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In this study, the insecticidal effect of the Detech® (Turkish Diatomaceous earth) DE formulation against Galleria mellonella L. was determined. The study was conducted in a laboratory environment with materials taken from beehives produced at Muş Alparslan University in 2022. Diatomaceous earth (DE) was applied in two different forms (dust and slurry DE) and as positive control GüveSavar®, which is currently used against some pests in beekeeping. DE concentrations of 0, 3, 5, and 7 g/m2 in different exposure times were tested for the control of G. mellonella larvae. As a result of all treatments, the highest mortality occurred at 7 g/m2 dust DE concentration. Larvae (3rd stage) exposed to 7 g/m2 concentration according to dust DE mortality rates reached 100% mortality after 40 hours. According to the results of the slurry DE, the larvae exposed to the slurry diatom at all concentrations achieved 100% mortality at the end of the 96 hours. When the dust and slurry DE results were examined, the direct use of dust formulations greatly accelerated the effectiveness against larvae. The study showed very promising results, suggesting that slurry DE and dust formulations could be a new alternative control method for Greater Wax Moth. In addition, for the first time, the insecticidal efficacy of DE against the honey bee pest, the greater wax moth, was determined.

Beekeeping is one of the significant activities that contribute to sustainability in environmental, social, and economic aspects. Honeybees provide multifaceted contributions to humanity, with 90% attributed to pollination services and 10% to bee products (honey, propolis, wax, etc.). The preservation of these services plays a key role in achieving ecological and economic sustainability, ensuring a healthy future for human life. According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) under the United Nations, more than 80 million beehives contribute to an estimated annual honey production of 1.6 million tons. Honeybees can travel distances ranging from 600 meters to 11.3 kilometers to pollinate in bee forests. The bee products obtained from these areas provide income sources for forest communities, supporting sustainable development. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), one-third of global food production relies on pollination services by bees. Pollination services are critical for maintaining food security and increasing agricultural productivity. These services create a significant impact on biodiversity support, landscape diversification, enrichment of forest cover, and expansion of wildlife habitats, as well as erosion control—effects that are often imperceptible to humans. Bees contribute to human well-being and cultural sustainability by providing food, medicine, genetic resources, and related materials. The ecosystem services provided by bees make substantial contributions to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including No Poverty (SDG1), Zero Hunger (SDG2), Good Health and Well-being (SDG3), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG8), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG12), Climate Action (SDG13), and Life on Land (SDG15). This study discusses the importance of beekeeping and bee products in terms of ecosystem services for sustainable development and addresses environmental risks.

Environmental pollution with pesticides as a result of intensive agriculture harms the development of bee colonies. Bees are one of the most important pollinating insects on our planet. One of the ways to protect them is to relocate and build apiaries in populated areas. An important condition for the development of bee colonies is the rich species diversity of flowering plants and the size of the areas occupied by them. In this study, a methodology for detecting and distinguishing white flowering nectar source trees and counting bee colonies is developed and demonstrated, applicable in populated environments. It is based on UAV-obtained RGB imagery and two convolutional neural networks—a pixel-based one for identification of flowering areas and an object-based one for beehive identification, which achieved accuracies of 93.4% and 95.2%, respectively. Based on an experimental study near the village of Yuper (Bulgaria), the productive potential of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) areas in rural and suburban environments was determined. The obtained results showed that the identified blooming area corresponds to 3.654 m2, out of 89.725 m2 that were scanned with the drone, and the number of identified beehives was 149. The proposed methodology will facilitate beekeepers in choosing places for the placement of new apiaries and planning activities of an organizational nature.

Although the abundance, survival, and pollination performance of honeybees are sensitive to changes in habitat and climate conditions, the processes by which these effects are transmitted to honey production and interact with beekeeping management are not completely understood. Climate change, habitat degradation, and beekeeping management affect honey yields, and may also interact among themselves resulting in indirect effects across spatial scales. We conducted a 2-year, multi-scale study on Chiloe Island (northern Patagonia), where we evaluated the most relevant environmental and management drivers of honey produced by stationary beekeepers. We found that the effects of microclimate, habitat, and management variables changed with the spatial scale. Among the environmental variables, minimum temperature, and cover of the invasive shrub, gorse (Ulex europaeus) had the strongest detrimental impacts on honey production at spatial scales finer than 4 km. Specialized beekeepers who adopted conventional beekeeping and had more mother colonies were more productive. Mean and minimum temperatures interacted with the percentage of mother colonies, urban cover, and beekeeping income. The gorse cover increased by the combination of high temperatures and the expansion of urban lands, while landscape attributes, such as Eucalyptus plantation cover, influenced beekeeping management. Results suggest that higher temperatures change the available forage or cause thermal stress to honeybees, while invasive shrubs are indicators of degraded habitats. Climate change and habitat degradation are two interrelated environmental phenomena whose effects on beekeeping can be mitigated through adaptive management and habitat restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Apis mellifera is a managed pollinator that experiences cycles of extreme losses at the population level. Several culprits have been associated with these mass losses. Most notably, the parasitic mite Varroa destructor is a consistent suspect in periodic mass losses of honey bee colonies. Our team performed diagnostic screening of pathogens and parasites in operations that experienced extreme losses during the winter of 2023. The direct cost to replace lost colonies and the immediate economic harm imparted from severe losses are described. United States commercial beekeepers prepare honey bee colonies for almond pollination in California each year in late January to early February. This represents the largest managed pollination event in the world and involves more than half of all U.S. honey bee colonies. In winter 2023, numerous colonies in Florida, which were graded as suitable for almonds (larger than ten frames of bees), dwindled suddenly or altogether died within several weeks, just prior to movement for almonds. The timing of these losses and the resulting morbidity caused severe economic harm to affected operations. This study reports interviews with affected stakeholders, their economic harm, and analyses of pathogens and parasites found in their colonies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The productive management of Apis mellifera L. faces threats that put the populations of this species, which is part of the set of crucial pollinators for agriculture, food production, and the sustainability of ecosystems. Worldwide, bee loss is a multifactorial phenomenon associated with various factors such as exposure to pesticides, pests and diseases, improper beekeeping management practices, habitat deterioration, climate change, etc. The occurrence of these causative factors in a particular or synergistic way limits the productive use of A. mellifera. This review addresses five of the main factors affecting bee production globally. A systematic search of published information available in the Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, and Google Scholar databases was carried out, using keywords for each topic, from January 2011 to November 30, 2021. The most relevant information of each factor, its causes, and research focus was considered, with a conclusion to explore proposed alternatives for future studies. Consequently, an analysis of the accumulated knowledge on the problems that exist around the productive management of A. mellifera worldwide is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bees play a significant role in the health of terrestrial ecosystems. The decline of bee populations due to colony collapse disorder around the world constitutes a severe ecological danger. Maintaining high yield of honey and understanding of bee behaviour necessitate constant attention to the hives. Research initiatives have been taken to establish monitoring programs to study the behaviour of bees in accessing their habitat. Monitoring the sanitation and development of bee brood allows for preventative measures to be taken against mite infections and an overall improvement in the brood's health. This study proposed a precision beekeeping method that aims to reduce bee colony mortality and improve conventional apiculture through the use of technological tools to gather, analyse, and understand bee colony characteristics. This research presents the application of advanced digital image processing with computer vision techniques for the visual identification and analysis of bee brood at various developing stages. The beehive images are first preprocessed to enhance the important features of object. Further, object is segmented and classified using computer vision techniques. The research is carried out with the images containing variety of immature brood stages. The suggested method and existing methods are tested and compared to evaluate efficiency of proposed methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The demand for apiary products in a global market is increasing, while the beekeeping sector still faces multiple challenges, in particular in developing countries. For example, Ethiopia, despite belonging already to world's top producers of honey and beeswax and having favorable agroclimatic conditions and biodiversity, still has a huge unexploited beekeeping potential. However, the beekeeping system remains mostly traditional, so its contribution to the local community and the country's economy remains minimal. This study aims to explore the development potential of beekeeping by combining systems analysis of the current production with a SWOT-PESTEL analysis. The study identified the core challenges that hinder the exploitation of the potential and the existing opportunities. System mapping revealed that the unproductive practice and orientation of smallholder beekeepers towards poor quality honey production mainly for local beverage making affected the use of the potential and its contribution to beekeepers' income and the country's economy. In contrast, the focus of private investors and cooperatives on the production of fully and semi-processed honey for the local and global market had a positive impact on the use of the potential. Providing smallholder beekeepers with training and connecting them to modern input suppliers may help to exploit the existing potential. Ethiopia has a high potential for the production of honey and other apiary products due to its ideal agroecology. This potential is, however, not yet well utilized due to weak production and valorization systems. The study analyzed beekeeping systems and their honey value chain to detect the barriers and to explore ways to better exploit the existing potential. Descriptive statistics, a SWOT and PESTEL matrix, and system mapping were utilized for analysis. Ethiopian beekeeping is still dominated by traditional production systems, followed by modern and transitional systems, differing in types of beehives and the average amount of honey yield. The combined SWOT-PESTEL analysis revealed challenges like a limited supply and high cost of modern beehives, shortage of credit, absence of a honey marketing legal framework, pest and predator attacks, absconding, and uncontrolled application of agrochemicals. Opportunities include the globally increasing demand for honey, availability of good investment policy, conducive agroecology, and support from NGOs. The less productive techniques of smallholder beekeepers' crude honey production for local beverage making affected the good use of the potential and minimized its contribution to the local and national economy. On the contrary, strengthening private investors and cooperatives towards the production of fully and semi-processed honey impacted the utilization of the potential positively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Beekeeping is an activity that supports agriculture and wildlife on earth, so it is very important to provide accurate information that is able to help in increasing the profitability of beekeeping and valorize pollination services. In this paper, a new methodology is proposed to assess beekeeping potential using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the Analytical Hierarchy Process. The proposed tool will support decision making by selecting the best apiary locations to maximize honey production and, consequently, the risks of losing bee colonies will be reduced. The Suitability map (apiary aptitude map) allows for validating the best locations for apiaries (considering the spatial and floristic resources use), and the aptitude for installing new apiaries or moving existing ones. In this sense, the application of Multi-criteria GIS Analysis, in the context of beekeeping planning, is a useful tool for the Beekeepers Association to manage honeybee resources within the territory in order to maximize their profit, and for government agencies to implement promotional measures and policies to maximize food support needs and mitigate spared diseases. Beekeeping management is greatly influenced by spatial factors (e.g., land use/land cover, roads, or electrical energy networks), so GIS are a powerful tool to overlap and relate a variety of spatial data levels and, consequently, a very useful tool for beekeeping activity planning. This study was developed within the intervention area of three controlled zones managed by Portuguese Beekeepers Associations. The methodology, based on multi-criteria decision analysis, integrates several criteria, such as hydrographic networks, road networks, soil occupation, solar radiation, and electromagnetic radiation sources. These criteria were proposed and evaluated through online questionnaires carried out with beekeepers. Concerning the selected criteria and the respective geographical data, the most relevant were land use/land cover and water availability, with a significance of 44% and 24%, respectively. The beekeeping suitability map enabled us to evaluate the degree of compliance for the actual location of apiaries, with 60% of the apiaries being installed in high potential areas. In the context of beekeeping planning, the potential of the techniques applied seems to be an important tool for optimizing the location of apiaries and the profitability of beekeeping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the role of the stingless bee Melipona beecheii in beekeeping practices in the Yucatán Peninsula, México, in the nineteenth century. Native to Yucatán, the Melipona bee is capable of producing large amounts of honey and has been bred by Maya communities for over three thousand years. In the twentieth century, the Melipona population declined with the implementation of modern apiculture, a system designed to maximize the production of honey and wax with the European native honeybee, Apis mellifera. Previous scholarship on beekeeping has labeled the development of modern apiculture and the systematic expansion of the European honeybee across the Americas as a success story. However, these studies do not consider the cultural, economic, and social transformations brought by the introduction of Apis mellifera in environments that were already rich in bee biodiversity. In order to provide some clues about the impact of--and responses to--modern apiculture, this article focuses on the moment before this process occurred in the Yucatán Peninsula, when Melipona was still environmentally, culturally, and economically significant. The author argues that, far from being an unchanging cultural practice doomed to be superseded by modern apiculture, Melipona beekeeping continued to adapt in sophisticated ways to a modernizing world. During a period of upheaval, extraction of natural resources, environmental exploitation, violence, and Indigenous peoples' defense of their land, the Melipona continued to be the only domesticated bee species used for beeswax and honey extraction in the entire peninsula during the nineteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fallopia japonica (Japanese knotweed, Reynoutria japonica or Polygonum cuspidatum) is considered an extremely invasive plant worldwide and a bioindicator of heavy metals. Yet, its potential as a crop for honeybees is still underevaluated. This study employs atomic absorption spectrometry to quantitatively analyze the concentration of macro-elements, namely, calcium (Ca), potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg); micro-elements, such as copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and selenium (Se); and trace elements, i.e., cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb) in different anatomic parts of Fallopia japonica (FJ) plants (roots, rhizomes, stems, leaves) and their traceability into honey. This research encompasses a thorough examination of samples collected from the northwestern and western part of Romania, providing insights into their elemental composition. The results showed that the level of trace elements decreases in terms of traceability in honey samples (Pb was not detected in any of the analyzed samples, while Cd had a minimum content 0.001 mg/kg), ensuring its quality and health safety for consumption. Moreover, the data generated can function as a valuable resource to explore the plant's positive eco-friendly impacts, particularly in relation to its honey. [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]

In recent years, honey bee colony losses in the Republic of Kosovo remained largely unknown. From 2019 to 2021, 81 apiaries with different disease suspicions were investigated in the framework of honey bee disease passive surveillance. Fifty-nine of the eighty-one apiaries were tested for Vairimorpha ceranae, Vairimorpha apis, trypanosomatids Lotmaria passim, and Crithidia mellificae. All samples were positive for V. ceranae (100%) whereas L. passim was found with a lower frequency (11.9%). V. apis and C. mellificae were not found. Thirteen of the eighty-one apiaries were tested for seven viruses (ABPV, CBPV, DWV, BQCV, SBV, IAPV, KBV) and five of them were found (ABPV, CBPV, DWV, BQCV, SBV). The most frequently detected viruses in honey bees and Varroa mites were DWV (100%) followed by BQCV, ABPV, SBV, and CBPV (92.3%, 69.2%, 30.8%, and 7.7%, respectively). Varroa mite samples had different degrees of co-infection by viruses. Nine of the eighty-one apiaries consisted of brood combs with larvae, eight of them were AFB positive, ERIC I genotype, and one EFB positive. This paper represents the first molecular investigation (PCR) and detection of the honey bee viruses ABPV, CBPV, DWV, BQCV, and SBV as well as V. ceranae, L. passim, and M. plutonius in the Republic of Kosovo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Animal Science & Economics is the property of Ataturk University Coordinatorship of Scientific Journals 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.)

Probiotics are widely used in agriculture including commercial beekeeping, but there is little evidence supporting their effectiveness. Antibiotic treatments can greatly distort the gut microbiome, reducing its protective abilities and facilitating the growth of antibiotic resistant pathogens. Commercial beekeepers regularly apply antibiotics to combat bacterial infections, often followed by an application of non-native probiotics advertised to ease the impact of antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis. We tested whether probiotics affect the gut microbiome or disease prevalence, or rescue the negative effects of antibiotic induced gut dysbiosis. We found no difference in the gut microbiome or disease markers by probiotic application or antibiotic recovery associated with probiotic treatment. A colony-level application of the antibiotics oxytetracycline and tylosin produced an immediate decrease in gut microbiome size, and over the longer-term, very different and persistent dysbiotic effects on the composition and membership of the hindgut microbiome. Our results demonstrate the lack of probiotic effect or antibiotic rescue, detail the duration and character of dysbiotic states resulting from different antibiotics, and highlight the importance of the gut microbiome for honeybee health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: An automatic honey bee classification system based on audio signals for tracking the frequency of workers and drones entering and leaving a hive. The recent advances in smart beekeeping focus on remote solutions for bee colony monitoring and applying machine learning techniques for automatic decision making. One of the main applications is a swarming alarm, allowing beekeepers to prevent the bee colony from leaving their hive. Swarming is a naturally occurring phenomenon, mainly during late spring and early summer, but it is extremely hard to predict its exact time since it is highly dependent on many factors, including weather. Prevention from swarming is the most effective way to keep bee colonies; however, it requires constant monitoring by the beekeeper. Drone bees do not survive the winter and they occur in colonies seasonally with a peak in late spring, which is associated with the creation of drone congregation areas, where mating with young queens takes place. The paper presents a method of early swarming mood detection based on the observation of drone bee activity near the entrance to a hive. Audio recordings are represented by Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients and their first and second derivatives. The study investigates which MFCC coefficients, selected by the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator, are significant for the worker bee and drone bee classification task. The classification results, obtained by an autoencoder neural network, allow to improve the detection performance, achieving accuracy slightly above 95% for the chosen set of signal features, selected by the proposed method, compared to the standard set of MFCC coefficients with only up to 90% accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Sciences is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) 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 Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Sciences is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) 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 Egyptian Journal of Agricultural Sciences is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) 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.)

This article discusses the need to review and update the recovery plans for the endangered plant species Helianthemum polygonoides. The study found an increase in the population size of H. polygonoides and the discovery of new populations, but also identified new threats such as rabbit proliferation, wild boar damages, and fires. The authors suggest the inclusion of new guidelines to address these threats and provide additional conservation proposals. The document also includes a list of references and supplementary material related to various research studies and conservation efforts conducted in the region of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. [Extracted from the article]

This article, published in the journal Mediterranean Botany, provides a comprehensive study on the melliferous flora in the Ait Baâmrane territory of Sidi Ifni Province in Central Western Morocco. The study identifies 117 melliferous species, accounting for 41.64% of the total flora in the area, with a significant rate of endemism. The article emphasizes the importance of conserving these plants to support the beekeeping sector in the region. Additionally, the document titled "Des terroirs apicoles aux territoires mellifères? Reconfiguration des pratiques et des espaces apicoles du Sud marocain" explores beekeeping practices and the significance of melliferous plants in southern Morocco, providing valuable information for researchers interested in the region's flora and beekeeping practices. [Extracted from the article]

Hygienic behavior represents one of the most prominent disease resistance mechanisms developed by honeybees. This behavior is known to be influenced by the genotype and environmental factors. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of SNP-8 polymorphism and environmental factors on hygienic behavior in different Apis mellifera breeds. A total of fourteen colonies and 148 bees from seven different bee breeds were used for the Pin-killed Brood Assay (PKB) test and PCR-RFLP analysis, respectively. The PKB assay revealed a wide range of hygienic behavior, spanning from 68% to 100% across the fourteen colonies. The frequencies of the H (High) and L (Low) alleles were 0.0709 and 0.9291, and the frequencies of the HH (High-High), HL (High-Low), and LL (Low-Low) genotypes were 0.027, 0.088, and 0.855 (respectively) and the population was not in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Additionally, the effects of genotype, breed, birth year of queen, and colony power on hygienic behavior were found to be significant (p < 0.01). Italian hybrid breeds exhibited the highest levels of hygienic behavior, while Anatolian hybrid breeds demonstrated the lowest. It was also found that colonies with young queens, high colony power, and bees with HL and LL genotypes are more hygienic. A noteworthy finding of this study was the detection of heterozygous individuals (HL), marking the first such observation in this study. Consequently, HL and LL genotypes for hygienic behavior in the apiary could be suggested in the selection program. However, more research with more colonies and genes is needed to increase the effectiveness of selection for hygienic behavioral traits in A. mellifera. The widespread of hygienic colonies plays a critical role in preventing the spread of diseases, contributing significantly to the sustainability of beekeeping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honey bees play a significant role in ecology, producing biologically active substances used to promote human health. However, unlike humans, the molecular markers indicating honey bee health remain unknown. Unfortunately, numerous reports of honey bee collapse have been documented. To identify health markers, we analyzed ten defense system genes in Apis mellifera ligustica honey bees from winter (Owb) and spring (Fb for foragers and Nb for newly emerged) populations sampled in February and late April 2023, respectively. We focused on colonies free from SBV and DWV viruses. Molecular profiling revealed five molecular markers of honey bee health. Of these, two seasonal molecular markers—domeless and spz genes—were significantly downregulated in Owb compared to Nb and Fb honey bees. One task-related marker gene, apid-1, was identified as being downregulated in Owb and Nb compared to Fb honey bees. Two recommended general health markers, SOD and defensin-2, were upregulated in honey bees. These markers require further testing across various honey bee subspecies in different climatic regions. They can diagnose bee health without colony intervention, especially during low-temperature months like winter. Beekeepers can use this information to make timely adjustments to nutrients or heating to prevent seasonal losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honey, which is medicinally very important, is the major product of honeybees. The role of the honeybee queen is crucial in maintaining the health and stability of the colony as it is responsible for reproducing and maintaining the population of the hive. Productive and healthy honeybee queens ensure the success of the colony. Various factors, such as parasites, diseases, lack of food and habitat, climate change, genetic defects, and exposure to pesticides, can lead to the failure of the queen bee. Therefore, applications of artificial queen‐rearing techniques in beekeeping positively affect the growth of honeybee queens with desirable characteristics. This current research was conducted at the KUST Model Bee Form of Kohat University of Science and Technology, on Apis mellifera honeybee colonies during spring 2021. In this study, the Doolittle grafting method was used for the rearing of the A. mellifera queen bee. A total of 230 larvae of different ages (12–24, 24–48, and 48–72 h old larvae were used for grafting. Of these 230 grafted larvae, the number of queen cup cells accepted was 139 and the number of emerged queen cup cells was 82. The queen cell acceptance rate was significant (P = 0.000; P < 0.05). The effect of larval age, and the addition of royal jelly in queen cup cells prior to grafting, on the acceptance rate of queen cup cells was also studied. Young larvae, that is, from 12–24 up to 48 h of age, showed high acceptance rates. The acceptance rates of 12–24, 24–48 and 48–72 h old larvae were 76.7%, 55.7% and 20.0%, respectively. This shows that a queen produced from a 1 day old larva has the highest acceptance rate. The addition of royal jelly into queen cup cells before grafting showed the highest larval acceptance rate in March and April. In this study the acceptance rate for queen cup cells with wet and dry grafting were 89.5% and 46.1%, respectively. However further studies are recommended to determine the effect of all factors on the morphology of the queen. [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]

Finding too many parameters, different preference elements and criteria, which affect the determination of the areas and characteristics of beekeeping, creates a series of problems that are very difficult to decide, analyze and solve. The use of Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods is gaining importance in order to solve this series of problems. In this study, it is aimed to determine the beekeeping areas and production potentials within the administrative borders of Kars province by using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method, one of the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) based Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods. In the data analysis phase of the study, AHP pairwise comparisons were made in order to determine the weight values of the research criteria. By using the weight values obtained, Weighted Overlay analysis was performed on the GIS software and the areas with beekeeping potential in the research area were mapped and determined. It has been determined that the most suitable lands for beekeeping production in the province are located in the high altitudes Sarıkamış, Selim, Susuz and Merkez districts, while the most unsuitable lands are in the Kağızman and Digor districts in the Aras Valley, which have low altitudes relative to their surroundings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Beekeeping is an alternative income for families in rural areas of the world, significantly improving their daily lives. The application of good practices for the development of this activity contributes positively to the conservation of the environment, due to the very dynamics of pollination, guaranteeing greater production, if the natural cycle of this process through bees is protected. Local governments must manage laws and policies that promote beekeeping to contribute to social well-being. This study focused on the Yucatan Peninsula as the subject of the study, but the analysis methodologies and results can be replicable for all beekeepers in the country. Problem. The low income that beekeepers receive in rural areas of the Yucatan Peninsula is the main economic source for their homes. There is an absence of innovative technology and cutting edge knowledge, poor beekeeping practices, and unfair prices. Purpose. The objective of this research work was to prospect scenarios to identify socioeconomic problems in the beekeeping sector in the Yucatan Peninsula - Mexico and to make visible the present realities, negative factors, vision and their alternative ecosystems to establish a baseline of possible solutions. Methodology. Income and population distribution indicators were constructed in the beekeeping sector based on information issued by government entities with open access, to measure poverty. Likewise, a prospecting study was built with the support of producers and key actors based on an analysis of a cross-impact matrix Applied Multiplication for Classification (MICMAC). Theoretical and Practical Findings. It was identified that the factors that have affected production (flowerings) and negative externalities in the sector are the effects of climate change, the abuse of agrochemicals, the abandonment of units, the lack of involvement of young people, the lack of government support to increase productivity and facilitate mobility and marketing with fairer prices, among others, coinciding with what is stated in specialized and open access literature where different problems involving agricultural issues are addressed. Regarding practical findings, the key variables identified were the type of production, income, health, technology and innovation, and environmental impact. For their part, the determining variables were alliances and cooperation, as well as public policies. Originality from a transdisciplinary and sustainable innovation point of view. This study was developed with the active participation of beekeepers from the Yucatan Peninsula, it was processed through a prospective methodology to graph the best future scenario by prioritizing their vision, addressing their problems, strengthening their knowledge and experiences, identifying the primary actors., key processes for the development of strategies that contribute to strengthening this activity, materialized in fairer income to have a dignified life. Conclusions and limitations. In this regard, it is concluded that the baseline of possible solutions must be focused on the key variables identified, from a multifactorial and multidisciplinary perspective. These studies are limited if we do not work hand in hand with the public sector when promoting public beekeeping policies, credits, and the intervention of academia and science institutes is required, and above all, the involvement of consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research was to evaluate the compliance of pesticide residues in bee products (pollen, honey) collected from lavender and sage plantations. The researches were carried out on bee families being harvested in the lavender (Ungheni district) and sage (Glodeni district) plantations, from which samples of bee products were taken (lump pollen and portions of honeycombs with honey) from 5 families of bees from each collection. The pollen and honey samples taken were tested in an accredited Laboratory for the content of pesticide residues more common in our country. The results of the research demonstrated that, in the pollen and honey samples, taken from the bee families located at the lavender picking, no detectable concentrations of residues of any of the 63 pesticides were detected (Acetamipirid, Chlothianidin, Imidacloprid, Thiacloprid, Tiametoxam, Bifentrin, Ciflutrin, Cipermetrin, Deltametrin, Fenvalerat, Lambda-Ghalotrin, Tau-fluvalinat, Clorpirifos, Endosulfan, HCH izomeri, Diazinon, Diclorvos, Dimetoat, Ethion, Fenitrotion, Fosalon, Malation, Permetrin, Pirimitos-metil, Protenotos, Fenixicarb, Fipronil, Indoxacarb, Pirinicarb, Azoxistrobin, Bitertanol, Bromuconazol, Ciproconazol, Difenoconazol, Diniconazol, Epoxiconazol, Flutriafol, Penconazol, Picoxistrobin, Propiconazol, Tebuconazol, Tiadimeton, Boscalid, Kresoxim-metil, Benzanton, Captan NIM, Ciprodinil, Clorotalonil, Dimetomorf, Folpet NM, Iprodion, Procimidon, Spiroxamină, Vindozolin, Pirimetanil, Haloxifop, Glifosat, Pendimetalin, Prometrin, Trifluralin, Lufenuron, Piridaben, Propargit). In the pollen and honey samples, taken from the bee families located at the sage harvest, no detectable concentrations of residues of any of the 63 tested pesticides were detected. Therefore, it was concluded that the bee products (pollen and honey), obtained from the bee families located at the lavender and sage harvests in the researched fields, are ecologically clean (bio) in terms of the content of pesticide residues, and the sites respectively of lavender and sage are suitable for the practice of organic beekeeping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Honey bees are very important for nature and food production. However, beekeepers' work is continuously challenged by pests, pathogens, pesticides, and other impacts of the environment on their honey bee colonies, and, therefore, they would greatly benefit from up-to-date insights on the health condition of their bees. To disturb those bee colonies as little as possible, it is preferable that this information be collected in an automated way. In this article, we present the B-GOOD project as a case study to monitor the health of honey bee colonies in an automated, standardized way. The use of a similar approach by researchers in their future studies would allow the combination of different datasets on bee health. More data combinations would facilitate the use of machine learning to better and more accurately determine the thresholds for beekeeper interventions, the underlying mechanisms of honey bee colony health, and the prediction of health and colony losses, among other indicators. Honey bee colonies have great societal and economic importance. The main challenge that beekeepers face is keeping bee colonies healthy under ever-changing environmental conditions. In the past two decades, beekeepers that manage colonies of Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) have become increasingly concerned by the presence of parasites and pathogens affecting the bees, the reduction in pollen and nectar availability, and the colonies' exposure to pesticides, among others. Hence, beekeepers need to know the health condition of their colonies and how to keep them alive and thriving, which creates a need for a new holistic data collection method to harmonize the flow of information from various sources that can be linked at the colony level for different health determinants, such as bee colony, environmental, socioeconomic, and genetic statuses. For this purpose, we have developed and implemented the B-GOOD (Giving Beekeeping Guidance by computational-assisted Decision Making) project as a case study to categorize the colony's health condition and find a Health Status Index (HSI). Using a 3-tier setup guided by work plans and standardized protocols, we have collected data from inside the colonies (amount of brood, disease load, honey harvest, etc.) and from their environment (floral resource availability). Most of the project's data was automatically collected by the BEEP Base Sensor System. This continuous stream of data served as the basis to determine and validate an algorithm to calculate the HSI using machine learning. In this article, we share our insights on this holistic methodology and also highlight the importance of using a standardized data language to increase the compatibility between different current and future studies. We argue that the combined management of big data will be an essential building block in the development of targeted guidance for beekeepers and for the future of sustainable beekeeping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Nosema ceranae (N. ceranae), a highly aggressive pathogen that affects honeybees, can rapidly spread infection under suboptimal conditions for honeybee breeding, consequently reducing honey production. Preventing and treating Nosema infection remains challenging since symptoms are often manifested in bees only after several million Nosema spores are present in the bee midgut. In this study, specialized methods, namely a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and an immunochromatography assay (ICG), were developed for diagnosing N. ceranae infections, and their effectiveness in diagnosing Nosema infections was evaluated. The sandwich ELISA method effectively detected Nosema infection; comparatively, the ICG approach was less efficient. This comparison between the two diagnostic methods provides insights into their respective strengths and limitations, facilitating future investigations and potential improvements in the development of more effective diagnostic approaches for detecting and managing N. ceranae infections in honeybees. Nosema ceranae (N. ceranae) infection is prevalent globally, causing a decline in bee populations and significant economic losses to apiarists. Although several methods have been proposed for diagnosing Nosema infections, limitations in these methods have hindered their broad applications. Therefore, this current study aimed to develop a specialized method for diagnosing Nosema infections. To achieve this, a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunochromatography assay (ICG) were developed, and their effectiveness in screening and diagnosing Nosema infection was assessed. In sandwich ELISA, the combination of the monoclonal antibodies (mAb) 19B2 and biotinylated-19B2 exhibited stronger binding affinity to the antigen than did other combinations of mAbs that were tested. Furthermore, the antigen detection limit achieved with the sandwich ELISA surpassed that previously reported with Western blotting. The ICG was designed using the same antibody combination as that used in sandwich ELISA; however, the assay exhibited a lower diagnostic ability for Nosema infection than the ELISA. The diagnostic models developed in this study offer practical applications for conducting rapid nosemosis detection tests. These innovative techniques will help to improve the timely identification and management of nosemosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Fumagillin is an antibiotic used to control nosema disease in honeybees, but some authors have suggested that it is no longer effective. This review summarizes the findings of 50 controlled field trials to determine whether fumagillin inhibits both common species of Nosema, whether the effectiveness of fumagillin has changed over time, and whether the use of fumagillin brings benefit or harm to the honeybee colony. Fumagillin inhibits both Nosema species, and the results of field trials provide no evidence that resistance has developed. Fumagillin-treated colonies had fewer infected bees and lower nosema spore counts than untreated colonies. Furthermore, we found no reports that fumagillin caused significant negative effects on honeybee colonies, among the field trials meeting our criteria for review. There were also many reports of improvements in colony survival, size, and productivity with treatment. However, there was inadequate evidence to determine the best conditions, timing, dose, and method of application. This report demonstrates that fumagillin remains a valuable tool to promote honeybee colony health. This article systematically reviews controlled field trials of fumagillin dicyclohexylamine in honeybee colonies to determine whether fumagillin effectively controls nosema and whether it is beneficial to colonies. Fifty publications were found that described controlled field trials of fumagillin in honeybee colonies between 1952 and 2023. Fumagillin consistently reduced the prevalence and severity of nosema infections. Doses applied in recent studies were similar to or below those recommended historically. Furthermore, our study showed no negative effects on colony health. Improvements in colony survival, size, and honey production have been demonstrated frequently, though not consistently, in both historic and recent studies. Nevertheless, some practices are not optimal. Treatment decision thresholds based on the number of spores per bee are not well supported by evidence and may be no better than calendar-based prophylactic treatments. In addition, reasonable recommendations to employ quarantine and disinfection procedures together with fumagillin treatment do not appear to have been widely adopted. When used as stand-alone treatments, both the fall- and spring-label doses provide benefits but may be too low and short-term to ensure full control of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Baited traps are commonly used to reduce the invasive population of the Asian hornet Vespa velutina. However, the method is controversial because the evidence suggests that spring trapping is not effective in reducing the population and because of the high number of bycatches. However, new models have appeared in the market claiming selectiveness. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness and selectiveness of four types of traps in a coastal region of northeastern Spain. The Eva (E) trap had a higher effectiveness and a higher selectiveness. The prototype (R trap) had the lowest effectiveness and selectiveness. The VespaCatch (V) and Econex (X) traps had higher capture rates, but also the lowest selectiveness, with captures of vulnerable native species. The results indicate that, with the tested traps, bait trapping continues to be environmentally unsustainable and not recommended as a control method in regions with an established invasive population. The invasive hornet Vespa velutina affects apiculture, biodiversity, and human health. The use of baited traps with the aim of reducing the population and mitigating its impacts is a common practice. However, the lack of impact on the number of colonies and the high capture rate of non-target insects make it controversial. Our objective was to compare the effectiveness and selectiveness of four trap models. We measured effectiveness as the capture rate of V. velutina per day per trap, and selectiveness as the capture rate of V. velutina/capture rate of non-target species. The E trap had better performance with a higher selectiveness and effectiveness. Traps V and X had a higher effectiveness but the lowest selectiveness, with high capture rates of native insects, including threatened species. The R trap had the lowest effectiveness and selectiveness. Results show that small changes in the design can contribute to achieving more sustainable tools. Otherwise, with the current tools, bait trapping continues to be non-sustainable from an environmental perspective due to the impacts on native biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This review aims to raise attention to precision technologies applied to the world of beekeeping, the implementation of the precision technological approach by a normal beekeeper, the reliability of the data analysis, the state of the art, and the pros and cons found to date in the apiary sector. The present review aims to summarize the more recent scientific literature and updated state of the art on the research effort spent in adapting hardware–software tools to understand the true needs of honeybee colonies as a prerequisite for any sustainable management practice. A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis was also performed with the aim of identifying the key factors that could support or impair the diffusion of precision beekeeping (PB) systems. Honeybee husbandry, or beekeeping, is starting to approach precision livestock farming (PLF), as has already happened in other animal husbandry sectors. A transition from the current paradigm of rational beekeeping to that of precision beekeeping (PB) is thus expected. However, due to the peculiarities of this species and the related farming practices, the PB technological systems (PB systems) are still undergoing a development process that, to some extent, limits their large-scale practical application. Several physical–chemical (weight, temperature, humidity, sound, gases) and behavioral traits (flight activity, swarming) of the hive are reviewed in light of the evolution of sensors, communication systems, and data management approaches. These advanced sensors are equipped with a microprocessor that records data and sends it to a remote server for processing. In this way, through a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) system, the beekeeper, using specific applications on a personal computer, tablet, or smartphone, can have all the above-mentioned parameters under remote control. In general, weight, temperature, and humidity are the main hive traits monitored by commercial sensors. Surprisingly, flight activity sensors are rarely available as an option in modular PB systems marketed via the web. The SWOT analysis highlights that PB systems have promising strength points and represent great opportunities for the development of beekeeping; however, they have some weaknesses, represented especially by the high purchasing costs and the low preparedness of the addressed operators, and imply some possible threats for beekeeping in terms of unrealistic perception of the apiary status if they applied to some hives only and a possible adverse impact on the honeybees' colony itself. Even if more research is expected to take place in the next few years, indubitably, the success of commercial PB systems will be measured in terms of return on investment, conditioned especially by the benefits (higher yields, better colonies' health) that the beekeeper will appraise as a consequence of their use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apis cerana cerana exhibits a prominent biological trait known as comb gnawing. In this study, gnawed combs from colonies during different seasons were collected, investigating the comb age and locations of gnawing. Patterns of comb gnawing were recorded, and the effects of 2 factors, namely, comb type and season, on the mass of wax residues and the gnawed surface area were measured. The results revealed that A. c. cerana predominantly gnaws combs that have been used for over 6 months, with gnawing concentrated in the brood-rearing area. In the first 3 seasons, significantly higher masses of wax residues and larger gnawed surface areas were found in greater wax moth larvae (GWML)-infested combs compared to newly built and old combs. Also, there were significantly higher masses and areas gnawed by A. c. cerana in old combs compared to newly built combs in all 4 seasons. Compared to other seasons, it exhibited significantly higher masses and areas resulting from comb-gnawing in newly built or old combs in winter. However, there were no significant differences in the masses of wax residues and surface areas gnawed in GWML-infested combs across the first 3 seasons. In conclusion, this study documented the impact of comb type and season on the comb-gnawing behavior of A. c. cerana , contributing to beekeeping management practices and the current understanding of bee biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Gastro‐esophageal reflux disease has systematically increase in Western countries over recent years. Health benefits of Manuka honey allows to use it for medical purposes, for example reduction of inflammation of gastrointestinal mucosa. Thus, the aim of research was the application of Manuka honey in treatment patients with Gastro‐esophageal reflux disease (GERD). The study was conducted on a group of 30 patients, which consumed Manuka honey or placebo for a period of 4 weeks. The gastroscopy and histology has been made twice, that is before and after experiment. Furthermore, the symptoms reports and nutritional interviews have been collected. The endoscopical examination showed that in Manuka group the improvement was 73.3%. In the sub‐groups of esophagitis‐A and esophagitis‐B the improvement rate was 81.8%, and 50%, respectively. However, in the placebo group, the general improvement rate was much lower. The results have been confirmed in the histopathological examination. Moreover, it is worth noticing, that in sub‐group declaring non‐medication, the improvement was only for patients consuming Manuka honey. Changes of symptoms in subjective assessment of patients were evaluated after 2 and 4 weeks. The improvement rate in Manuka group was 86.7% and 100%, while in Placebo group it was only 26.7% and 40%, respectively. Manuka honey seems to be effective in GERD, which have been confirmed by subjective feelings of patients and by endoscopic and histopathologic examination. Our research is a pilot study before administration of Manuka honey to larger population. The results are promising and may facilitate the quality of life of patients with GERD. To the best of authors knowledge, there is no other study concerning the use of Manuka honey in gastro‐esophageal reflux disease. Manuka honey seems to be effective in Gastro‐esophageal reflux disease (GERD), which have been confirmed by subjective feelings of patients and by endoscopic and histopathologic examination. Obtained results are very encouraging and may improve treatment of GERD and facilitate the quality of life of patients, for example relieving heartburn and regurgitation. Manuka honey combined with proper diet and drugs could be a triple therapy regimen for GERD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil is a major producer of honey and is internationally recognized for the quality of this product. To assess the quality of the product, physicochemical analyses were carried out. In this sense, samples of honey from the eleven agroecological zones of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, were analyzed for moisture content, pH, reducing sugars, apparent sucrose, water activity, diastase enzyme, color, and Lund reaction. Sixty-five samples of honey collected in the 2018-2019 harvest and 50 in the 2019-2020 harvest were analyzed. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance and the Scott & Knott test (p<0.05) with the aid of scripts written in the R language. Principal component analysis (PCA) was also applied to the physicochemical dataset to verify possible sample groupings between the agroecological zones of the State and interactions between the variables. Moisture and apparent sucrose contents of the honey showed the greatest discrepancies in their values regarding what is permitted by the Brazilian legislation. Three agroecological zones were correlated in terms of the data found. PCA showed that moisture, pH, and water activity were relevant physicochemical parameters for grouping and discriminating samples. From the results herein shown, it is perceived the need for continuous monitoring of honey produced in Santa Catarina State, as well as the qualification of beekeepers for harvesting, processing, and storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study is to examine the consumption preferences, trends, and purchasing behaviors of consumers residing in Izmir Province towards bee products before and after COVID-19. The main material of the study consists of online surveys conducted in March-April 2023 with consumers living in the seven districts of Izmir province with the highest population. The survey form comprises of three sections: consumption and purchasing behaviors of bee products, attitudes towards bee products, and questions on demographic characteristics of consumers. Since the first days when coronavirus cases began to emerge in our country, natural products that support the immune system such as bee products have been met with intense interest. The sustainability of bees and bee products in agriculture is always among the important issues. However, during the pandemic period, people's attention has been more focused on this issue. The value of honey and bee products, the miraculous food of nature, has been better understood, and this has been reflected in sales. If natural and economic conditions are favourable, this rise in the sector will continue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the role and importance of agriculture-based investments in sustainable development were investigated. For this purpose, a situation analysis of these matters was conducted for Yozgat province, which is from the 1st Degree Priority Regions in development. In the study, interviews were conducted with managers or expert personnel of institutions and organizations related to the subject. Data obtained via the interview were the primary data of the study. Papers and books published related to the subject, and data obtained from the database of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) and the Turkish Statistical Institute (TSI) were also the secondary data of this study. According to the research findings, it is seen that significant investments based on agriculture have been made in the province. Among these investments, there are sugar factory (2 units), Kabalı Integrated Orchard (Turkey's largest integrated orchard), geothermal greenhouses, flour production (12 units), milk and milk products (12 units), meat and meat products (11 units). and fruit and vegetable processing-packaging facilities (4 units). With investment depended on agriculture, there have been positive developments in per capita gross domestic product, employment, labor force participation rate and unemployment rate in the province. While in 2004, gross domestic product per capita was USD 3,272, employment rate was 31.6%, the participation rate to labor force was 36.2% and unemployment rate was 12.8%, in 2021 these were, respectively, USD 4,869, 48.5%, 55.1% and 12%. In Kabalı Integrated Orchard, which is one of the largest orchards in Turkey, in addition to orcharding, there have been animal breeding activities such as goose, sheep and beekeeping. The cherry orchard located in the integrated facility is the third-largest cherry orchard in Europe. This study is important in terms of the sustainability of investments depending on agriculture and the formation of strong expectations for rural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiments were conducted at Agricultural Engineering Department Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture Al-Azhar University, Assiut Governorate during 29th of July to 15th of November 2022, in order to develop and manufacture a small unit for producing high quality black honey depends on heating and vacuum system. Also, to determine the optimum treatment forsafe method taken into consideration the environmental impact and evaluate changes in black honeyquality during cooking. This unit consisting of pan vessel, heater, compressor, condenser, rectifier, vessel receiver oil and smart control system. The experimental treatments for black honey cooking unit were tested on three heating temperatures different at 200, 350 and 500 ℃ and four vacuum levels at 150, 300, 450 and 600 mbar and atmospheric pressure. The results shows a decreasing of cooking time at vacuum pressure less than from atmospheric pressure. At vacuum pressure samples, cooking time ranged from 30 to 172 minutes. The highest cooking time was (177, 77and 40 minutes) recorded with atmospheric pressure at different heating temperatures (200, 350 and 500℃), respectively. The lowest cooking time was (155, 64and 30 minutes) recorded with vacuum pressure (-600 mbar) with different heating temperature (200, 350 and 500℃), respectively. The data shows an increasing of evaporation rate of water from sugar cane juice at vacuum pressure more than from atmospheric pressure. At vacuum pressure samples, evaporation rate ranged from 4.53to 26 gH2O/min. The lowest evaporation rate was (4.41, 10.13 and 19.50 gH2O/min) recorded with atmospheric pressure at different heating temperatures (200, 350 and 500℃), respectively. The highest evaporation rate was (5.03, 12.19 and 26 gH2O/min) recorded with vacuum pressure (-600 mbar) with different heating temperature (200, 350 and 500℃), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beekeeping is an activity with positive effects for biodiversity and food security; furthermore, it is compatible with the conservation objectives of protected areas. Likewise, previous studies show that the participation of women in beekeeping projects gives them access to paid work and triggers the possibility of their empowerment. The aim of the article is to explore the process of women's empowerment as one of the social results that derives from the meliponic farmers and beekeepers' projects implemented in the protected area of the Usumacinta Canyon, Mexico. For this research project, visits were made to the places of honey production in the Usumacinta Canyon, notes were collected from participant observation and unstructured interviews were taken at the site. The findings indicate that the participation of women in these projects has given them access to material resources, such as earning income from their work, and they exhibited other dimensions of the empowerment process, in particular agency--the ability to define and achieve their goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with beekeeping in Bohemia, and marginally also in Moravia, in the period between the 16th and 18th century, more precisely until 1789, when the first purely Czech beekeeping manual entitled Aučinlivé spravování včel pro obecného krajana v Království českém by Josef Antonín Janiš was published. Until now, we have believed that Janiš was the first to introduce extension beekeeping in Bohemia, in log hives. The author shows, however, that in the period preceding his writings, far from being a primitive method of keeping beehives in log hives, the industry had many forms and local differences depending on various subjective and objective conditions, among which the knowledge, experience and capabilities of the beekeeper, the types of hives used, the conditions of theirs habitat can be counted. The aim of the work is to introduce the sources to a hitherto unprocessed period of the beekeeping industry with practices often bizarre, reflecting the extinct zootechnics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern beekeeping uses various technological solutions to control and manage apiaries, but many need help with problems related to energy consumption and the inability to adapt to changing conditions. This article presents the development of the conceptual model of hardware-software complex architecture, focusing on the modularity and flexibility of the system. The main idea is to use a universal programmable logic controller with a modular architecture, which allows users to quickly adapt the system to new tasks by adding or replacing sensors and control mechanisms. The proposed approach considers minimizing energy consumption using energy-efficient LoRa technology for data transmission. Such a system's main advantages and potential risks are considered, and formulas for calculating energy consumption during data transmission are presented. The article can serve as a guide for specialists in the field of beekeeping and developers of automation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses urban beekeeping as one of the manifestations of environmentalism and a vibrant cultural movement which, like elsewhere in Western Europe and America, has developed in British urban communities in the last two decades. The marked rise of individual and institutional interest in bee stewardship in large urban centres is attributed to the alarming media reports about the rapid decline of honeybees caused by Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), climate change, and pesticide use. The threat has spawned a large-scale information campaign about the importance of these and other pollinators to the ecosystem and resulted in individual and systemic endeavours to protect the bee and increase the number of existing colonies by installing beehives not only in rural areas but also in towns and cities as part of a broader trend to protect biodiversity in the urban environment. It is argued that because of its environmental, historical, and cultural connotations, contemporary beekeeping has the potential to be a significant cultural movement and an essential instrument in forging identity and community. It channels the individual's inherent need to belong to, feel, and be part of a group, and responds to the growing ecological awareness of British urban residents. In large, multicultural, atomistic urban populations, involvement in the apicultural movement helps develop a sense of community of like-minded individuals who share a common value system and environmental consciousness as identity markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]