CHEMICAL ACARICIDES IN APIS MELLIFERA (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE) COLONIES; DO THEY CAUSE NONLETHAL EFFECTS?

1999 ◽  
Vol 131 (3) ◽  
pp. 363-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn C. Westcott ◽  
Mark L. Winston
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Formic Acid ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Colony Growth ◽  
Acarapis Woodi ◽  
Honey Production ◽  
Brood Survival ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
And Control ◽  
Production Effects

AbstractColonies of the honey bee, Apis mellifera Linnaeus, infested with the parasitic mites Acarapis woodi (Rennie) (Acari: Tarsonemidae) or Varroa jacobsoni Oudemans (Acari: Varroidae) require acaricidal treatment to control infestations that could affect colony growth and honey production. We investigated the effects of three acaricides, fluvalinate (formulated as Apistan®), formic acid, and menthol, on honey bee colony population growth, foraging activity, adult worker longevity, and honey production. Effects of in-hive treatments of Apistan® and formic acid were measured by examining colony weight gain, brood survival, sealed-brood area, emerged-bee weight, number of returning foragers, pollen-load weight, and worker longevity. These characteristics were not different between fluvalinate-treated colonies, formic-acid-treated colonies, and control colonies. Adult bee population, brood survival, number of returning foragers, and honey production did not vary among menthol-treated colonies, formic-acid-treated colonies, and control colonies. Sealed-brood area was lower in formic-acid-treated colonies than control colonies, but not different from menthol-treated colonies. Although not statistically significant, formic-acid-treated colonies experienced lower honey production than both menthol-treated and control colonies. Numbers of workers attending the queen in the retinue and queen behaviour patterns were not different after colonies were treated with formic acid.

Growth of Apis mellifera (L.) colonies influenced by honey extraction frequencies

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumit Chaudhary ◽  
O.P. Chaudhary ◽  
Vadde Anoosha
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Colony Growth ◽  
High Pollen ◽  
Single Extraction ◽  
Honey Production ◽  
Significant Difference

Present re search was formulated to find out how honey extraction frequencies influence colony growth and honey production of European honey bee Apis mellifera colonies. Colonies were equalized in terms of food and brood before starting experiment and were subjected to three types of honey extraction frequencies namely single, two and regular/ farmer’s practices. Observations were recorded fortnightly throughout the honey flow season for two consecutive years (2014-16). As per present findings single extraction frequency have maximum mean honey area of 668.4 inches2 followed by twice extracted colonies (568.6) with significant difference and regular extraction (449.0) gives least honey. Honey peaks were observed during mid February (837.8-916.8 inches2) which remains significantly higher than honey areas in January and in March. As far as colony growth was concerned colonies with two extractions have high total brood areas of 436.4 inches2 and similar trend was followed in case of larvae, pupae and egg. Effect on pollen stores gave a different picture in contrast of other parameters here colonies with regular extraction were observed with significantly high pollen stores (99.3 inches2) than single extracted colonies (83.7 inches2). For high honey production single extraction was recommended and if colony multiplication was also an aim than twice extraction is best option as per findings.

scholarly journals Effect of Initial Strength of Honey Bee Colonies (Apis mellifera) Supered in Different Ways on Maximizing Honey Production in Nepal

2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khem Raj Neupane ◽  
Jerzy Woyke ◽  
Jerzy Wilde
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Initial Strength ◽  
Honey Production ◽  
Colony Management ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Worker Brood ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Bee Colonies

Abstract A study was carried out to investigate the effect of the original strengths of honey bee colonies supered in different ways, on the production of honey by Apis mellifera bees in the Terai region of Nepal. Bee colonies of three different original strengths, in which the bees covered 5, 10 and 20 combs, were supered in three different methods. The results showed that honey production was highly correlated to the number of worker brood cells in the colonies (r = 0.96, p = 0.003). Colonies of 5 comb initial strength (CIS), as farmers’ practices in Nepal, produced the lowest amount of honey (30.1 kg per annum). Bees in colonies of 10 CIS with a deep super, produced twice as much honey (62.2 kg), and colonies of 20 CIS with deep supers produced even significantly more honey (74.5 kg). However, the relationship between the financial values of the produced honey to the cost of its production was the highest - 1.52 : 1 for colonies of 10 CIS with a deep super. Therefore, this bee colony management is recommended to the beekeepers in the Terai region and lower hills of Nepal. This fi nding has global application.

Field evaluation of nine families of honey bees for resistance to tracheal mites

2001 ◽  
Vol 133 (6) ◽  
pp. 793-803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis van Engelsdorp ◽  
Gard W. Otis
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Formic Acid ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Field Evaluation ◽  
Acarapis Woodi ◽  
Tracheal Mite ◽  
Colony Performance ◽  
Tracheal Mites ◽  
Mite Infestations

AbstractWe evaluated the resistance to tracheal mites, Acarapis woodi (Rennie) (Acari: Tarsonemidae), of colonies of honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), headed by daughters of three queens from each of three honey bee stocks: (i) British Columbia "mite-resistant stock, (ii) Buckfast "mite-resistant" stock, and (iii) Canadian unselected stock. Colonies of all nine families were distributed among four apiaries; half of the colonies in each apiary were treated with formic acid to attempt to control tracheal mites. The study documented significant differences in resistance to tracheal mites among the families of bees, even within each of the three stocks. After the first 4 months of study (by November 1993), differences in mite infestations had developed among the nine families. Formic acid treatments had either short-lived effectiveness (1993) or no effect (1994) on tracheal mite infestations, thereby eliminating the opportunity to evaluate colony performance in the absence of mites. Mite infestations varied significantly among apiary sites. This study highlights the value of evaluating sets of colonies headed by sister queens when identifying mite-resistant stock for breeding purposes.

scholarly journals Sublethal concentrations of clothianidin affect honey bee colony growth and hive CO2 concentration

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
William G. Meikle ◽  
John J. Adamczyk ◽  
Milagra Weiss ◽  
Janie Ross ◽  
Chris Werle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Pesticide Exposure ◽  
Co2 Concentration ◽  
Colony Growth ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Brood Production ◽  
Weight Losses ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Bee Colonies

AbstractThe effects of agricultural pesticide exposure upon honey bee colonies is of increasing interest to beekeepers and researchers, and the impact of neonicotinoid pesticides in particular has come under intense scrutiny. To explore potential colony-level effects of a neonicotinoid pesticide at field-relevant concentrations, honey bee colonies were fed 5- and 20-ppb concentrations of clothianidin in sugar syrup while control colonies were fed unadulterated syrup. Two experiments were conducted in successive years at the same site in southern Arizona, and one in the high rainfall environment of Mississippi. Across all three experiments, adult bee masses were about 21% lower among colonies fed 20-ppb clothianidin than the untreated control group, but no effects of treatment on brood production were observed. Average daily hive weight losses per day in the 5-ppb clothianidin colonies were about 39% lower post-treatment than in the 20-ppb clothianidin colonies, indicating lower consumption and/or better foraging, but the dry weights of newly-emerged adult bees were on average 6–7% lower in the 5-ppb group compared to the other groups, suggesting a nutritional problem in the 5-ppb group. Internal hive CO2 concentration was higher on average in colonies fed 20-ppb clothianidin, which could have resulted from greater CO2 production and/or reduced ventilating activity. Hive temperature average and daily variability were not affected by clothianidin exposure but did differ significantly among trials. Clothianidin was found to be, like imidacloprid, highly stable in honey in the hive environment over several months.

scholarly journals Mitochondrial DNA Variation of Feral Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.) from Utah (USA)

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-232
Author(s):  
Dylan Cleary ◽  
Allen L. Szalanski ◽  
Clinton Trammel ◽  
Mary-Kate Williams ◽  
Amber Tripodi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Mitochondrial Dna ◽  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Dna Variation ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
The Us ◽  
Coii Gene

Abstract A study was conducted on the mitochondrial DNA genetic diversity of feral colonies and swarms of Apis mellifera from ten counties in Utah by sequencing the intergenic region of the cytochrome oxidase (COI-COII) gene region. A total of 20 haplotypes were found from 174 honey bee colony samples collected from 2008 to 2017. Samples belonged to the A (African) (48%); C (Eastern Europe) (43%); M (Western Europe) (4%); and O (Oriental) lineages (5%). Ten African A lineage haplotypes were observed with two unique to Utah among A lineage haplotypes recorded in the US. Haplotypes belonging to the A lineage were observed from six Utah counties located in the southern portion of the State, from elevations as high as 1357 m. All five C lineage haplotypes that were found have been observed from queen breeders in the US. Three haplotypes of the M lineage (n=7) and two of the O lineage (n=9) were also observed. This study provides evidence that honey bees of African descent are both common and diverse in wild populations of honey bees in southern Utah. The high levels of genetic diversity of A lineage honey bee colonies in Utah provide evidence that the lineage may have been established in Utah before the introduction of A lineage honey bees from Brazil to Texas in 1990.

scholarly journals Ovipositor sources for queen-rearing of honey bee (Apis mellifera) revealed inheritable maternal effect on reared queen

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Longtao Yu ◽  
Xinxin Shi ◽  
Xujiang He ◽  
Weiyu Yan ◽  
Xiaobo Wu
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Maternal Effects ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Reproductive Potential ◽  
Colony Growth ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Physiological Indexes ◽  
Foraging Ability ◽  
Honey Bee Colony ◽  
Weight Number

Abstract Queen is arguably the most important member of a honey bee colony, and queen quality is crucial for honey bee colony growth and development. In this study, queens were reared with eggs laid in queen cells (QE), eggs laid in worker cells (WE) and 2-day old larvae in worker cells (L). Those physiological indexes (the weight, thorax size and number of ovarioles) of newly reared queens in each group were measured. Moreover, the reproductive potential of the newly reared queens and foraging ability of worker bees laid by the newly reared queens in each group were further explored. In addition, we also examined whether maternal effects would be transmitted to the offspring queens in honey bee. We found that the weight, number of ovarioles and thorax weight of newly emerged queens in QE were significantly higher than those in WE and L, suggesting the reproductive potential was stronger in QE group than WE and L group. Furthermore, offspring worker bees and queens of QE queens had higher weight at emergence than those from the other two groups. This study proved profound honey bee maternal effects on queen quality, which can be transmitted to their offspring. Our results of the present study were important for improving queen quality and promoting the development of beekeeping and agriculture.

The prevalence of Acarapis woodi in Spanish honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies

2012 ◽  
Vol 132 (4) ◽  
pp. 530-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Encarna Garrido-Bailón ◽  
Carolina Bartolomé ◽  
Lourdes Prieto ◽  
Cristina Botías ◽  
Amparo Martínez-Salvador ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Acarapis Woodi
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