Foraging profits and thoracic temperature of honey bees (Apis mellifera)

1990 ◽  
Vol 160 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith D. Waddington
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Thoracic Temperature

scholarly journals Temperature Regulation of Honey Bees (Apis Mellifera) Foraging in the Sonoran Desert

1985 ◽  
Vol 114 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul D. Cooper ◽  
William M. Schaffer ◽  
Stephen L. Buchmann
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Temperature Regulation ◽  
Heat Balance ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Sonoran Desert ◽  
Heat Budget ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Pollen Foraging ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Thoracic Temperature

A heat budget for foraging honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) indicated that at 30–35°C all bees are in positive heat balance during flight. Observations of honey bees returning to their hives at high ambient temperatures support the conjecture that honey bees regulate head and thorax temperatures at high Ta by regurgitating droplets of honey stomach contents which are then evaporated. The proportion of returning bees with a droplet on the tongue increased with increasing shade temperature (Ts), from essentially no bees at 20°C to 40% of returning bees at 40°C. Pollen foragers carry relatively little fluid during the hottest periods, and pollen foraging decreased at high ambient temperatures. Thoracic temperatures of pollen collectors are significantly higher than thoracic temperatures of water and nectar gatherers at 40°C (46.13 vs 44°C). Additionally, water and nectar foragers with extruded droplets have slightly cooler heads and thoraces (38.94 and 43.22°C) than bees not extruding droplets (40.28 and 44.18°C). Wingloading and thoracic temperatures of bees are inversely correlated at high ambient temperatures (35°C) and this is probably caused by a higher propensity of heavier bees to extrude fluid, thus reducing thoracic temperature.

scholarly journals Efficacy of an Eco-Friendly Bloom Thinning Formulation on Mango Trees and Its Olfactory Effect on an Insect Pollinator, Apis mellifera

Horticulturae ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 62
Author(s):  
Tae-Kwon Son ◽  
Md Munir Mostafiz ◽  
Hwal-Su Hwang ◽  
Nguyen Truong Thạnh ◽  
Kyeong-Yeoll Lee
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Fruit Size ◽  
Fruit Trees ◽  
Fruit Weight ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Environmental Concerns ◽  
Olfactory Behavior ◽  
Insect Pollinator

In various orchard fruit trees, thinning of blossoms and fruits is important to increase fruit size and quality and to promote a new bloom in the following season. Several chemical thinning agents are currently commercially available, but they are inconsistent and produce side effects in crop plants and insect pollinators. Because of environmental concerns, developing alternative eco-friendly bloom thinning agents is necessary. We developed an eco-friendly bloom thinning formulation (BTF) using minerals and extracts of various medicinal plants. Our BTF spray (0.1%, <i>w/v</i>) decreased the number of fruits per tree (46.5%) and fruit yield per tree (81.5%) but increased the fruit weight (196.8%) compared with the control treatment; the spray induced a small number of larger mango fruits in the treated trees. We also investigated the effect of BTF on the olfactory behavior of <i>Apis mellifera</i> L. (Hymenoptera, Apidae), a major insect pollinator. We analyzed the behavioral changes of adult workers at two different concentrations (0.1% and 1%) of nine different BTF spray components using a Y-tube olfactometer. The behavioral responses of honey bees to nine BTF components showed significant differences. However, honey bees showed no clear attraction or repellent behavior towards the tested BTF components. Our results suggest that the newly developed eco-friendly BTF is practically applicable in mango orchards without interrupting honey bee behavior.

scholarly journals Review on Sublethal Effects of Environmental Contaminants in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Knowledge Gaps and Future Perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agata Di Noi ◽  
Silvia Casini ◽  
Tommaso Campani ◽  
Giampiero Cai ◽  
Ilaria Caliani
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Sublethal Effects ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Anthropogenic Contamination ◽  
Knowledge Gaps ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
General Decline ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
The Impact

Honey bees and the pollination services they provide are fundamental for agriculture and biodiversity. Agrochemical products and other classes of contaminants, such as trace elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, contribute to the general decline of bees’ populations. For this reason, effects, and particularly sublethal effects of contaminants need to be investigated. We conducted a review of the existing literature regarding the type of effects evaluated in Apis mellifera, collecting information about regions, methodological approaches, the type of contaminants, and honey bees’ life stages. Europe and North America are the regions in which A. mellifera biological responses were mostly studied and the most investigated compounds are insecticides. A. mellifera was studied more in the laboratory than in field conditions. Through the observation of the different responses examined, we found that there were several knowledge gaps that should be addressed, particularly within enzymatic and molecular responses, such as those regarding the immune system and genotoxicity. The importance of developing an integrated approach that combines responses at different levels, from molecular to organism and population, needs to be highlighted in order to evaluate the impact of anthropogenic contamination on this pollinator species.

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