Search

Viruses are one of the most potential risk factors that negatively affect the different life stages of honey bees. This study was conducted to determine the presence of infections caused by the deformed wing virus (DWV), black queen cell virus (BQCV), and acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV) in honey bees in the beekeeping regions of Burdur, along with obtaining information about their prevalence in this particular region. In our study, the adult bees were taken from 31 different beehives and comb samples that had different honey bee breeds and were sampled randomly from 15 beekeeping areas within the region. The collected samples were analyzed using the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the prevalence of DWV, BQCV, and ABPV infections were determined to be 74.19% (23/31), 25.81%, (8/31) and 74.19% (23/31), respectively. In this study, the distribution of positive samples and the rates of multiple infections were determined in the colonies. Of the positive honey bee samples, 12 (%38.71) were detected only for one virus, 9 (%29.03) were positive for two viruses (DWV-ABPV) and 8 (%25.81) were positive for all three viruses. In the present study, the presence of the three bee viruses that caused significant damage to the colonies by multiple infections in the Burdur region was determined with RT-PCR. To our knowledge, this is the first report of three mentioned bee infections in honey bees in the Burdur region. The revealed epidemiological conditions lead to the conclusion that serious measures are needed to control these infections in this region.

Deltamethrin and piperonyl butoxide two synthetic pyrethroids, when used in a combination it produces synergistic effect. This two insecticide has found to be widely used in the management of mosquito, housefly and other insects to control the various vector born diseases. In this review we assessed the toxic effect of deltamethrin and piperonyl butoxide on beneficial organisms commonly available in the ecosystem. It was found to be toxic to fish, honey bees the prime pollinators of crop plant; earthworm is also susceptible at a lethal concentration for a particular exposure. As far the birds are concerned, they have a less toxic risk in lower concentration of exposure. The alterations obtained in the hematological, biochemical and histopathological studies, further conclude that it can cause environment hazards and toxic to the non-targeted organisms. This investigation gives an insight into the combined toxicological profile of deltamethrin and PBO for better risk assessment and safe use of pyrethroids and their synergist in non-targeted organisms.

Nosema apis and N. ceranae are the two causative agents of Nosema disease in adult honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). Nosema apis has been a recognized parasite for over a century and its epizootiology is well known. In contrast, N. ceranae is an emerging parasite of honey bees, which is now globally prevalent and the dominant Nosema spp. in many parts of the world. Despite this, many gaps in our knowledge exist regarding this species. For example, we do not fully understand all of the routes of transmission of N. ceranae among bees, or how long this parasite is capable of surviving in honey bee colonies. Here we investigated the viability and infectivity of N. ceranae spores in water and 2 M sucrose over time after storage at 33, 20, −12 and −20°C. Spores in both 2 M sucrose and water maintained high viability, except in water at −20°C over the course of the 6-week experiment. Infectivity was variable for spores after storage at all four temperatures, but all were infective at the last time point. The results provide evidence for cold tolerance and suggest that both water and 2 M sucrose (fall bee feed) could act as routes of transmission for N. ceranae. This work also contains information that may help influence management recommendations for the parasite.

Honey bees are faced with many diseases, some more serious than others. Observing irregularities during routine hive inspection may indicate potential problems. Not all disorders are equally important; some are more detrimental and need immediate attention, whereas others may only need time to clear up. It is important to be observant to be able to recognize these diseases and differentiate between them so the correct treatment may be done in a timely manner when needed to maintain the health of the colony. Colonies need to be healthy to survive and prosper.

Honeydew is a sugar-rich sweet substance excreted by the phloem-feeding herbivorous insects like aphids, leafhoppers, mealybugs and scales of the Order Hemiptera. The honeydew is generally deposite...

Deformed wing virus (DWV) is considered among the most common pathogens in bee colonies worldwide. This virus is anticipated to contribute in causing the mass collapse of bee colonies and winter colony losses. The sequences and amino acids of proteins for some strains are currently available. So, tools of bioinformatics can be applied to investigate these sequences. The objective of this study was to investigate the genetic relationships between 21 strains of this virus isolated from honey bees in Europe, Asia, USA, New Zealand and Chile based on amino acids and protein sequences. Phylogenetic relationships were studied in combination with genetic network to understand mutations in the common ancestors. The results showed low number of mutations between strains of Asia and those of the USA, New Zealand, Chile and some European countries while high number of mutations was detected between those of Asia and Western European countries. The results showed the occurrence of mutations rapidly in the sequences of this virus with suggestion to its ability to adapt with different environments. Also, sequence and statistical analyses were used to shade more lights on the variations between strains. Additionally, some specific primers were deigned based on the protein sequences of these strains. These primers were tested against the full sequences of all strains and their ability to identify DWV strains was discussed. The current investigation extends the knowledge about this dangerous virus especially the obtained results were based on protein sequences of DWV strains.

Pollination is the most important ecosystem service performed by insect pollinators benefiting more than three quarters of the major crops in the world. Conservation and management of honey bees ar...

The ecto-parasitic mite Varroa destructor is an extremely damaging biotic factor of honey bees (Apis mellifera) worldwide. The magnitude of the damage that V. destructor causes to the health of hon...

Many animals deposit odours in their environment, either intentionally or unintentionally, that remain at a site after the animal itself has left. These odours may be exploited by other species as social information, and thus have a significant role in structuring species interactions, even where the species involved rarely interact directly. Here we show that three species of Australian social stingless bees (Meliponini) not only detect the odours left behind by conspecifics, but also those of an abundant introduced competitor, the honey bee Apis mellifera (Apini). Foraging bees deposit pheromones that assist nestmates in locating profitable food sources (signals) and/or involuntary olfactory “footprints” (cues), both of which are vulnerable to exploitation by the foragers of other colonies. Using choice trials, we find that foragers of Tetragonula carbonaria, Tetragonula clypearis and Austroplebeia australis were more attracted to feeders recently used by, and thus carrying the odours of, their own species (both nestmates and non-nestmates) or honey bees, than to clean unused feeders. Australia’s stingless bees may learn to associate honey bee odours with food and exploit this to their advantage, or they may mistake honey bee odours for some other attractant and be misdirected. Our results suggest that introduced social insects could have a previously overlooked impact on resident communities, by modifying the olfactory landscape of shared resources in ways that alter native species’ foraging behaviour.

Wound healing and wound management are among challenging clinical problems, despite the advancement in medical technology and research. Honey is one of the natural products, synthesized by honey bees that exhibits great antibacterial and medicinal properties. Incorporation of honey into modern dressing materials such as cellulose hydrogel is beneficial to anticipate cell proliferation while preventing infection in a wound region. This study reports the fabrication of honey cellulose hydrogels for reliable alternative treatment of wound infection. The cellulose hydrogels were incorporated with three types of mainland Southeast Asia honeys of stingless bee, giant bee and Asian bee, independently. Each hydrogel was subjected to ATR-FTIR analysis for the determination of chemical composition. The antibacterial properties of honey hydrogels were evaluated through zone inhibition and colony count tests against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The cytocompatibility of the honey hydrogels was then evaluated through MTT assay and cell scratch assay with human skin fibroblast cells. The composition of honey and cellulose hydrogel were verified with the appearances of fingerprint bandwidth and identical peaks of both compounds, respectively. The giant bee honey hydrogels produced the highest bacterial retardation through both antibacterial tests. The stingless bee honey hydrogels projected susceptibility towards E. coli while the Asian bee honey hydrogels projected susceptibility towards S. aureus. Among these three variations of honey hydrogels, the in-vitro cytocompatibility analyses testified the greatest cell viability and cell migration on the stingless bee honey hydrogels compared to the Asian bee honey hydrogels, giant bee honey hydrogels and control hydrogels. The findings support the potential of honey hydrogels as a reliable alternative treatment for wound infection.

There has been minimal investigation into how hive design may impact honey production, especially focusing on Japanese honey bees (Apis cerana japonica). This research demonstrates how incorporatin...

Nosema ceranae is the microsporidium causing a disease highly prevalent in honey bees. Since few treatments are available to control this disease, cleaning and disinfection of beekeeping equipment ...

Chitin is basically responsible for protecting the body of honey bees against external attacks due to its hard cellulose structure. The chitin-structured body of honey bees is destroyed by Varroa d...

In recent years, interest in herbal essential oil extracts for the treatment of nosemosis has steadily increased. The great importance of this study is in evaluating and validating the synergistic effect caused by the mixture of different herbal extracts. The aim of the study was to investigate through cage experiments and field studies the effect of mixed herbal essential oil extracts and to determine the most suitable application methods and doses of the product in the treatment of nosemosis. The duration of the experiments was three weeks. Results show that the herbal essential oil extract mixture (HEOEM) is effective on both Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae, and on the two together (mixed infection). With respect to application methods, the results revealed that the most suitable method is spraying HEOEM with sterilized distilled water on adult bees and on both sides of frames; 500 µL per cage and 2,000 µL per frame were found to be effective doses of HEOEM in the experimental cages and hives. HEOEM can be a viable alternative to synthetic products in the immediate future as the contents are natural and have no toxic effect on honey bees.

Drone pupae of Apis cerana are sealed in their cells under a hard silken cap with a central pore, a feature notably lacking in the closely related species, Apis nigrocincta. In this paper, the hard cap with a pore is confirmed for drone cells of four additional species or putative species of cavity-nesting honey bees of Asia. Inaccuracies in the literature related to cell cappings of Asian bees are clarified. The character state of the drone cell cap for each taxon was added to a recent phylogeny for the genus Apis. Parsimony analysis indicates that the hard cap evolved once in the common ancestor to all Asian cavity-nesting honey bees and was subsequently lost in Apis nigrocincta. Possible functions of the hard drone cell cap are reviewed, but the true functions of the cap and the reasons underlying its loss in A. nigrocincta remain unresolved.

The health of western honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) is constantly affected by Nosema ceranae, a microsporidian threat to colonies worldwide. We extracted propolis, a natural product exhibiting ant...

The small hive beetle (SHB) Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) is an invasive pest of honey bees reported in Korea in 2016. This study was carried out to understand adult performance of SHBs under different temperatures and to construct an oviposition model as a part of the population model. Newly emerged adults were subjected to constant temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 37 °C), their longevity and oviposition were measured and an oviposition model was built afterwards. The longevity of SHBs female decreases from 160.1 to 57.9 days with increasing temperature from 20 to 37 °C. SHB males lived significantly shorter than the females. No oviposition was recorded at 15 °C. The fecundity showed a parabolic trend with a maximum of 1381.6 eggs/female at 30 °C and reduced to 515.8 eggs/female at 37 °C. The model combining all parameters of the SHB females simulated oviposition between 20 and 37 °C and predicted that SHBs could perform better at moderately higher temperatures which are in line with the brood area temperature (34–35 °C) of the honey bee, Apis mellifera.

Despite the identical genomic context, trophocytes and oenocytes in worker bees exhibit aging-related phenotypes, in contrast to the longevity phenotypes in queen bees. To explore this phenomenon at the molecular level, we evaluated the age-associated transcriptomes of trophocytes and oenocytes in worker bees and queen bees using high-throughput RNA-sequencing technology (RNA-seq). The results showed that (i) while gene expression profiles were different between worker and queen bees, they remained similar between young and old counterparts; (ii) worker bees express a high proportion of low-abundance genes, whereas queen bee transcriptomes display a high proportion of moderate-expression genes; (iii) genes were upregulated to a greater extent in queen bees vs. worker bees; and (iv) distinct aging-related and longevity-related candidate genes were found in worker and queen bees. These results provide new insights into the cellular aging and longevity of trophocytes and oenocytes in honey bees. Identification of aging-associated biomarker genes also constitutes a basis for translational research of aging in higher organisms. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11357-021-00360-y.

This study aims to investigate the physicochemical profile, antioxidant activity, and mineral contents of honey from selected honey bee species namely Kelulut, Tualang, and Acacia honey. The findin...

Abstract Varroa destructor mites remain a major threat to Apis mellifera honey bees, yet many populations across the world have naturally evolved survivorship to infestation. Here, we investigated the roles of recapping and mite reproduction in natural Varroa resistant (NVR) colonies in the UK. Recapping frequency was higher in NVR colonies and targeted mite-infested cells in which the recapped diameters were larger. Mite reproduction was lower in NVR colonies due to increased offspring mortality, although recapping is unlikely the primary mechanism responsible. In an additional small experiment, infested brood removal was immediately present in naïve colonies, and recapping increased rapidly following initial mite exposure. Targeted recapping behaviour is a common trait in NVR colonies and may provide a useful indicator for mite resistance. In addition, reduced mite reproduction is a key resistance mechanism in NVR colonies in the UK, as also found in Europe, S. Africa, Brazil and Mexico.

Varroa destructor is arguably the most important threat to Apis mellifera honey bees. Despite the recentness of the invasion of Varroa, A. mellifera colonies naturally resistant to the mite are being observed in a growing number of populations across Europe, South Africa and Brazil. Appearing in concert with this resistance is an increase in the ability of workers to detect mite-infested cells, which is closely associated with the recapping of such cells. However, many non-infested cells are also uncapped and then recapped which would appear to be a waste of time and energy. In this study we looked at the spatial patterns of recapping and its association with Varroa infestation to understand in what way the uncapping of non-infested cells occurs. We found that recapping occurred in clusters consisting of infested cells and their surrounding non-infested cells. This helped explain our finding that a significant positive correlation existed between levels of recapped infested and non-infested cells. Furthermore, we found that bees responded to an artificial increase in the mite infestation level by increasing their recapping behaviour. We confirmed that the recapped area of non-infested cells was significantly smaller, relative to the holes made in the infested cells. Given these findings we propose that recapping behaviour is stimulated either by a diffuse signal emanating from the infested cell or that cursory checks are conducted in the vicinity of an infested cell.

Taking into account that fructophilic lactic acid bacteria (FLAB) can play an important role in the health of honey bees and can be used as probiotics, phenotypic properties of probiotic interest of Lactobacillus kunkeei (12 strains) and Fructobacillus fructossus bacteria (2 strains), isolated from Apis mellifera gastrointestinal tract, have been studied. We have evaluated survival of tested FLAB in honey bee gut, their susceptibility to antibiotics (ampicillin, erythromycin, tylosin), cell surface hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation ability, co-aggregation with model pathogenic bacteria, biofilm formation capacity, and effect of studied FLAB, added to sucrose syrup bee diet, on longevity of honey bees. The tested FLAB exhibited good gastrointestinal tract tolerance and high antibiotic susceptibility, which are important criteria in the screening of probiotic candidates. It was also found that all FLAB studied have high cell surface hydrophobicity and fulfil next selection criterion for their use as probiotics. Symbionts of A. mellifera showed also auto- and co-aggregation capacities regarded as valuable features for biofilm formation and inhibition of pathogens adhesion to the bee gut cells. Biofilm-development ability is a desired characteristic of probiotic lactic acid bacteria. As indicated by quantitative crystal violet-stained microplate assay and confocal laser scanning microscopy imaging, all studied A. mellifera gut isolates exhibit a biofilm positive phenotype. Moreover, it was also documented, on honey bees kept in cages, that supplementation of A. mellifera sucrose diet with FLAB decreases mortality and improves significantly longevity of honey bees. Presented research showed that A. mellifera FLAB symbionts are good candidates for application as probiotics.

Various viruses can infect honey bees, but deformed wing virus (DWV) is considered the most dangerous virus to them and has role in the sudden decline of bee colonies. This virus has different strains; however, there are no available studies to compare the characteristics of these strains utilizing bioinformatics. In this study, 27 strains of deformed wing virus were analyzed based on their sequences and their genetic relationships. Also, some primers were designed and tested to identify their ability to separate DWV strains. The percentages range from 28.99% to 29.63%, 22.28% to 22.78%, 15.73% to 16.28%, and 31.71% to 32.86% for nucleotides A, G, C, and T, respectively in all strains. The numbers of polymorphic sites as well as nucleotide diversity were highly similar in all strains. Statistical analyses generally showed the absence of high variations between sequences. Also, the phylogenetic tree classified strains into three groups. The network between strains of each group was established and discussed based on their geographical locations. Two groups contained strains from USA and Europe while one group contained strains from Asia. Rapid variations and mutations in the sequences of DWV were suggested. Notably, genetic studies on DWV are lacking in some geographical regions. The variations between strains detected in honey bees and other organisms were discussed. Four primers were designed and tested beside two reference primers. One of the designed primers showed the best results in binding with all DWV strains except one.

Both Nosema ceranae and insecticides are adversely affecting honey bees. How both factors affect gene expression and honey bee survival are well studied. However, only a few studies dealt with the ...

Varroa destructor shook the beekeeping world when it hit. The parasite, once it made the jump onto Apis mellifera, was quick to breed itself out of control (Rosenkranz et al., 2010; Traynor et al.,...

Propolis is a hive product composed of biologically active plant resins, and has been shown to enhance individual honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) health. Propolis has also been demonstrated to mitigate, in part, the negative effects caused by the ecto-parasitic mite Varroa destructor and its associated viruses on the health of managed European honey bee colonies. However, its effect on the health status of African honey bees remains largely unknown. Here, we found that the African savannah honey bees, A. m. scutellata in Kenya, deposited approximately two and half-fold more propolis in their colonies during periods of increased than reduced worker brood rearing. This finding suggested that A. m. scutellata may use high quantities of propolis prophylactically to protect their young brood; yet, we observed no significant correlation between the quantity of propolis and the amount of worker brood or mite-infestation level on adult workers. Furthermore, whereas propolis volatiles or propolis placed in direct contact with the mites had no effect on mite survival under laboratory conditions, the ethanolic extract of propolis significantly reduced mite survival when compared with untreated control. These results suggest the presence of mite deterrent compounds in the ethanolic extract of the African honey bee propolis.

The honey bee is an important economic and domesticated insect. This insect has been gaining attention as a potential nutritional source in different parts of the world. This study therefore evalua...

Honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) populations have undergone a dramatic decline as an outcome of an increasing incidence of colony collapse disorder (CCD). The honey bee is a unique keystone species be...

Aedes albopictus and Apis mellifera were exposed to six insecticide active ingredients and five commercial insecticide formulations by topical application and insecticide-impregnated paper strips respectively to determine the differential toxicity and the potential use of the two methods in insecticide resistance monitoring surveys. By topical application deltamethrin was the most toxic active ingredient (LD 50 = 0.018 µg/g) for Ae. albopictus whereas chlorpyrifos was the least toxic (LD 50 = 0.499 µg/g). For Apis mellifera, the most toxic active ingredients were bifenthrin (LD 50 = 0.047 µg/g) and deltamethrin (LD 50 = 0.055 µg/g) while chlorpyrifos (LD 50 = 0.215 µg/g) and permethrin (LD 50 = 0.287 µg/g) had comparatively low toxicity. When the insecticide-impregnated method was used, Mosquito Mist (a.i. chlorpyrifos) was the most toxic commercial formulation for both Ae. albopictus (LC50 = 0.028 µg/cm2 ) and A. mellifera (LC50 = 0.059 µg/ cm2 ). Duet and DeltaGard showed the least toxicity (LC50 = 2.429 µg/cm 2 and LC50 = 0.491 µg/cm 2 respectively) for Ae. albopictus and DeltaGard was the least toxic to A. mellifera (LC50 = 18.09 µg/cm2 ). When using the topical application method with insecticide active ingredients, more than 3 times permethrin and deltamethrin were required to obtain the same mortality rate in A. mellifera as in Ae. albopictus. However, chlorpyrifos was more toxic for A. mellifera than for Ae. albopictus. In the insecticide-impregnated paper-strip method with commercial insecticide formulations, more than 36 times of DeltaGard was required to obtain the same mortality rate in A. mellifera as in Ae. albopictus. Even though the Mosquito Mist is the most toxic commercial formulation for both insect species, A. mellifera were more than 2 times tolerant to this insecticide compared to Ae. albopictus. The study concludes the active ingredient deltamethrin or its commercial formulation DeltaGard is the best among tested insecticides to control Ae. albopictus with minimal effects to A. mellifera.

Honey bee is vital for pollination and ecological services, boosting crops productivity in terms of quality and quantity and production of colony products: wax, royal jelly, bee venom, honey, pollen and propolis. Honey bees are most important plant pollinators and almost one third of diet depends on bee’s pollination, worth billions of dollars. Hence the role that honey bees have in environment and their economic importance in food production, their health is of dominant significance. Honey bees can be infected by various pathogens like: viruses, bacteria, fungi, or infested by parasitic mites. At least more than 20 viruses have been identified to infect honey bees worldwide, generally from Dicistroviridae as well as Iflaviridae families, like ABPV (Acute Bee Paralysis Virus), BQCV (Black Queen Cell Virus), KBV (Kashmir Bee Virus), SBV (Sacbrood Virus), CBPV (Chronic bee paralysis virus), SBPV (Slow Bee Paralysis Virus) along with IAPV (Israeli acute paralysis virus), and DWV (Deformed Wing Virus) are prominent and cause infections harmful for honey bee colonies health. This issue about honey bee viruses demonstrates remarkably how diverse this field is, and considerable work has to be done to get a comprehensive interpretation of the bee virology.

Several complications such as the poor health of the queen, injury, aging, exposure to pesticides, pathogens, parasites, colony collapse disorder, idiopathic brood disease syndrome, etc. are associated with the queen loss and ultimately loss of the colony. The technique of rearing queen bee from the one- day old totipotent larva by using grafting method is described in this review article. Various tools are used for dry, wet grafting and for rearing the honey bees. The objective of this paper is to get acquainted with the artificial queen rearing method to rear several honeybees in a short period to generate several colonies from a single colony. This method plays a significant role in generating several honeybee colonies for research work focused at the behavioural and physiological aspects of queen bee.

Pesticide exposure, infectious disease, and nutritional stress contribute to honey bee mortality and a high rate of colony loss. This realization has fueled a decades-long investigation into the single and combined effects of each stressor and their overall bearing on insect physiology. However, one element largely missing from this research effort has been the evaluation of underlying microbial communities in resisting environmental stressors and their influence on host immunity and disease tolerance. In humans, multigenerational bombardment by antibiotics is linked with many contemporary diseases. Here, we draw a parallel conclusion for the case in honey bees and suggest that chronic exposure to antimicrobial xenobiotics can systematically deplete honey bees of their microbes and hamper cross-generational preservation of host-adapted symbionts that are crucial to health.

Honey bees play a critical role in global food production as pollinators of numerous crops. Several stressors cause declines in populations of managed and wild bee species, such as habitat degradation, pesticide exposure and pathogens. Viruses act as key stressors and can infect a wide range of species. The majority of honey bee-infecting viruses are RNA viruses of the Picornavirales order. Although some ssDNA viruses are common in insects, such as densoviruses, they have not yet been found in honey bees. Densoviruses were however found in bumblebees and ants. Here, we show that densoviruses are indeed present in the transcriptome of the eastern honey bee (Apis cerana) from southern China. On the basis of non-structural and structural transcripts, we inferred the genome structure of the Apis densovirus. Phylogenetic analysis has shown that this novel Apis densovirus belongs to the Scindoambidensovirus genus in the Densovirinae subfamily. Apis densovirus possesses ambisense genome organisation and encodes three non-structural proteins and a split VP (capsid) protein. The availability of a nearly complete Apis densovirus genome may enable the analysis of its potential pathogenic impact on honey bees. Our findings can thus guide further research into the densoviruses in honey bees and bumblebees.

Bees efficiently learn asocial and social cues to optimize foraging from fluctuating floral resources. However, it remains unclear how bees respond to divergent sources of social information, and whether such social cues might modify bees' natural preferences for nonsocial cues (e.g. flower colour), hence affecting foraging decisions. Here, we investigated honey bees', Apis mellifera, inspection and choices of unfamiliar flowers based on both natural colour preferences and simultaneous foraging information from conspecifics and heterospecifics. Individual honey bees' preferences for flowers were recorded when the reward levels of a learned flower type had declined and novel-coloured flowers were available where they would find either no social information or one conspecific and one heterospecific bumble bee, Bombus terrestris, each foraging from a different coloured flower (magenta or yellow). Honey bees showed a natural preference for magenta flowers. They modified their inspection of both types of flowers in response to conspecific and heterospecific social information. The presence of a conspecific demonstrator on the less-preferred yellow flower increased honey bees' inspection of yellow flowers and the likelihood of foraging on them, thus outweighing the original preference for magenta flowers. The presence of a heterospecific on a magenta flower increased honey bees' inspection of magenta flowers, but this effect was not observed when bumble bees fed on yellow flowers. Our results indicate that flower colour preferences of honey bees are rapidly adjusted in response to both conspecific and heterospecific presence, in different ways, with a preference for conspecific information possibly favouring the transmission of adaptive foraging information within species.

Africanized honey bee populations (Apis mellifera L.) have been decreasing mainly due to the intense use of synthetic insecticides associated with pollution and climate change. To minimize these impacts on the environment and bee populations, the use of biological control agents has been intensified. These products are generally safer for non-target insects, such as bees, which are important pollinating insects. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of entomopathogenic nematodes on the longevity of the Africanized honey bee A. mellifera workers. Seven treatments were used: Heterorhabditis amazonensis, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Heterorhabditis indica, Steinernema carpocapsae, Steinernema feltiae, and Steinernema rarum, at a concentration of 40 infective juveniles per cm2 (IJs/cm²), and a control in which autoclaved distilled water was used. Two bioassays were performed: 1) spraying nematodes on the workers and 2) spraying nematodes on glass plates, in which the bees remained for two hours. Each treatment consisted of five replicates with 20 bees each. Bees were kept in cages of PVC (20 × 10 cm) covered with a voile fabric and provided pieces of cotton soaked in water and Candy paste. The cages were kept in a climatized room (27 ± 2 °C temperature, 60 ± 10% relative humidity, and 12 h photophase) and the mortality was evaluated from 12 to 240 hours. In bioassay 1, the three treatments with nematodes of the genus Steinernema reduced the longevity of the workers (103.9, 96.3, and 99.6 h) when compared to treatments with Heterorhabditis (149.7, 126.8, and 134.7 h), of which, only H. amazonensis (149.7 h) did not differ from the control (166.0 h). In bioassay 2, all treatments reduced the longevity of honey bees (155.4 to 93.9 h) in relation to the control (176.1 h). Entomopathogenic nematodes, especially Heterorhabditis, need to be tested using other methodologies and for different durations of exposure and application because in the laboratory, they were less selective to A. mellifera.

Negative patterning discrimination is considered a nonelemental form of learning, and has been extensively investigated across taxa. Several insect species have also been examined with this task, but only honey bees, Apis mellifera, have so far demonstrated this capacity. Recent empirical and theoretical studies suggest that negative patterning can be accounted for by the emergent property of the mushroom body circuitry in the honey bee brain. Given the neurobiological similarity between bumble bees and honey bees, we hypothesized that bumble bees should also have this cognitive capacity. Here we showed that free-flying bumble bees, Bombus terrestris, learned chromatic, achromatic and visual-olfactory bimodal negative patterning discrimination. Further analyses showed that individual bumble bees adopted distinct strategies in approaching negative patterning discrimination, some solving the task in a configural manner, while others solved it via a simpler strategy. Our findings are in contrast to previous work using harnessed bumble bees and highlight the importance of designing experiments around the requirements of specific species. Our results add to our knowledge on insect nonelemental learning and open up new opportunities for examining cognitive limitations and individual decision-making strategies.

Honey bees are affected by a wide variety of parasites and pathogens, some of them were previously found in bee honey. Considering that spore-forming microorganisms are expected to remain latent in raw honey, presence of microsporidia, spore-forming bacteria, and viruses protected by peptide structures might represent a threat for bees. It is widely known that parasites and pathogens are one of the main factors implied in the worldwide decline of wild pollinators and colony losses of managed bees, and their detection in honey could be used to prevent the spread of diseases among colonies. Honey from 57 apiaries of Argentina located in Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Formosa, La Rioja, Neuquén, Río Negro and Santa Fe provinces was collected between March and October, 2012. DNA was extracted from the pellet obtained by centrifugation of 10 g of honey and pathogen DNA was amplified by qPCR, and products were purified, sequenced and analysed using BLAST software. Honey from every apiary contained DNA of at least one pathogen, with a high occurrence of Apis mellifera filamentous virus (AmFV) and Apicystis bombi, although Nosema ceranae, Paenibacillus larvae, and Ascosphaera apis were also detected. Here, we report the presence of DNA of several bee pathogens in honey from commercial apiaries, and provide a fast and efficient screening method that could be useful to indirectly estimate pathogen presence in apiaries.

The study objective is to study the effectiveness of lactic acid in varroatosis and its impact on the development of bee colonies under conditions of the South of Tyumen region. The acaricidal effectiveness of lactic acid was studied in October 2019 using one method in two experiments in 30 broodless bee colonies kept in two apiaries, where bee colonies were divided into 2 groups (experimental - 10 colonies and control groups of 5 colonies each). For treatment of bee colonies from the experimental group, frames with bees were removed from the hives in turn, which were sprayed with a 15.0% aqueous solution of lactic acid in the volume of 5 ml on each side of the honeycomb. Bee colonies were treated twice with an interval of 5 days. The bees in the control group were not treated. Dead mites were registered on a daily basis in all groups within 5 days after each treatment, for these reasons laminated cardboard sheets were placed on the bottom of the hives, which then were taken out and the number of fallen ectoparasites was recorded. Studies on the impact of lactic acid on the development of bee colonies were conducted in 20 brood bee colonies in the period from May to July 2020. It has been found that the effectiveness of treatment of experimental bee colonies with the drug was 90.0 ± 2.1% (apiary No 1) and 7.8 ± 1.9% (apiary No 2). At the same time, the maximum death of mites in colonies was observed during the first day after treatment. In the control groups, the number of mites decreased by 10.9 ± 0.8% and 11.6 ± 1.0%, respectively. It has been established that the treatment of bees with an aqueous solution of lactic acid in the above concentration, dose and multiplicity did not have a negative impact on the development of bee colonies, their strength and food supply, and no deaths of bees and queens were detected during the observation period. Keywords: Bee colonies; Varroatosis; Lactic acid; Effectiveness; Tyumen region; Russia References Adjlane, N., El-Ounass, T., Haddad, N. (2016). Evalution of Oxalic Acid Treatments against the Mite Varroa destructor and Secondary Effects on Honey Bees Apis mellifera. J. Arthropod-Borne Dis., 10(4), 501-509. Colin, M.E. (1997).Alternative control of the varroosis. The varroosis in the Mediterranean region. Zaragoza. CIHEAM. Galatyuk, A.E., Efimenko T.N., Kovalenko, V.L. (2015) Original method of application of organic acids for control of varroa mites. J. Bdzh Ukrayne,1, 26-33. Giri

The high infection of adult honey bees with Nosema spores is known as nosemosis and can destroy bee colonies. In a previous study, we have reported the anti-nosemosis effect of ethanol and aqueous ...

Honey bee plants are those plant species that provide honey bees with food sources in the form of nectar and/or pollen. The contribution of a bee plant species to honey production depends on the pl...

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) inhabiting trees in forests are not managed by humans or treated for pathogens; therefore, many researchers and beekeepers believe that viral, bacterial, and parasitic diseases may lead to their decline. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of L. passim and Nosema spp. in feral colonies by real-time PCR. This study was performed on twenty-six samples of honey bees inhabiting tree trunks in north-eastern Poland. One sample consisted of sixty worker bee abdomens collected from hollow trees. Honey bees were sampled only from naturally colonized sites. Amplicons of the three evaluated pathogens were detected in twenty of the twenty-six tested samples. A significant correlation was observed between infection with three pathogens (N. apis, N. ceranae, L. passim) (r = 0.84) compared to infection with only two pathogens (N. apis and N. ceranae) (r = 0.49). N. ceranae was the predominant pathogen, but infections with various severity caused by L. passim were also noted in fourteen of the twenty-six tested samples. In view of the general scarcity of epidemiological data concerning coinfections with Nosema spp. and L. passim in honey bees in tree trunks in other countries, further research is needed to confirm the effect of concurrent pathogenic infections on the decline of bee colonies.

Introduced plants may be important foraging resources for honey bees and wild pollinators, but how often and why pollinators visit introduced plants across an entire plant community is not well understood. Understanding the importance of introduced plants for pollinators could help guide management of these plants and conservation of pollinator habitat. We assessed how floral abundance and pollinator preference influence pollinator visitation rate and diversity on 30 introduced versus 24 native plants in central New York. Honey bees visited introduced and native plants at similar rates regardless of floral abundance. In contrast, as floral abundance increased, wild pollinator visitation rate decreased more strongly for introduced plants than native plants. Introduced plants as a group and native plants as a group did not differ in bee diversity or preference, but honey bees and wild pollinators preferred different plant species. As a case study, we then focused on knapweed (Centaurea spp.), an introduced plant that was the most preferred plant by honey bees, and that beekeepers value as a late‐summer foraging resource. We compared the extent to which honey bees versus wild pollinators visited knapweed relative to coflowering plants, and we quantified knapweed pollen and nectar collection by honey bees across 22 New York apiaries. Honey bees visited knapweed more frequently than coflowering plants and at a similar rate as all wild pollinators combined. All apiaries contained knapweed pollen in nectar, 86% of apiaries contained knapweed pollen in bee bread, and knapweed was sometimes a main pollen or nectar source for honey bees in late summer. Our results suggest that because of diverging responses to floral abundance and preferences for different plants, honey bees and wild pollinators differ in their use of introduced plants. Depending on the plant and its abundance, removing an introduced plant may impact honey bees more than wild pollinators., We found that because of diverging responses to floral abundance and preferences for different plants, honey bees and wild pollinators varied in their use of introduced plants. In particular, knapweed (Centaurea spp.)—an introduced plant valued by beekeepers—was most often visited and preferred by honey bees but not wild pollinators. Our results suggest that when considering pollinator use of introduced plant species, it is critical to distinguish between honey bees—the dominant managed pollinator in the United States—and wild pollinators, as removing introduced plants may benefit one group of pollinators at a cost to the other.

The Western honey bee (Apis mellifera L., Hymenoptera: Apidae) is a species of fundamental economic, agricultural and environmental importance. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of some parasitic and viral pathogens in local honey bees from the Rodope Mountains and plain regions. To achieve this goal, molecular screening for two of the most distributed Nosema spp. and molecular identification of six honey bee viruses – Deformed wing virus (DWV), Acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV), Sacbrood virus (SBV), Kashmir bee virus (KBV), and Black queen cell virus (BQCV) was performed. Molecular analysis was carried out on 168 honey bee samples from apiaries situated in three different parts of the country where a mix of different honey bee subspecies were reared. In South Bulgaria (the Rhodope Mountains), a local honey bee called Apis mellifera rodopica (a local ecotype of A. m. macedonica) was bred, while in the other two regions (plains) different introduced subspecies existed. The results showed that the samples from the lowland regions in the country were outlined with the highest prevalence (70.5%) of N. ceranae, while those from the mountainous parts had the lowest rate (5.2%). Four of the honey bee viruses were identified – DWV (10/5.9%), followed by SBV (6/3.6%) and ABPV (2/1.2%), and one case of BQCV. In conclusion, the local honey bee A. m. rodopica (despite the higher number of samples) has shown lower prevalence of both nosemosis and viral infections. Therefore, this honey bee has to be preserved as a part of the national biodiversity.

In this study we followed the way in which evolves the behaviour of some honeybee families (Apis mellifera carpathica, Linnaeus), maintained in vertical beehives (modified Dadant type), in conditions of stationary bee keeping, having in view the natural queen cell’s build rhythm after the second acacia tree harvest (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) in Jucu area of Cluj County. There were taken into observation 20 biological units with queen bees of different ages. It was monitored the development rhythm of natural queen cells, which are in attendance by the working bees, and to put into evidence the swarming instinct strength, so in bee keeping practice to be known and to be avoided the natural swarming. The determination of occupied surfaces with covered brood and larval was effected with the Netz framework. The aim of our study was to understand how the swarming in honeybees occurs. By detailed observation, we want to describe and to explain the behaviour of honeybees before the swarming process. The obtained results are quantified in absolute values and expressed graphically in relative values, but in the next three apicultural years (2020, 2021 and 2022), the experiment will be repeated for a variance analysis, which will provide a statistical assurance. We hope that these data will give contribution for the apicultural practice, keeping attention on queen bees’ importance during active season and on careful supervision on development rhythm of the honeybee units during the natural swarming.