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

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

Copyright of Bio-grafía. Escritos Sobre la Biología y su Enseñanza is the property of Universidad Pedaggica Nacional 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 Korean beekeeping industry is continuously declining owing to the aging worker population and a lack of automation. To solve the problem of manual transportation and low automation of transportation tools in Korean apiculture, a multifunctional beekeeping transport loading box was developed by modifying a tracked vehicle developed in previous studies. To ensure the safety of the modified beekeeping vehicle in an apiary, a dynamic analysis of the vehicle in virtual simulation conditions and a field test inside an actual apiary were conducted. Firstly, the TRACK_LM module in multibody dynamics software RecurDyn was used to model the vehicle. Then, the model was analyzed in two use cases (bee frame loading and beehive loading), three geological conditions (clayey soil, dry sand, and upland sandy loam), and two types of terrain (s-turn and 8° slope). Meanwhile, tests under similar conditions were conducted in an actual apiary. The simulation results indicated that the modified beekeeping vehicle operated stably in the simulated agricultural apiary ground (clayey soil and upland sandy loam). The maximum pitch angles in the clayey soil and upland sandy loam conditions were 11.77° and 12.74°, respectively. However, the vehicle cannot operate under dry sand conditions on a slope because it exceeded the calculated maximum angle (34°) during operation. The maximum pitch angle of only 8.8° in the apiary transport experiment proved that the modified beekeeping vehicle could be driven safely in actual apiaries. Moreover, a comparison of the field test results with the simulation results revealed that the field test further verifies the reference value and correctness of the simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

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]

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

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

Propolis (bee glue) is considered among bee products with medicinal properties. The majority of plants in Egypt are field crops which cultivated by farmers. Such crops may supply bee colonies with nectar/pollen, but are not good sources for resin due to their short life cycles. This study aimed to explore potential sites for producing high amounts of propolis from bee colonies based on a remote sensing analysis. The study was performed on a Governorate with intensive agricultural activity in Egypt (Assiut Governorate). The methodology depended on isolating trees from the satellite image using unsupervised classification followed by supervised classification based on numerous geographical coordinates of trees. Trees were transferred into points, and then point density was calculated to classify the study location into classes according to density. Sites with the very high numbers of trees were especially recommended for producing propolis on a commercial scale by beekeepers. Giving more attention to propolis production can enhance the income of beekeepers and maximize the economic benefit from bee colonies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various subspecies of Apis mellifera L. were introduced to Central America since colonization 500 years ago. Hybridization increased with the entrance of the Africanized bee in Nicaragua in 1984. Rustic beekeeping activities and numerous feral swarms define the genetic pattern, reflected in phenotypic heterogeneity and remarkable differences in the behaviour of the bee colonies, especially the nest defence. Due to these facts, the question emerge about the degree of Africanization of honeybee colonies in Nicaragua. In this study, we identified Africanized honeybee colonies based on the single character "mean forewing length" and we corroborated our results by determining mitotypes using mtDNA analysis. Morphometric and genetic approaches were realized in three different geographical zones of Nicaragua and related to beehive characteristics and management. Worker bee samples were taken from the inside of 146 hives from 26 apiaries. Abdominal colour as phenotypic character was the first examination, followed by measurement of 1460 right forewings to determine corresponding probability of Africanization. More than 60% of the beehives showed phenotypic heterogeneity and mean forewing length of 8.74 mm (SD 0.16 mm) indicated a high degree of Africanization. Those results provided a selection of 96 worker bees to perform PCR of two worker bees per hive. For mitochondrial DNA analysis 14 samples from sentinel apiaries were added. Three from 61 beehives presented bees with different mtDNA. Throughout, three mitotypes of the African (A) lineage were detected; one mitotype is still unidentified. Mitotype A1 A. mellifera iberiensis was represented by 88 bees and mitotype A4 A. mellifera scutellata by 21 bees. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the PCR findings. No associations were found between mitotypes, forewing length, beehive characteristics and management. A high degree of Africanization in A. mellifera colonies represented by two predominating mitotypes from the A lineage, prevail in Neotropical Nicaragua, with mitotype A4 predominating at higher altitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of the global increase in honey bee colony losses, risk factors regarding beekeeping management practices and honey bee diseases have been studied intensively during the last decade. Some risk factors have been outlined, but the correlation of evidence between relevant factors coinciding with honey bee mortality still needs to be clarified. The current study used the two-year data collected in frames of the European Commission EPILOBEE project. Previously, the data from Estonian apiaries were analysed together with the data from all 17 participating European countries in the consortium. In the current study, data from Estonian apiaries were targeted separately. In total, 196 apiaries containing 2,439 colonies all over Estonia were included in this dataset. The study aimed to clarify the risk factors that would predict colony losses in Estonia. The main factors increasing colony mortality after winter were the size of the apiary, Varroa destructor mite count, infestation with Paenibacillus larvae, and lack of farmlands around the apiary. No significant risk factors in relation to honey bee summer mortality were detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vespa velutina is an invasive species that is currently the main concern for beekeeping in some areas of northern Spain. The hornet hunts honeybees to feed its larvae, stressing and weakening the honeybee colonies. To avoid losses of honeybee colonies, it is essential to investigate the pressure that is exerted by the yellow-legged hornet on apiaries and its consequences. In the present study, hives were monitored in an apiary that was situated in a high-pressure area of V. velutina during the years 2020 and 2021. The monitoring of environmental conditions of the apiary, the internal conditions of the colonies, and a hunting camera were used to relate the presence of hornets in front of the hives to the weather conditions in the apiary and the consequences caused on the colonies. The relationships between weather conditions and the hornet's activity showed two types of hornet behavior. In the months of July and August, the maximum number of hornets appeared in non-central hours of the day. Meanwhile, in the months of September and October, the highest pressure in the apiary occurred in the central hours of the day, coinciding with temperatures between 15 °C and 25 °C and a relative humidity that was higher than 60%. The honeybee colony with the highest thermoregulatory capacity was the strongest and it was the key factor for the colony survival even when the hornet pressure was high too. Therefore, strengthening the hives and improving beehive health status is essential to avoid colonies decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Komunikaty Mazursko-Warminskie is the property of Komunikaty Mazursko-Warminskie 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.)

Acarapis woodi is a pathogen affecting honey bees health worldwide. Its prevalence may be underestimated due to the time-consuming traditional method for its diagnosis and the attitude in focusing the attention only onto Varroa destructor. New PCR techniques have allowed for the verification of the presence of A. woodi in 44 samples of honey bees and 11 samples of hive debris collected from 17 apiaries by the veterinary services of the Latium region (Central Italy). Overall, 9.1% of adult honey bee samples (all belonging to one apiary) and 6.3% of hive debris samples (belonging to 6 apiaries) were positive in an end point PCR and presence of the pathogen was confirmed through Sanger sequencing. Results demonstrated the potential underestimation of A. woodi occurrence in Italian apiaries and reported the first detection of A. woodi in hive debris samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Testing for the level of manifestation of the hygienic behavior of 32 bee colonies from the local honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) from three apiaries has been carried out. Depending on the level of manifestation of the cleansing instinct, two groups of bee colonies have been formed - hygienic (these clean over 95% of the cells with dead brood up to the 48th hour after killing the brood) and non-hygienic (these clean less than 95% of the cells with dead brood up to the 48th hour). Woiker bee samples have been taken from the tested bee colonies to determine the level of fat body development. The fat body is important for the bee organism, since in addition to being a fat and carbohydrate storage depot, it is also considered to be the center of metabolism in insects. The analysis of the results from the present study revealed that the mean value of the level of fat body development in worker bees from the group of hygienic bee colonies was 2.76±0.038. In the group of non-hygienic colonies this value was 7.61% lower (2.55±0.079). This difference is statistically significant at p<0.05. Significant differences have been found in the development of the fat body in worker bees from apiaries at a distance of 100 km without regard to hygienic behavior and according to hygienic behavior. The results obtained suggest that there is a correlation between the level of fat body development and the hygienic behavior in bees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A progressive honey bee population decline has been reported worldwide during the last decades, and it could be attributed to several causes, in particular to the presence of pathogens and parasites that can act individually or in synergy. The health status of nine apiaries located in different areas of the Veneto region (northeast of Italy) was assessed for two consecutive years (2020 and 2021) in spring, during the resumption of honey bee activity, for determining the presence of known (Nosema spp., Varroa mite and viruses) and less known or emerging pathogens (Lotmaria passim and Crithidia mellificae) in honey bees. After honey bees sampling from each of the nine apiaries, Nosema apis, Nosema ceranae, L. passim, C. mellificae, ABPV, CBPV, IAPV, KBV, BQCV, SBV, DWV-A, DWV-B and V. destructor were investigated either by microscopic observation or PCR protocols. The viruses BQCV, SBV, CBPV followed by N. ceranae and L. passim were the most prevalent pathogens, and many of the investigated hives, despite asymptomatic, had different degrees of co-infection. This study aimed to highlight, during the resumption of honey bee activity in spring, the prevalence and spreading in the regional territory of different honey bee pathogens, which could alone or synergistically alter the homeostasis of bees colonies. The information gathered would increase our knowledge about the presence of these microorganisms and parasites in the territory and could contribute to improve beekeepers practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three commercial honey bee operations in Saskatchewan, Canada, with outbreaks of American foulbrood (AFB) and recent or ongoing metaphylactic antibiotic use were intensively sampled to detect spores of Paenibacillus larvae during the summer of 2019. Here, we compared spore concentrations in different sample types within individual hives, assessed the surrogacy potential of honey collected from honey supers in place of brood chamber honey or adult bees within hives, and evaluated the ability of pooled, extracted honey to predict the degree of spore contamination identified through individual hive testing. Samples of honey and bees from hives within apiaries with a recent, confirmed case of AFB in a single hive (index apiaries) and apiaries without clinical evidence of AFB (unaffected apiaries), as well as pooled, apiary-level honey samples from end-of-season extraction, were collected and cultured to detect and enumerate spores. Only a few hives were heavily contaminated by spores in any given apiary. All operations were different from one another with regard to both the overall degree of spore contamination across apiaries and the distribution of spores between index apiaries and unaffected apiaries. Within operations, individual hive spore concentrations in unaffected apiaries were significantly different from index apiaries in the brood chamber (BC) honey, honey super (HS) honey, and BC bees of one of three operations. Across all operations, BC honey was best for discriminating index apiaries from unaffected apiaries (p = 0.001), followed by HS honey (p = 0.06), and BC bees (p = 0.398). HS honey positively correlated with both BC honey (rs = 0.76, p < 0.0001) and bees (rs = 0.50, p < 0.0001) and may be useful as a surrogate for either. Spore concentrations in pooled, extracted honey seem to have predictive potential for overall spore contamination within each operation and may have prognostic value in assessing the risk of future AFB outbreaks at the apiary (or operation) level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nosemosis caused by Vairimorpha ceranae is one of the most important threats to honeybee colonies worldwide. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and intensity of Vairimorpha infection in different types of colonies and locations in Iran. In October 2017 and May 2018, 376 colonies from 97 apiaries were selected for each month according to a randomly clustered design. By considering 3–5 colonies for each apiary, 20 adult bees as pooled samples were collected from each colony. In microscopic analysis, 46.52% and 46.1% of samples in May and October showed Vairimorpha spores, respectively. The infection intensities in May and October were 5.94 ± 0.19 (× 106) and 5.86 ± 0.23 (× 106) spores/bee in a pooled sample, respectively. The mean infection intensity ranged from 1.8 to 12.5 (× 106) spores/bee. Statistically, there were no significant differences in the prevalence and intensity of V. ceranae infection between May and October samples. No significant differences were found among the prevalence rates of infection in the types of colonies; however, the intensity was significantly higher in migratory and mountainous colonies in May and only in migratory colonies in October. There was a significant correlation between the prevalence and intensity of V. ceranae infection (r2 = 0.695). PCR analysis showed that the samples were only infected with V. ceranae. No intraspecific variation to V. ceranae was found by direct sequencing of the amplified fragment of 16S rRNA. The obtained sequence was mainly 100% similar to those of V. ceranae isolates from European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colombia has agricultural roots of great wealth, additionally its variety of climate, geography and culture, it is known as the second most biodiverse country in the world, this allows its ecosystems to be perfect for the sustainability of hives and the life of bees. However, no matter how rich the country is, there is not knowledge about the importance of bees and the main factors that impact the sustainability of beekeeping companies. In the department of Quindío, is evidenced in losses economic that derive from the mismanagement of the apiaries and the spraying of agrochemicals in sectors surrounding the hives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Veterinaria is the property of Universidad Nacional del Nordeste 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 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.)

Aethina tumida (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae - Small Hive Beetle - SHB), is a parasite of honey bee colonies that causes the notifiable disease called aethinosis. In 2014, SHB was detected in Southern Italy, where it is still present (Calabria region). As part of surveillance activities, official diagnosis of the disease is performed by veterinary services via visual inspection of single hives in the apiaries. New outbreaks can be eradicated and the spread of SHBs limited by early detection of new introductions. We report an alternative protocol for the diagnosis of SHB through swabs and hive debris analysis by PCR. This was tested in three apiaries through the evaluation of different SHB infestation levels with a hive inspection method. This approach for sampling, followed by biomolecular methods, was fast and useful in unfavorable conditions (bad weather, aggressiveness, robbing), could be integrated in the official diagnosis procedures and may act as pre-clinic indicator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Survival of European honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies has been threatened over the past few decades as Varroa destructor has become a growing concern on a near-global scale. Prominent treatment methods have included the synthetic acaricides amitraz, coumaphos, and tau-fluvalinate. Since widespread resistance to these compounds has been noted, this study sought to investigate V. destructor resistance in Virginia. V. destructor infestation levels in apiaries located in three geographic regions of Virginia were monitored throughout the 2018 field season. By autumn, all apiaries had mite populations above the recommended treatment threshold. The results of resistance screening with glass surface contact bioassays indicated no resistance to amitraz, coumaphos, or tau-fluvalinate. These results have implications in future control strategies and responsible use of these acaricides may offer an additional option to those battling these aggressive ectoparasites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The small hive beetle (SHB), Aethina tumida was first detected in the Calabria and Sicily region (Southern Italy) in 2014. In this regard, a more effective and faster inspection method than the Official one (Ministry of Health) was tested to detect the beetle in the hive. In collaboration with Calabria beekeepers' association, a "mobile divider"-based method was tested, in order to facilitate the detection of A. tumida and save time during hive inspection. In this short communication, we provide an update on the mobile divider technique and its related inspection procedure, which was first proposed and used in Calabria (Southern Italy) from 2014 to 2016. We report preliminary data concerning the number of detected SHBs and the time spent for their detection, based on the inspection of two apiaries in Calabria region, using both methods (official method and mobile divider method). The preliminary data presented here show that, on average, the mobile divider method seems to be able to recover a slightly higher number of beetles (0.9 adults) per inspected hive, in a shorter time (25 s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nosema ceranae as a fungal parasite has been reported from the Apis mellifera in all continents. It causes reduced longevity, depopulation, decreased production, and colony losses in honeybee colonies. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of N.ceranae in the apiaries of Mazandaran province. In this study, we randomly selected 320 hives from thirty-two apiaries and collected twenty old honeybees from the apiaries. The collected samples were examined by microscopy and molecular methods. The results of the microscopic examinations showed that 78.12% of apiaries were infected with Nosema spp. In addition, N. ceranae was identified 84.37% of apiaries by PCR, while no samples were infected by N. apis. Blast analysis of the sequenced samples confirmed the presence of N. ceranae infection in the apiaries. Based on the obtained results, a high frequency of N.ceranae was detected in apiaries in Mazandaran province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propolis has been considered a resinous substance with a complex chemical composition that is collected from several plant species by Apis mellifera bees, and used by man as an alternative to the healing of diseases and to keep a good health. The chemical composition of propolis is related to the biodiversity of the region visited by the bees and also to the season of collection. This research purpose was to optimize the production methodology of propolis' ethanol extract production and to evaluate the effect of seasonality in the chemical composition and biological activities of this product. Propolis' samples were collected from the apiary at the Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Sul de Minas Gerais - Campus Muzambinho and were used to make ethanol extracts. In the optimization stage, different ethanolic solution concentration, extraction method and drying temperatures were used. For the analysis of the seasonal effect, propolis was collected from the same place in different seasons. The results showed that the 80% ethanolic solution, the extraction temperature of 70&#176:C and drying at 45&#176:C were the ones that stood out the most. Regarding the effect of seasonality on the chemical composition and biological activities of propolis, it is clear that there are differences between the propolis collected in different seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Copyright of Anadolu Tarım Bilimleri Dergisi is the property of Ondokuz Mayis Universitesi, Ziraat Fakultesi 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.)

In the Quimis area of the Jipijapa Canton, an investigation was carried out related to the characterization of plant species that provide sustenance to bees in the production of honey that is used by local residents involved in the Aroma y Miel Association, among other uses, to market it. The objective of this study was based on characterizing the melliferous species of the tropical dry forest oriented to its conservation. Seven active apiaries distributed within the enclosure were selected, where four weekly samplings were made, with a total of 28 transects of 20 m x 50 m, taking as a starting point the apiaries to identify and count the number of species of apicultural use. A total of 31 species, 1,527 individuals, belonging to 16 families were determined. The botanical family with the highest abundance was Fabaceae with 290 individuals, and the most abundant species were Ceiba trichistandra (A. Gray) Bakh and Prosopis pallida (Willd.) Kunth, due to the greater beekeeping use and commercialization. The most frequent biological types were trees, followed by shrubs, herbaceous and lianas, respectively. The months of greatest flowering are from March to the beginning of October. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An approach for evaluation of the places for creation of apiaries and optimal distribution of bee colonies formed on the basis of the feeding capacities of the areas with flowering plants, the distances between these sites and the feeding areas is proposed. A multicriteria model with two main criteria is considered. The first maximizes the sum of the products of the weights for a given place multiplied by the number of colonies that will be positioned at that place. This criterion is divided into two sub-criteria, including the "subjective" and "objective" assessment of place preferences, respectively. The second criterion aims to minimize malnourished bee colonies. The model, with the proposed approach for "objective" assessment of potential distribution sites, can be applied both for cases without overpopulation of the area with bee colonies and for areas with overpopulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding a proper location for a bee apiary is a crucial task for beekeepers and especially for travelling beekeepers. Normally beekeepers choose an appropriate apiary location based on their previous experience and sometimes the location may not be optimal for the bee colonies. This can be explained by different flowering periods, variation of resources at the known fields, as well as other factors. In addition it is very challenging to evaluate how many bee colonies should be placed in one geographical location for an optimal nectar foraging process. This research presents a model for finding the number of honey bee colonies needed for the optimal foraging process in the specific location, taking into account several assumptions. Authors propose to take into account potential field productivity, possible chemical contamination, surroundings of the apiary. To run the model, several steps have to be completed, starting from the selection of area of interest, conversion to polygons for further calculations, defining the roads in the selected area. The outcome of the model number of colonies that should be placed is presented to the user. The Python language was used for the model development. The model can be extended to use additional factors and values to increase the precision of the evaluation. In addition, input from users (farmers, agricultural specialists, etc.) about external factors that can affect the number of bee colonies in the apiary can be taken into account. This work is conducted within the Horizon 2020 FET project HIVEOPOLIS (Nr.824069). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]