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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]

Veracruz occupies one of the first places as a producer of honey. However, there are few studies that address the typing of bioactive compounds, and the physicochemical characteristics present in Veracruz honey. Objective: Determine the physicochemical and antioxidant parameters, and total phenols (TP) of Veracruz honey. Design/methodology/approach: Honey samples were collected at 17 sites in the state of Veracruz, and physicochemical, TP and antioxidant parameters were analyzed. Results: The determined physicochemical parameters presented values within the ranges set by NOM-004-SAG/GAN-2018 and the Codex Alimentarius. The color distribution showed the following values: dark (47.6%), amber (19.04%), white (19.04%), and the colors aqua white, light amber and extra light showed values of 4.77% each. Dark honeys presented ~370 μg GAE/mL, compared to the contents shown by light-colored honeys of ~200 μg GAE/mL. Sayula de Aleman honey had the highest antioxidant content with 143 μg TE/g honey. On the other hand, honey from San Pedro Soteapan showed the lowest contents (53 μg TE/g honey). Limitations on study/implications: The selection of Veracruz honey apiaries and lack of flora information. Findings/conclusions: The honeys presented physicochemical parameters within ranges of national standards. These Veracruz honeys exhibited a range of colors from dark to extra light. A positive correlation was shown between color and TP content. The antioxidant content was dependent on the botanical origin and color of these honeys. [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]

Bee keeping as a commercial venture is still largely unexplored for large-scale production to meet the domestic and national demands. Bee keeping has the potential to reduce unemployment and can be developed as a supplementary enterprise of income to the farmers with a small investment. The study was carried out to analyse profitability of apiary units with different sizes in production of honey in plain areas of Karnataka during 2020-21 with a total sample size of 60 beekeepers from Koppal district. The study found that small, medium and large apiary units realized the net returns of ₹ 3,401, ₹ 15,085 and ₹ 75,796 per year, respectively. The overall net returns realized by of the beekeepers were ₹ 29,632 per year. The estimated net present value for small, medium and large apiary units was ₹ 21,275, ₹ 83,929 and ₹ 4,00,576 and the overall average value was = 1,58,979. The obtained benefit-cost ratio in small, medium and large apiary unit was estimated to be 1.27, 1.61 and 2.15 with an overall average benefit-cost ratio of 1.91. The internal rate of return from apiary was found to be 68 per cent which was higher than opportunity cost of capital. It was concluded that investment in beekeeping was highly feasible and profitable. In order to encourage the bee keeping activities in plain areas for enhancing income, employment of farmers, the study suggest the following policy options: 1) There is need to provide adequate loan at reasonable rate of interest with subsidy to boost honey and its products industry in the dry areas of Karnataka. 2) Indian honey is having good international demand due to its special feature of medicinal flower nectar source hence engaging in exporting activities will widen marketing choices for beekeepers. 3) To create interest, awareness and providing rural employment in beekeeping activities, there is a need for promotion of FPO's at bee keepers level and federation at state/national level should be formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ecosistemas y Recursos Agropecuarios is the property of Universidad Juarez Autonoma de Tabasco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.; Hymenoptera, Apidae) are the most efficient pollinators in agroecosystems, responsible for the successful production of fruits, nuts, and vegetables, but they continue to face debilitating challenges. One of the major factors leading to these challenges could be linked to poor nutrition that results in weakening the colony, increasing susceptibility to pests and pathogens, and reducing the ability of bees to adapt to other abiotic stresses. Extensively used for commercial pollination, honey bee colonies regularly face exposure to limited diversity in their pollen diet as they are placed in flowering monocrops. Lack of access to diverse plant species compromises the availability of plant secondary compounds (phytochemicals), which, in small amounts, provide significant benefits to honey bee health. We analyzed the beneficial phytochemical content of honey and stored pollen (bee bread) samples from colonies in large apiaries through the active bee season. Samples were evaluated for 4 beneficial phytochemicals (caffeine, kaempferol, gallic acid, and p-coumaric acid), which have previously been shown to improve honey bee health. Our results, as relevant to the apiary locations in the study, indicated that p-coumaric acid is uniformly available throughout the season. Caffeine is completely absent, and gallic acid and kaempferol are not regularly available. Our results suggest the need to explore the potential to deliver beneficial phytochemicals as nutritional supplements to improve bee health. It may be vital for the pollination industry to consider such targeted dietary supplementation as beekeepers strive to meet the increasing demand for crop pollination services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for honey and pollination services has continued to grow in many countries worldwide, including New Zealand. This has influenced changes in the demographics of the managed population of honey bees (Apis mellifera). We examined historical data to describe how the apicultural demographics in New Zealand have changed temporally and geographically in the four decades to 2020. We also describe trends in honey production and the economic value of pure honey exported from New Zealand between 2000 and 2020. Our findings suggest that commercial apiculture has been key to the intensification of beekeeping in New Zealand during the study period. This is supported by evidence showing pronounced expansion of beekeeping operations among those with more than 1,000 colonies. The intensification has resulted in the density of apiaries increasing threefold across New Zealand during the four decades. While higher numbers of colonies per area produced higher volumes of honey, there was no corresponding improvement in production efficiency. Honey yields per apiary or colony, as indicators of production efficiency, appear to decline from the mid-2000s. The volume of pure honey export increased over 40-fold, a magnitude approximately ten times higher than that of production increase. This reflects a substantial increase in returns from honey exports, mostly driven by the price of mānuka honey. Our findings add to a pool of information to support evidence-based decision making to enhance honey bee health and develop the apicultural industry in New Zealand. [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]

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]

This work investigates the effect of the surrounding environmental conditions during winter on a number of beehives inside three different apiaries (closed, half-closed, and open) designed for beekeeping under cold conditions. The closed apiary maintains the acquired temperatures and appropriate humidity better compared to the half-closed and open apiaries, where the average temperature and humidity inside the beehives were (21.85 °C, 67%), (18 °C, 78.33%) and (19.26°C, 82.33%) respectively during the experimental period. The results did not show any significant differences among the apiaries' beehives with regard to honey, pollen, and brood area. However, the closed apiary was found to be more active than the rest of the apiaries, as the average brood area was (36.00 sq. in.), the total amount of honey consumption was (176 sq. in.), and the maximum consumption of pollen found at the end of January 2020 was (29 sq. in.), compared to the half-closed and open apiaries, where the average brood area was (32.93, 35.33 sq. in.), honey consumption (95.7, 172.4 sq. in.) and pollen consumption (24.66, 28.67 sq. in.) respectively. In addition, the closed apiary and its beehives outperformed the rest of the apiaries and their beehives in terms of the daily temperature and humidity when taking the hourly records per day. [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]

The value of honey as a natural food product is influenced by its pollen content, with the dominant type of pollen conferring specific medicinal properties. The present study examines the pollen spectra of 31 honeys from urban (linden, acacia, polyfloral, honeydew) and rural (rape, acacia, polyfloral, honeydew) apiaries in Poland. The pollen in content in honey ranged from 0.2 to 88 %. In total, 76 plant taxa were identified, 21 of which were assigned to forms A, B and C. Higher pollen grain content and a greater diversity of honey plant taxa were found in the urban honey, particularly polyfloral honey; this could be attributed to the rich variety of plants found in urban green areas compared to rural areas ones. [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]

Copyright of Ecosistemas y Recursos Agropecuarios is the property of Universidad Juarez Autonoma de Tabasco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Al-Adab / Al-ādāb is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present paper aimed to perform instrumental analyzes on actual hive products: six varieties of honey and three varieties of pollen, extracted from the apiary in the village of Boian, Bazna commune, Sibiu county, in order to certify them as organic products. The hive consists of 130 bee families, the form of beekeeping is stationary and pastoral. The type of crates is 90% of the vertical Dadant type, and the remaining 10% of the horizontal Dadant type. Bee families benefit from adequate microclimate conditions and care. The geographical factors and the honey base in the village of Boian, but also the pastoral movement make possible the good functioning of the apiary and to obtain important incomes following the beekeeping activity. In order to ecologically certify the bee farm, the following conditions are met: the apiary is well organized and has been operating for 25 years and can be reconverted from conventional apiary to organic apiary, there is an ecological honey base in the areas where the harvest is done, environmental conditions are optimal in the village of Boian, and the bees benefit from organic hives and quality ecological food in winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversity of melliferous flora is significant for sustaining healthy apiaries and apicultural research for the production of high-quality and quantity honey. This study aims to explore the richness and variety of melliferous plant species within apiaries, focusing on their role in honey yield and subsequently employing advanced microscopy techniques for their microscopic authentication. The study aimed to investigate the palyno-morphological features of selected bee floral species of the study area in the autumn and spring seasons. The pollen slides were prepared using the acetolysis method. Both qualitative and quantitative data of pollen grains were examined by LM and SEM. The four different types of ornamentation (scabrate, echinate, psilate, and reticulate) were observed in the morphological features of pollen. The maximum number of melliferous species was observed in the Fabaceae family (11 species) and the Asteraceae family (10 species). The LM and SEM techniques were recorded as the best tools to study the features of correct taxonomic identification and explore the valuable potential of melliferous flora and apiary resources for beekeepers. This finding contributes to a deeper understanding of a bee floral source of honey, ensuring its authenticity, purity, and nutritional value as well as ecological interaction between honeybee population and bee-floral diversity. Additionally, the finding highlights the significance of conserving and preserving melliferous flora for sustainable development of the apiculture industry, emphasizing the role of bee apiaries as essential resources for the bee population. The palynological features will help identify melliferous plants' potential in taxonomy, honey botanical, geographical origin, and pure honey availability in the local and international markets. This study provides knowledge about the species identifications, botanical and geographical origin of floral sources, and honeybees along with honey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indiscriminate use of antibiotics in apicultural practices may lead to contamination of otherwise healthy and naturally produced honey. Contamination not only affects honey quality but also pose significant health risks to consumers. In this context, one hundred raw honey samples from India were analysed for presence of antibiotic residues. For determination of oxytetracycline and erythromycin, high performance liquid chromatography and for chloramphenicol, enzyme immunoassay based validated procedures were used. Oxytetracycline and erythromycin with concentrations above maximum tolerance limits were detected in 24% and 2% samples, respectively. None of the samples contained chloramphenicol residues. Although, total dietary intake of detected antibiotics through honey was found to be <1% of their acceptable daily intake values, the presence of antibiotics in honey is an alarming health concern for people following customary honey feeding. The outcomes underline the need of inter-sectoral approaches to create awareness among beekeepers regarding health risks associated with residues of antibiotics in honey and merits of approved apicultural practices. Therefore, to meet global food safety requirements, continual residue monitoring schemes along with enlightenment of beekeepers on scientific beehive management and risks associated with incautious apicultural practices are of vital importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum seria Zootechnica is the property of West Pomeranian University of Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Toyota Production System (STP) is a standard for managerial actions to improve production systems. Close up system, one face for the exhaustion processes in product processes, technological software with the identification of seven loss. In simple production systems, honey-producing companies, their own, usually do not elaborate breeding techniques, have their origins, and are just supplementary income activities. However, honey production represents one of the activities that provides the greatest opportunities for family farming. With this, the study of the theme is used as loss through the Toyota Production system in an apiary and perform as propositions for improvements. The justification for the method is to improve the productive system of a program to increase the profitability of a company and to serve as an example for other energy producing companies, such as STP for its production system. The losses are related to the transport, the movement, the stock and the wait, the output of videos is minimal between the colias and the warehouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bees and bee technologies are highly depending on the environmental factors. The seasonal dynamics of the bee colony are influenced by the both, bee technologies and quality and quantity of the nectaro-pollenifer sources. It is known that the impact of losses through bee mortality and colony unification (26.09%) due to the evolution of nosemosis are almost equal with the losses considered normal for the winter period, respectively of maximum 30%. The present study is based on observations carried out on the evolution of nosemosis during of three consecutive years (September, 2016 - March, 2019) in a stationary apiary in Romania. Investigations for the presence of Nosema spores in both living and dead bees were performed. Additionally, the presence of Nosema spores in honey, inside of the nests, before and after extraction was determined. The evolution and involution of the bee colonies were monitored according to the level of Nosema infection, by laboratory analyses on dead bees, especially during the first period of winter. The results clearly emphasized that, due to the presence of Nosema spores in the hive, in order to reduce the infectious pressure, it is imposing that in the spring the frames on which the bees have wintered to be reformed, even though they still have food resources (honey and bee-bread). Additionally, the breeding of bee colonies is recommended to be performed using only colony without the frames with food or frames from which hatched the brood, in order to avoid infection of the new colony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to contribute to the characterization of apiculture in the State of Paraíba, to verify the physicochemical quality of honey produced in the region and influence of the type of packaging used in honey quality. The data were obtained through a qualitative approach with semi-structured questionnaire and interviews with the rural owners. We interviewed 30 beekeepers from the municipalities of Bananeiras, Dona Inês and Solânea. 18 samples of honey were obtained for physicochemical analysis. It was observed that beekeeping is characterized as a secondary and family-based activity, through small fixed apiaries (86.67%), with 5 to 20 hives (53.33%), except Bananeiras, which have 21 to 40 hives (60%). An annual harvest is carried out (43.33%), with production above 100 liters (46.67%). Apiculture pasture is considered good, according to beekeepers, in diversity and numbers of individuals (56.67%), 30% provide artificial feeding to the exams. As limiting factors were the climate (93.33%) and labor (6.67%). Regarding the physical-chemical quality of the honey, it was observed average values: 3.45 for pH; 29.34 meq / kg for acidity; 0.64 Aw for water activity; 21.07% for moisture; 0.25% for ash and for total, reducing and non-reducing sugars of 70.54, 58.55 and 12.01%, respectively. The type of container used for the storage of honey did not influence its physico-chemical qualities. The data obtained demonstrate the potential for the development of beekeeping in the region, but requires technical investment to expand this economic activity. Honey samples meet most of the prerequisites established by Brazilian legislation, except for moisture and reducing and nonreducing sugars for some samples analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various notes of electronic portals, documentaries and to a lesser extent scientific articles have reported interest in improving the production yield of honey by beehive. Among these works, climatic, social and technological factors can be reported in their dimensional form, where experts and specialists recognize that they contribute to improving honey production. Supported by apicultural experts, the Delphi method and the MICMAC structural analysis, this article reports the influence and dependence of 22 variables and their direct and indirect relationship with honey production in the intermunicipal region of Misantla of the apicultural district no. 52. Variables based on MICMAC are classified as key, regulatory, lever and autonomous. On a strategic level, the 'location of the apiary'related to the 'diversity of honey flowering' and the 'time between the placement of the apiary and the honey harvest', represent the key variables with the highest strategic value of 75/79, 61/79 and 63/79, respectively. Alt hough the 'flowering of honey species' is a key variable for honey production, the result also indicates that this variable is not a determinant for the beekeeper to decide the 'location of apiaries'. These results provide knowledge in four categories of influential variables in honey production so that the beekeeper reflects on his beekeeping practices and can design strategies and make decisions, to improve honey production yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the result of an investigation carried out from August 2015 to November 2016, to characterize the beekeeping production and transhumant activity of the municipalities of Misantla, Yecuatla, Colipa, Juchique de Ferrer and Tenochtitlan. Interviews are conducted with specialists, experts and honey producers. It is found that the beekeeping activity is carried out for at least 500 families with an average experience of 22 years, with semi-extensive transhumant systems with an average production of 24 kg of honey per beehive, of which 9% have more than 500 beehives working under semi-technified schemes. Among these systems, only 10% of beekeepers have invested in the differentiation of beehive products. The volume of honey generated with production systems of a queen bee per beehive is at least 90 t year-1, with an economic value of $174 000 (US $). It has been found that 90% of beekeepers in the study region transhuman between places in that region and 23% of them do it to another entity. On the other hand, it was also found that access and permission to land are factors that define transhumant routes and identification of suitable areas for apiaries settlement. This research provides a map of areas used as apiaries settlements, as research work, their results deserve the attention of future research to identify spatial zones through systems of geo-positioning, as well as a transhumance program for these locations based on calendars of flowering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managed honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies are kept at much greater densities than naturally occurring feral or wild colonies, which may have detrimental effects on colony health and survival, disease spread, and drifting behavior (bee movement between natal and non-natal colonies). We assessed the effects of a straightforward apiary management intervention (altering the density and visual appearance of colonies) on colony health. Specifically, we established three “high density / high drift” (“HD”) and three “low density / low drift” (“LD”) apiary configurations, each consisting of eight bee colonies. Hives in the HD apiary configuration were of the same color and placed 1m apart in a single linear array, while hives in the LD apiary configuration were placed 10m apart at different heights, facing outwards in a circle, and made visually distinctive with colors and symbols to reduce accidental drift between colonies. We investigated disease transmission and dynamics between the apiary configurations by clearing all colonies of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor, and subsequently inoculating two randomly-chosen colonies per apiary with controlled mite doses. We monitored the colonies for two years and found that the LD apiary configuration had significantly greater honey production and reduced overwinter mortality. Inoculation and apiary management intervention interacted to affect brood mite levels, with the highest levels in the inoculated colonies in the HD configuration. Finally, foragers were more than three times more likely to drift in the HD apiary configurations. Our results suggest that a relatively straightforward management change–placing colonies in low-density visually complex circles rather than high-density visually similar linear arrays–can provide meaningful benefits to the health and productivity of managed honey bee colonies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation was undertaken to determine whether active ingredients (AIs) of currently recommended plant protection products (PPPs) could be transferred to beehives from apple and pear trees. A field trial was carried out with apple trees of Ligol and Idared variety, and pear trees of Conference variety. For pest and diseases control of fungal origin, recommended PPPs were applied. Samples of flowers from the above-mentioned varieties of fruit trees, of bees, brood and honey from beehives located in their direct neighborhood were collected regularly and analyzed for the presence of lambdacyhalothrin (an insecticide) and cyprodinil, captan, fluopyram, kresoxim-methyl, penthiopyrad and trifloxystrobin (fungicides). In samples of flowers of Ligol variety, fluopyram residues (on average 0.621 μg single flower-1) were at the highest levels, whereas in samples of pear flowers of Conference variety, and in flowers of Idared variety, captan residues (on average, respectively, 0.705 and 165.7 μg single flower-1). In samples of bees and honey, residues of five AIs were detected, and in brood six AIs, whereby in each case captan residues prevailed, respectively, up to 585.2, 51.52 and 126.5 μg kg-1 bees and honey. In the honey, significantly larger residues of captan were found out than maximum residue level (MRL) for this AI - 103.04% MRL. In the case of any AI, the daily intake did not exceed 0.002% acceptable daily intake (ADI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Animal Production / Hayvansal Üretim is the property of Hayvansal Uretim (Journal of Animal Production) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A total of 102 honey samples collected from small apiaries (≤ 20 hives) in Poland were analysed for the presence of Clostridium botulinum spores. The samples were prepared using the dilution centrifugation method and cultured in parallel in cooked meat medium (CMM) and tripticase peptone glucose yeast (TPGY) enrichment broths. Identification of toxin types A, B, and E of Clostridium botulinum strains was performed with the use of the multiplex PCR method. Positive samples were also subjected to quantitative analysis with the use of Clostridium botulinum Isolation Agar Base (CBAB). The prevalence analysis showed 22 (21.6%) samples contaminated with C. botulinum spores. The major serotype detected was botulin neurotoxin type A - 16 (72.7%) whereas type B was found in 3 (13.6%) honey samples and type E also only in 3 (13.6%) honey samples. Dual-toxin-producing strains were noted. The average quantity of spores in PCR - C. botulinum positive samples was 190 in 1 gram of honey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed six apiaries in several natural environments with a Mediterranean ecosystem in Madrid, central Spain, in order to understand how landscape and management characteristics may influence apiary health and bee production in the long term. We focused on five criteria (habitat quality, landscape heterogeneity, climate, management and health), as well as 30 subcriteria, and we used the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to rank them according to relevance. Habitat quality proved to have the highest relevance, followed by beehive management. Within habitat quality, the following subcriteria proved to be most relevant: orographic diversity, elevation range and important plant species located 1.5 km from the apiary. The most important subcriteria under beehive management were honey production, movement of the apiary to a location with a higher altitude and wax renewal. Temperature was the most important subcriterion under climate, while pathogen and Varroa loads were the most significant under health. Two of the six apiaries showed the best values in the AHP analysis and showed annual honey production of 70 and 28 kg/colony. This high productivity was due primarily to high elevation range and high orographic diversity, which favored high habitat quality. In addition, one of these apiaries showed the best value for beehive management, while the other showed the best value for health, reflected in the low pathogen load and low average number of viruses. These results highlight the importance of environmental factors and good sanitary practices to maximize apiary health and honey productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of honey is mainly determined by its sensorial, chemical, physical and microbiological properties. The purpose of this research was to evaluate microbiological properties of 72 honey samples and to determine the number and/or presence of aerobic mesophilic and spore-forming bacteria, moulds, yeasts, sulphite-reducing clostridia, bacteria from the Enterobacteriaceae family and Staphylococcus aureus. Microbiological quality of tested samples was considered good and pathogenic bacteria were not present. Inhibitory potential of selected honey samples was also investigated. Among tested honey concentrations (0.1%, 5%, 10%, 25%, 50% and 75%), the final concentration of 75% had the highest potential. Honeydew and chestnut honey exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect against tested bacterial species, while the lowest inhibition was exhibited by linden (lime tree) honey. Comparing the samples of the same honey type, considerably different inhibitory activity can be detected. Overall, the most sensitive bacterium to the inhibitory effect of tested honey samples was S. aureus, while the most resistant one was Enterococcus faecalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Concentration levels of 30 pesticide residues were measured in honey samples collected from apiaries in northern part of Poland (Pomerania) using method based on the QuEChERS extraction followed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry with electron spray ionization (LC–ESI–MS/MS). In 29% of the samples were found positive for at least some of the target compounds. Concentration of bifenthrin, fenpyroximate, methidathion, spinosad, thiamethoxam, and triazophos exceeded maximum residue levels (MRL) in five samples (11%), the kind of the residues being correlated to agriculture practices in the region. The maximum values of these pesticides were 14.5, 16.3, 25.7, 20.6, 20.2 and 20.3 ng/g respectively. Profenofos was the most abundant at concentration ranged from

The article presents a study which evaluated the spatial and non-spatial regression models used in beekeeping production in the state of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The study also aimed to show possible spatial clusters, as well as the most important factors associated to bee production. It claims that honey productivity is influenced by the number of hives, wild swarm collection and losses in the apiaries.

Three beehive matrices, sampled in eighteen apiaries from West France, were analysed for the presence of lead (Pb). Samples were collected during four different periods in both 2008 and 2009. Honey was the matrix the least contaminated by Pb (min = 0.004 μg g−1; max = 0.378 μg g−1; mean = 0.047 μg g−1; sd = 0.057). The contamination of bees (min = 0.001 μg g−1; max = 1.869 μg g−1; mean = 0.223 μg g−1; sd = 0.217) and pollen (min = 0.004 μg g−1; max = 0.798 μg g−1; mean = 0.240 μg g−1; sd = 0.200) showed similar levels and temporal variations but bees seemed to be more sensitive bringing out the peaks of Pb contamination. Apiaries in urban and hedgerow landscapes appeared more contaminated than apiaries in cultivated and island landscapes. Sampling period had a significant effect on Pb contamination with higher Pb concentrations determined in dry seasons. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Beekeeping was introduced to Papua New Guinea in the 1940s for research purposes and by the 1960's apiaries were established for household honey consumption. In 1976, under a New Zealand-PNG Government bilateral agreement, the apiculture industry was expanded for commercial development. In the late 1980s, honey production peaked at 100 tonnes annually, mostly exported to European markets. Due to management and financial problems, the bank foreclosed Honey Producers Limited in 1993 and the apiculture industry collapsed. In 2007, the National Government identified apiculture as a sub-sector of the livestock sector in the National Agriculture Development Plan and allocated K3.15 million over ten years for the implementation of the Apiculture Development Program. To achieve the goals of the current plan, the authors argue for eight areas to be targeted and suggest strategies for each area. Critical for success are effective private-public partnership arrangements and the work of extension and advisory services. By adopting the strategies for the eight target areas, the apiculture industry can thrive and become a sustainable cottage industry contributing to the well-being of beekeepers, associated stakeholders and the nation's economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the project RoBeeTech is to create a high competence level scientific center of bee biotechnology in Romania. The research directions of RoBeeTech are similar to actual research interests of international teams in the field of bee pathology bee products quality or the genetic variability analysis of bees through modem biotechnologies. The three main research directions involve the two research labs from USAMV Cluj-Napoca -APHIS (Laboratory for Quality Control of Bee Products) and NA (Laboratory for Bee Disease Diagnosis). The objectives of RoBeeTech are focused on identification of genetic variability of bee colonies from Romania, the study of bee-parasite-pesticide interaction and new control and treatment techniques based on biologically active effect of bee products and secondary nietaboites from plants. Until now bee samples from over 80% of the country were collected, two progress reports and two repayment documents were already delivered and 4 articles were published at international and national conferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine levels of trace metals (Cu, Se, Pb and Cd) in bodies of forager bees. The study was conducted in 14 stationary apiaries situated in southeastern Opole Province (Poland) in autumn 2007 and in spring, summer and autumn 2008. Samples were mineralized using microwave method. Quantitative analysis of studied metals in bees' bodies and multiflower honey were done using the plasma spectrometry method (ICP). It was found that copper was an element present in bodies of worker bees in the highest concentration. Its mean content was 22.6 mg∙kg-1 d.m. Next was selenium - 7.03, lead - 1.95 and cadmium - 0.65 mg∙kg-1 d.m. The highest level of Cu, Pb and Cd accumulation (means on a level of 24.5, 2.59 and 0.83 mg∙kg-1 d.m., respectively) was observed in samples of bees obtained during spring 2008, and of selenium in autumn 2008. The lowest concentration of Pb and Cd (means on a level of 0.95 and 0.46 mg∙kg-1 d.m., respectively) were in turn observed in autumn 2008, Cu (20.6 mg∙kg-1 d.m.) in autumn 2007, and Se (5.81 mg∙kg-1 d.m.) in spring 2008. In most cases, the differences in contents of particular metals between periods of sample collection were significant (p≤0.05) or highly significant (p≤0.01) statistically. Higher concentrations of copper (23.3 in comparison to 22.0 mg∙kg-1 d.m.), selenium (7.58 in comparison to 6.48 mg∙kg-1 d.m.), and lead (1.98 in comparison to 1.91 mg∙kg-1 d.m.) were demonstrated in bees from urbanized regions, while cadmium (0.70 in comparison to 0.60 mg∙kg-1 d.m.) in those from agricultural-woodland. The sequence of the range of analyzed metals accumulation in honey was the same as in the case of bees, but concentrations were manyfold lower: Cu - 0.82, Se - 0.38, Pb - 0.06 and Cd - 0.06 mg∙kg-1 d.m). Any significant relationships between the content of particular elements in honey and bees were demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a review of honey bees, beekeeping, and honey. It notes that bees descended from the carnivorous sand wasps that are closely related during the Early Cretaceous and branched out into the 20,000 some species in the modern time. It states the three types of individual honey bees which are the workers, drones, and queens. Bees are regarded as natural hoarders living in a colony built in a white,square, and man-made Langstroth hive. The process of how bees make honey and the spread of Africanized honeybee are also explored.

Turkey has considerable potential in beekeeping with her rich flora, proper ecological conditions and existence of colony. However Turkish beekeeping sector has not utilized the rich natural resources sufficiently. Turkey is one of the most important honey producer countries. In Turkey, 200 000 agricultural organizations have activities in apiculture. But, only 20 000 of these organizations deal with apiculture as their main source of income. Apiculture sector in Turkey still has faced to some important problems with respect to high chemical use in the hives and marketing and export problems caused by quality of honey, mix harvest, and so on. The aim of this research is to analyze of apiaries' technical and economic aspects in Turkey. The total numbers of surveyed of apiaries in Bursa province of Turkey are 80 in 2008 production period. Although it has high quality honey production, Bursa province has the highest quality pollen production in Turkey. First of all, technical and economic aspects of beekeepers are given under three sub-groups by the number of colonies (50≥, 51-100, 101≤). One of the principal factors is use of the old types of beehive. In this paper, the effect of old and new type beehive use on the honey production in Turkey has been examined. A time series data between 1936 and 2005 has been used in analyzing by ARD model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial strains isolated from US domestic honey were screened for antibacterial activity against Paenibacillus larvae ssp. larvae, the causative agent of American Foulbrood (AFB) in apiaries. A bacterial isolate (TH13) showing a high level of antimicrobial activity against P. larvae ssp. larvae ATCC 9545 was selected and identified as Paenibacillus polymyxa by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The antimicrobial compound was purified by 80% saturated ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by CM-sepharose chromatography and reverse-phase HPLC. The molecular mass of the compound was determined to be 1168.78 Da by ESI-qTOF MS, matching that of polymyxin E1. The producer strain showed a broad range of antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and -negative bacteria including P. larvae ssp. larvae ATCC 25747 and foodborne pathogens such as Bacillus cereus F4552 and Escherichia coli O157:H7 ATCC 43895. The selection of antibiotic-producing bacterial strains indigenous to honey as protective cultures against AFB may lessen the use of antibiotics in apiaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of two lures for trapping the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, by means of in-hive traps was tested by field trials in apiaries located in Florida, Delaware, and Pennsylvania during 2003-2005. Both lures included a mixture (pollen dough) consisting of bee pollen and commercial pollen substitute formulated with or without glycerol and honey. Before it was used in the traps, the dough was conditioned either by the feeding of adult small hive beetles or by inoculation with the yeast Kodamaea ohmeri (NRRL Y-30722). Traps baited with conditioned dough captured significantly more beetles than unbaited traps, and traps positioned under the bottom board of a hive captured significantly more beetles than traps located at the top of a hive. In fact, baited in-hive bottom board traps nearly eliminated the beetles from colonies at a pollination site in Florida. However, when these honey bee colonies were moved to an apiary, trap catch increased markedly over time, indicating a resurgence of the beetle population produced by immigration of beetles from nearby hives or emerging from the soil. In tests at three Florida apiaries during 2006, yeast-inoculated dough baited bottom board traps captured significantly more beetles than unbaited traps, showing the effectiveness of yeast-inoculated dough as a lure and its potential as a tool in managing the small hive beetle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pollen content of eleven honey samples from ten different apiaries in the Baixa Limia – Serra do Xurés Nature Reserve and other honey commercialised by the cooperative as “Mel do Xurés” (north‐west Spain) was subjected to quantitative and qualitative melissopalynological analysis. The quantitative analysis found that ten samples belonged to Maurizio's Class III and one to Class IV. According to the qualitative analysis, four samples were classified as unifloral honey with Erica , four samples as multifloral honey with Erica pollen as the principal component and three samples as multifloral honey with Cytisus ‐type pollen and Erica as the principal component pollen. The pollen spectra differ between the diverse honeys analysed, with a common denominator being Erica and Cytisus ‐type pollen being abundant in all. For the rest of the samples, the pollen spectra were mainly the same, but with different relative percentages among secondary elements. Thus, either as a secondary or an important element, 91% of the honeys contained Quercus , 82% Castanea sativa Miller, 45% Rubus, 36% Cistus and 27% Lithodora prostrate ( Loisel) Griseb,. In particular, we record for the first time the presence of Ribes and Ilex aquifolium L. pollen in Spanish honeys as an important minor or minor pollen component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melissopalynological investigations are important in establishing an apiary industry. Pollen analyses of the nectar sources of Apis florea Fabr. from the Saoner region indicate the importance of this region for commercial bee keeping enterprises. Twenty seven samples were collected during winter season in the months of October 1997 to January 1998 and November 1998 to January 1999. In addition, 245 pollen loads were analyzed from 19 honey combs collected from the same region. Pollen grains were identified from reference slides. Of the 27 honey samples, 17 samples were unifloral and ten multifloral. A total of 39 pollen types were classified into 21 families. In the analyses of the 245 pollen loads Lagascea mollis Cav. was dominant in 57 pollen loads and Parthenium hysterophorus L. in 55 pollen loads. Weeds such as Parthenium hysterophorus , Sphaeranthus indicus L., Lagascea mollis , Bidens pilosa L. and Justicia procumbens L. were the common sources of nectar and pollen for Apis florea in the region. Agricultural tracts of the Saoner region in the Nagpur District have a good potential for sustaining beekeeping ventures because of the diversity of nectar and pollen taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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[Display omitted] • Axenic culture of L. passim from Italian isolates was established. • We analysed environmental DNA extracted from honey samples to detect the presence of L. passim. • L. passim was present in 78% of the honey samples collected in the North of Italy. Lotmaria passim is a trypanosomatid that infects honey bees. In this study, we established an axenic culture of L. passim from Italian isolates and then used its DNA as a control in subsequent analyses that investigated environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect this trypasonosomatid. The source of eDNA was honey, which has been already demonstrated to be useful to detect honey bee parasites. DNA from a total of 164 honey samples collected in the North of Italy was amplified with three L. passim specific PCR primers and 78% of the analysed samples gave positive results. These results indicated a high prevalence rate of this trypanosomatid in the North of Italy, where it might be considered another threat to honey bee health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]