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Pollinators depend on the melliferous flora for food, in return, flowers are pollinated, which contributes for the maintenance of ecosystems and conservation of biodiversity, increasing food production and ensuring food security. This research aims to provide an inventory of melliferous flora and its annual availability in Cervantes y Lozada, Córdoba, Veracruz, Mexico. During 26 months, the plants interacting with bees were collected on defined rural roads; we also documented the resource provided by the flowers (pollen, honey, etc.), their origin (native or exotic), life form and flowering periods. From 122 collections, 76 melliferous species were inventoried, grouped in 74 genera and 35 botanical families, being Asteraceae (25 %) the family with more species, followed by Malvaceae (9.21 %) and Lamiaceae (7.89 %); 67.11 % are polliniferous, 7.86 % nectariferous, and 25 % provide both; 82.89 % are native and 17.11 % exotic; 15.79 % are trees, 28.95 % shrubs and 55.26 % herbs. Seven species provided resources for bees all year round, two for 10 months and the rest for shorter periods. The flora species that were inventoried have different uses, so it is important to protect and promote the sustainable management of the melliferous flora, which is essential for the conservation of the pollination service, which in turn is essential for agriculture and ecosystems, in addition to protecting species of social, ecological, and economic importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mite Varroa destructor is one of the greatest threats to the apiculture sector worldwide. Generation of knowledge on its behavior and of the factors that favor its development under different environmental conditions, as well as the level of influence of these factors, is essential to the development of strategies for integral management of the mite. With the objective of analyzing the interaction between the variables of Apis mellifera colony strength and the percentage of V. destructor infestation, a group of 40 beehives were monitored during two flowering seasons, spring and summer-fall, in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. The variables were analyzed using the Pearson correlation analysis as well as an analysis of variance with repeated measures in time (p = 0.05). The level of V. destructor infestation was significantly related to the quantity of honey (+0.58) and pollen (+0.62) reserves and negatively correlated with hygienic behavior (-0.65). The percentage of V. destructor infestation in spring was not significantly different from that in summer-fall, while the quantity of food (honey and pollen) reserves in spring were statistically superior as of the second half of the season. Hygienic behavior had statistical differences only at the beginning of the flowering seasons; it was superior in summerfall. However, this difference was not maintained over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]