacbrood virus, Varroa mites, and Nosema sp. analyzed. Pathogen-specific RT-PCR assay was used for bee viruses. IAPV positivity was found to be 52.5% in apiaries. 97.5% of the sampled apiaries were positive for at least one pathogen. According to the results of this study, the presence of IAPV in apiaries suffering from colony loss and CCD-like problems was higher than in previous reports, and viruses of different species, Nosema sp., and varroa infestation were found to be frequently encountered. The results suggest that the coexistence of IAPV and multiple pathogens may be effective in colony losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A phenetic analysis of the honey bee population of the Toratau Geopark (Russia) was performed. Over 1,000 worker and drone bee samples were collected from 250 colonies in 59 apiaries on the territory of the Toratau Geopark (Gafuriysky, Ishimbaysky, Meleuzovsky, and Sterlitamaksky districts of the Republic of Bashkortostan). Six phenes in worker bees and four phenes in drone bees were recognized. The phenes E, 1R, 2R, and 3R in workers and Is, I, and O-gray in drones were predominant in the honey bee population of the Toratau Geopark, which were associated with subspecies of the Clineage. These phenes can be used as indicators of introgressive hybridization in the local dark European honey bee population. The phenes allow for quick evaluation of certain honey bee colonies hybridization states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents, based on the study and the experience of the authors in the field, some considerations, especially from an application aspect, useful in building a photovoltaic system for supplying electricity to an isolated apiary, as well as simulations for such a system, made with the PVGIS program . The main highperforming electric machines of today with relatively high energy consumption from an isolated beehive are identified, as well as their specific mode of use, during a calendar year, an essential factor for establishing the installed power of such a photovoltaic system and a its effective technical-economic design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yucatán peninsula is the most important of honey-producing region in Mexico which is the second most important source of income after agriculture. In the Maya area of Quintana Roo, beekeepers have a common problem of bee predation by ants, resulting in the loss of hives and their products. The objective was to identify the species of ants that prey on A. mellifera bees in apiaries in Kancabchén, Quintana Roo. These predatory ants were collected in three apiaries, by means of traps and manual capture in the dry and rainy seasons (2017), these were identified using taxonomic keys. The presence of five species of predatory ants in apiaries is reported for the first time: Eciton burchellii, Eciton mexicanum, E. vagans, Labidus praedator, and Nomamyrmex hartigii are all army ants and as such, do not establish permanent nests or attack at a specific time. This makes it difficult for the beekeepers to by always present now of the attack; and when they coincide, the only traditional control is simply to burn the ants with all the bees and the hive. Because these army ants have nomadic or seminomadic habits, it is difficult to establish an effective management program for Mayan beekeepers in Quintana Roo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honey bees are among the most effective pollinators that promote plant reproduction. Bees are highly active in the pollen collection season, which can lead to the transmission of selected pathogens between colonies. The clade Starmerella comprises yeasts that are isolated mainly from bees and their environment. When visiting plants, bees can come into contact with Starmerella spp. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and phylogenetic position of S. apis in bee colonies. Bee colonies were collected from nine apiaries in three regions. Ten colonies were sampled randomly from each apiary, and pooled samples were collected from the central part of the hive in each colony. A total of 90 (100%) bee colonies from nine apiaries were examined. Starmerella apis was detected in 31 (34.44%) samples, but related species were not identified. The 18S rRNA amplicon sequences of S. apis were compatible with the GenBank sequences of Starmerella spp. from India, Japan, Syria, Thailand, and the USA. The amplicon sequences of S. apis were also 99.06% homologous with the sequences deposited in GenBank under accession numbers JX515988 and NG067631.This is the first study to perform a phylogenetic analysis of S. apis in Polish honey bees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aimed to determine the: level of knowledge and practices of the respondents in relation to beekeeping, honey production, its uses, and marketing, relationship between the level of their knowledge and practices and the independent variables studied, and to identify the most important problems facing them in the field of beekeeping, and their proposals to solve these problems. The research was conducted in Qena Governorate, as it is one of the governorates that is famous for beekeeping and the spread of flowering plants. There are 9 administrative districts in the governorate, and the number of apiaries at the governorate level is 449. Three districts (Qena, Qus, and Naqada) were chosen randomly. The number of apiaries in the selected districts reached 264, representing 58.8% of the total number of apiaries at the governorate level.The research included 149 respondents in the selected districts, and the number of respondents in the research sample was 108. Data were collected through a personal interview using by questionnaire, data were collected during the month of November 2022, frequencies, percentage, arithmetic mean, Pearson's simple correlation coefficient, and Chi-square were used to present and analyze the data. The most important results were the following: - % 26.9 of the respondents fell into the high level of knowledge category. - % 43.5 of the respondents fell into the category of low level practices. -There is a significant relationship between the level of knowledge of the respondents and each of: the number of years of formal education, the number of apiaries owned by the respondent, the number of training courses, the degree of benefit from training, and the basic profession. -There is a significant relationship between the level of the respondents' practices and each of: age, number of years of formal education, number of years of experience in the field of beekeeping, number of apiaries owned by the respondent, number of hives, degree of membership in associations, number of training courses, degree of benefit from it, and basic profession, movement of the apiary, and ownership of the apiary. - 64.8% of the respondents mentioned the existence of problems, and 25.7% of them indicated that the most important of them is spraying crops with insecticides that affect bees. - 60.2% of the respondents mentioned proposals to solve problems, and 21.5% of them indicated that the most important of them is providing pesticides that do not affect bees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bees are susceptible to diseases, which cause significant economic losses in beekeeping. The objective was to evaluate the prevalence of Varroa sp, Nosema sp and Acarapis in apiaries located in two regions in Campeche, Mexico. 116 bee samples from 10 apiaries were evaluated. The prevalence of Varroa was lower in Hopelchén compared to Sihochac (98.5% and 100%), the prevalence of Nosema was lower in Hopelchén compared to Sihochac (85.9% and 88.0%). The Varroa infestation level was higher in Hopelchén compared to Sihochac (7.32 and 3.73 mites in 100 bees), however, the Nosema infestation level was lower in Hopelchén compared to Sihochac (78x105 and 23x106 spores per bee), not the presence of Acarapis was found in none of the evaluated regions. In both regions a positive correlation was found between the presence of Nosema and Varroa. There is a 1.08 higher probability of finding Nosema in the presence of Varroa. We conclude that in both regions there is a high prevalence of Varroa and Nosema and the presence of Acarapis was not detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mathematical model has been developed to assess the digitization of the beekeeping sector. For this purpose, the summarized results of questionnaire surveys of 37 apiaries located in the regions of Plovdiv and Pleven municipalities in Bulgaria were used. For evaluation on the degree of digitization of the apiaries we took under consideration only what software and hardware products are used. The results showed a low degree of digitization of the studied apiaries - in 27 out of 37 studied apiaries there were no data about the use of software and hardware applications, and the average level of digitization for the studied apiaries according to the model we developed was within 8-9 %. A survey on the awareness of those employed in the beekeeping about some basic digital products for collecting, storing and distributing information and their willingness to use them in the future was also conducted. It was found that between 21% and 35% of the respondents were not familiar with the basic digital products. Far more worrying was that between 50 % and 70% of respondents stated that they were familiar with the listed digital products, but did not intend to use them in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to characterize and implement a reliable, viable and effective physicochemical methodology for the quality of Apis mellifera propolis collected in two apiaries located in Pacho and Suba-Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia. A qualitative analysis was designed and validated to diagnose and evaluate the quality of propolis for laboratory analysis. Samples were collected by the scraping method, ethanolic extracts of propolis (EEP) were obtained and results were compared under several Latin American standards (Cuban, Brazilian and Salvadoran standards). The presence of phenols and flavonoids was determined by means of solubility in lead acetate, ferric chloride, sodium hydroxide, pW, humidity, oxidizing property, UV-vis spectroscopy profiles, pH, mechanical masses, dry mass, percentage of phenolic compounds, ashes, determination of major and minor minerals and quantity of flavonoids in quercetin. The results showed that the solubility in lead acetate and sodium hydroxide were positive for the 10 samples in duplicate, plus the 3 validation samples; the results showed significant differences between locations and compared with current standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The guiding principles for raising beekeeping products in developing countries provide support for commercializing honey production in order to generate income for beekeepers through the exploration of melliferous flora. The main objective of this study was to conduct a preliminary investigation into the pollen morphology of selected melliferous species that are frequently visited by honeybees in the vicinity of apiaries in the district of Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In this study, an updated overview was provided by reviewing the literature regarding palynological investigation of melliferous flora. The morpho-palynological features, dominant plant families visited by honeybees, and life forms of melliferous species were also discussed. The Acetolysis method was used to prepare the microscopic slides of pollen, measure and describe the qualitative and quantitative features using LM and SEM. Results showed maximum pollen polar and equatorial diameter in M. azadirachta (37.9 μm) and (40.9 μm) respectively. The polar to equatorial diameter ratio (P/E) was observed to be the highest in M. domestica (1.14). Colpi length was calculated to be the highest in the P. granatum (13.8 μm). The highest percentage of pollen fertility was calculated in V. tricolor (92.5%), whereas the lowest was in O. rosea (64.28%). Studied characters under LM and SEM have appeared as a useful tool for the delimitation of melliferous flora, which may lead to the correct identification of the potential and valuable bee floral resources for beekeepers. The outcomes of this study aid in the assessment of melliferous flora and help in providing conservation measures for the sustainable development of beekeeping and the honeybee flora of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ascosphaera apis (Maassen ex Claussen) Olive et Spiltoir is a causal agent of chalkbrood disease and is widely found in mainly honeybee colonies worldwide. Chalkbrood disease rarely causes colony death, but severe infections can lead to a decrease in honeybee populations and as a result, a decrease in honey production or beekeeping byproducts. Therefore, it is important to determine the distribution and prevalence of this disease agent in a certain region in terms of controlling of it. In this study, it was aimed to identify chalkbrood disease agents affecting honeybee colonies especially in beekeeping places in Turkey, to isolate and identify them using morphological and molecular methods, especially ITS gene sequencing. Morphologically, pure cultures of clinically suspected samples in terms of chalkbrood disease were created and microscopically evaluated. After that, genomic DNA isolation was performed from pure cultures to amplify ITS gene region and the resulting gene sequences were used in molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis. For this purpose, a total of 1.193 hives were randomly selected from 400 apiaries in 40 provinces throughout Turkey between 2018 and 2019. As a result, the presence of A. apis was detected in 7 hives in 2018 and 19 hives in 2019, as a result a total of 26 samples were found to be positive. Accordingly, the infection rate was determined as 2.18%. The obtained results are thought to be important in terms of determining the spread rate of A. apis and the rate of chalkbrood disease in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nosemosis is an important bee disease that is caused by microsporidia fungi of the Nosema genus, whose main etiological agents are Nosema apis and N. ceranae, both of which are found worldwide. In Brazil, the disease has been reported in several states but little is known about its occurrence and distribution in Bahia. This study identified the occurrence and distribution of nosemosis and its agents, N. apis and N. ceranae, in Apis mellifera L. bees collected from apiaries in the state of Bahia, Brazil. A total of 154 bee samples were collected and analyzed from 20 apiaries in six regions of the state. The hives sampled were evaluated for signs of the disease from December 2015 to July 2018. Molecular diagnosis was made using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). No signs of nosemosis were observed in the sampled apiaries, but from 154 samples analyzed via PCR, 96 were infected with N. ceranae. This pathogen was reported in samples from all six regions evaluated, and its occurrence in important apiculture regions of Bahia State is discussed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Swarming is the natural phenomenon that involves the reproduction of the bee species. The name swarm comes from one of the phases of the multiplication process that takes place in the form of a multitude of flying bees, with one or more queens and drones, forming in the air a globular shape, "swarm", on their way from the hive to the temporary or permanent destination. The study follows the importance of the favoring and the determining factors of Apis mellifera carpatica bees swarming, in order to develop good management strategies and describes the stages of the swarming phenomenon, from the preparation for swarming to leaving the hive. The main factors that led to the swarming of the four bee families were the overcrowding in the hive, the blockage of the hive with honey and pollen and the poor management of the apiary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biosecurity measures in beekeeping (BMBs) include measures taken to prevent the spread of diseases by minimizing the movement of microorganisms and pests in the apiary, preventing diseases and pests in the environment from reaching the apiary or reducing their effects. Biosafety principles aim to prevent infectious factors from entering the apiaries and spreading by humans, bees, feed, and technological systems in order to prevent them from adversely affecting bee health or honey quality. Good beekeeping practices (GBP) prevent or minimize the entry of important bee diseases and pests into the apiary and the spread between colonies and apiaries. Prevents negative effects on bee health, honey safety, honey quality, and production efficiency. BMBs can be effective if GBPs are implemented. In this study, it is aimed to provide information about bee health, protection from bee diseases, preventing the spread of diseases and pests among other colonies and apiaries in the same apiary, biosecurity and good beekeeping practices necessary to obtain quality and reliable bee products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we conducted a six-month survey to evaluate the current status of three common honey bee viruses (black queen cell virus [BQCV], acute bee paralysis virus [ABPV], and sacbrood virus [SBV]) in Turkey's Bingöl region and revealed their phylogenetic relationships with the same types of viruses in other parts of the world. We randomly sampled 384 worker honey bees from a total of 128 apiaries from different locations of this region. Molecular tests confirmed the presence of SBV and BQCV, with infection rates of 7.03% and 11.7%, respectively, but ABPV could not be detected in any of the surveyed apiaries. In addition, double infection was detected in an apiary with an infection rate of 0.78%. The sequences of a partial polyprotein gene region of a randomly selected isolate from each detected virus were collected and registered in GenBank under the accession numbers MZ357971 and MZ357972 for SBV and MZ357974 for BQCV. The nucleotide sequence similarity of Turkish BQCV and SBV isolates was 75.71–96.58% and 85.96–92.98%, respectively. A comparison of the phylogenetic tree of Bingöl honey bee viral genomes with other isolates from around the world revealed that Bingöl SBV isolates were closely related to another Turkey isolate while Bingöl BQCV isolate to France, Italy, Australia, and Brazil isolates. To our knowledge, the presence and phylogenetic affinity of SBV and BQCV viruses detected in the present study is the first recording for Turkey's Bingöl province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The apiary discovered in Stratum V at Tel Reḥov in 2005–2007 remains unique in the archaeology of the ancient Near East. Here the authors briefly summarize the data previously published in this journal and add results of new studies, mainly concerning the identification of ancient charred bees trapped in burnt honeycombs found in the hives. Measurements of two wings and one leg, and statistical work based on existing database of modern subspecies, are inconsistent with the Syrian subspecies local to Israel (Apis meliferra syriaca), but were found to be similar to the Anatolian bee (Apis meliferra anatoliaca). We discuss the implications of this result, suggesting trade relations with southern Anatolia. The authors suggest that the beeswax was perhaps related to the copper-based metallurgical industry that entailed casting in the lost wax method, at a time when the copper trade based on the Arabah mines was at its peak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, some migratory beekeepers are placing large honeybee apiaries on western U.S. wildlands to safely exploit summer wildflower bloom. Their impact on native bees raises conservation concerns, particularly where regional bee faunas have been spared resource competition from honeybees. Their ecological impacts are the product of three variables: 1) the magnitude of pollen and nectar withdrawal by apiaries, itself a product of colony pollen and nectar consumption, apiary size and residence time, 2) the amount of uncontested floral resources not used by native bee communities, and 3) the spatial extent around apiaries where honeybees predominate at wildflowers. In the US Intermountain West, foraging honeybees from large wildland apiaries were found outnumbering native bees at wildflower patches out to 8 km distant, for a circular area of 200 km2 around each 96-hive apiary. Those floral hosts attracted surprisingly rich native bee faunas. Feral honeybees were absent from wildflowers during 5-state surveys far from apiaries or before their deployment. Each colony's foragers visit a calculated one billion wildflowers during the summer. Published records indicate that native bee faunas alone typically exhaust floral pollen before nightfall. These insights are relevant to a recent practice of placing massive apiaries (90–250 colonies) in those western U.S. public wildlands where wild bee communities had not previously been subjected to floral resource exploitation by honeybees. The method developed here – ratios of honeybees to native bees at wildflowers – is quick and simple for land managers to use to measure the spatial extent of foraging honeybees around wildland apiaries. • Summer apiaries are being set in ecoregions that lack feral honeybees. • Each apiary's workers predominated at bloom out to 8 km, or across 50 km2. • Each colony's foragers make a calculated one billion visits to summer bloom. • Published data shows that foraging native bees alone can daily exhaust host pollen. • Apiary bees therefore threaten rich native bee faunas, as in the US Great Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paenibacillus larvae, the causative agent of American foulbrood (AFB), produces spores that may be detectable within honey. We analyzed the spore content of pooled, extracted honey from 52 large-scale (L) and 64 small-scale (S) Saskatchewan beekeepers over a two-year period (2019–2020). Our objectives were: (i) establish reliable prognostic reference ranges for spore concentrations in extracted honey to determine future AFB risk at the apiary level; (ii) identify management practices as targets for mitigation of risk. P. larvae spores were detected in 753 of 1476 samples (51%). Beekeepers were stratified into low (< 2 spores/gram), moderate (2- < 100 spores/gram), and high (≥ 100 spores/gram) risk categories. Of forty-nine L beekeepers sampled in 2019, those that reported AFB in 2020 included 0/26 low, 3/18 moderate, and 3/5 high risk. Of twenty-seven L beekeepers sampled in 2020, those that reported AFB in 2021 included 0/11 low, 2/14 moderate, and 1/2 high risk. Predictive modelling included indoor overwintering of hives, purchase of used equipment, movement of honey-producing colonies between apiaries, beekeeper demographic, and antimicrobial use as risk category predictors. Saskatchewan beekeepers with fewer than 2 spores/gram in extracted honey that avoid high risk activities may be considered at low risk of AFB the following year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]