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Field trials were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of amitraz fumigation against Varroa destructor in honey bee colonies with brood. Within this project the following aspects were taken into consideration: strength of colony, the number of treatments, time intervals between treatments and way of its performance. Honey bee colonies with brood were fumigated four times with one tablet of Apiwarol® per each treatment every four, six, eight and ten days. The tablets with amitraz were burned in the electrical device Wakont or directly in hives. In case of amitraz fumigation with Wakont even four treatments reduced infestations of V. destructor to a limited extent, on average from 40 to 61% of mite populations. A similar effectiveness among the treatments has been ascertained regardless of intervals between them. The efficacy of amitraz combustion in hives was slightly higher and statistically significant only after four treatments. Moreover, beyond brood area, the population of worker bees turned out to determine treatment efficacy with amitraz in this form and modes of administration. In honey bee colonies with brood, even four amitraz fumigations do not decrease the level V. destructor infestation to the extent that it is safe for wintered bees.

The pollen analysis is currently the only reliable test to determine honey variety, but the results are sometimes burdened with error. The main reason for this is additional pollen that got into honey in a way other than with nectar collected by bees but through the centrifugation of combs containing bee bread cells.

Amitraz is a formamide exhibiting both acaricidal and insecticidal activity and is frequently used by beekeepers to protect honeybee colonies against Varroa destructor mites. The aim of this apiary trial was to evaluate the impact of honeybee colony fumigation with amitraz on the level of contamination of honey stored in combs.

Three different starch syrups available on the Polish market for winter feeding of bees were evaluated for two consecutive beekeeping seasons (2012/2013 and 2013/2014). Sugar syrup and inverted sucrose syrup were used as the control. Winter feeding was conducted at two times: earlier and later in the season. After supplementation of winter feeding was stopped, we measured colony strength (number of combs covered by bees) and brood area. After overwintering (spring 2013 and 2014), we estimated the influence of these foods on: bee mortality during overwintering (number of dead bees in winter debris), food consumption, colony strength and brood area in spring (two measurements in three-week intervals), development dynamics and honey yield from spring flow. An analysis of the results for the parameters assessed before overwintering, after its end and during spring development did not show significant differences between bee colonies fed with different types of food. No relevant difficulties concerning food crystallisation were encountered. The analysed syrups turned out to be as suitable for winter feeding of bees as sugar and inverted sucrose syrups.

The effects to honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera L.) during and after exposure to flowering maize (Zea mays L.), grown from seeds coated with clothianidin and imidacloprid was assessed in field-realistic conditions. The experimental maize crops were adjacent to the other flowering agriculture plants. Honey bee colonies were placed in three differently protected maize fields throughout the blooming period, and thereafter they were transferred to a stationary apiary. Samples of pollen loads, bee bread, and adult bees were collected and analyzed for neonicotinoid residues. To ensure high specificity and sensitivity of detection of the analyzed pesticides, a modified QuEChERS extraction method and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry were used. Clothianidin was detected only in the samples of pollen loads. Their residue levels ranged from 10.0 to 41.0 ng/g (average 27.0 ng/g). Imidacloprid was found in no investigated sample. No negative effects of neonicotinoid seed-treated maize on the development and long-term survival of honey bee colonies were observed. The low proportion of Zea mays pollen in total bee-collected pollen during the maize flowering period was noted. The findings suggest that maize plants are less attractive forage for honey bees than phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth.), buckwheat (Fagopyrum Mill.), white clover (Trifolium repens L.), goldenrod (Solidago L.), and vegetation from Brassicaceae family.

Celem badań była ocena skuteczności amitrazu (preparat Biowar 500, Biowet Puławy, 500 mg substancji czynnej/pasek) w zwalczaniu Varroa destructor w rodzinach pszczelich.

Celem badań prowadzonych w latach 2009 - 2011 było sprawdzenie różnic w wykorzystaniu nektarowego i pyłkowego pożytku rzepakowego przez rodziny pszczele z pasieki stacjonarnej (usytuowanej stale na tym terenie) i wędrownej - przywiezionej na pożytek w odpowiednim terminie i ustawionej na tym samym terenie co pasieka stacjonarna. W związku z tym w każdym roku trwania doświadczenia przygotowywano w dwóch typach pasiek (stacjonarnej i wędrownej) po 8 rodzin pszczelich. Rodziny pszczele z pasieki wędrownej przywożono na plantację w momencie zakwitnięcia ok. 10% kwiatów rzepaku. W tym czasie zakładano dennicowe poławiacze pyłku. Obnóża pyłkowe odbierano codziennie, oddzielnie z każdej rodziny pszczelej. Po zakończeniu pożytku odwirowywano miód oddzielnie z poszczególnych rodzin, ważono go i pobierano próbki potrzebne do wykonania analizy pyłkowej. W trakcie prowadzenia badań monitorowano warunki atmosferyczne.

W latach 2010 - 2011 w Oddziale Pszczelnictwa Instytutu Ogrodnictwa w Puławach przeprowadzono badania, których celem była ocena wpływu węzy zafałszowanej parafiną na odbudowę plastrów, wychów czerwiu i rozwój rodzin pszczelich. Na potrzeby doświadczenia przygotowywano we własnym zakresie węzę z wosku pszczelego w różnym stopniu zafałszowaną (10%, 30%, 50%) parafiną techniczną (LTP 56/25) firmy LOTOS S.A.

Celem badań była ocena narażenia rodzin pszczelich na toksyczne oddziaływanie pozostałości systemicznych insektycydów neonikotynoidowych zastosowanych w warunkach polowych do chemicznej ochrony upraw rzepaku.