scholarly journals Austrian COLOSS Survey of Honey Bee Colony Winter Losses 2018/19 and Analysis of Hive Management Practices

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannes Oberreiter ◽  
Robert Brodschneider
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Favourable Effect ◽  
Winter Mortality ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Honey Bee Colony ◽  
Colony Survival ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Loss Rates

We conducted a citizen science survey on overwinter honey bee colony losses in Austria. A total of 1534 beekeepers with 33,651 colonies reported valid loss rates. The total winter loss rate for Austria was 15.2% (95% confidence interval: 14.4–16.1%). Young queens showed a positive effect on colony survival and queen-related losses. Observed queen problems during the season increased the probability of losing colonies to unsolvable queen problems. A notable number of bees with crippled wings during the foraging season resulted in high losses and could serve as an alarm signal for beekeepers. Migratory beekeepers and large operations had lower loss rates than smaller ones. Additionally, we investigated the impact of several hive management practices. Most of them had no significant effect on winter mortality, but purchasing wax from outside the own operation was associated with higher loss rates. Colonies that reported foraging on maize and late catch crop fields or collecting melezitose exhibited higher loss rates. The most common Varroa destructor control methods were a combination of long-term formic acid treatment in summer and oxalic acid trickling in winter. Biotechnical methods in summer had a favourable effect on colony survival.

scholarly journals Monitoring of Honey Bee Colony Losses: A Special Issue

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 403
Author(s):  
Aleš Gregorc
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Colony Management ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Honey Bee Colony ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Bee Colonies ◽  
Honey Bee Colony Losses

In recent decades, independent national and international research programs have revealed possible reasons for the death of managed honey bee colonies worldwide. Such losses are not due to a single factor, but instead are due to highly complex interactions between various internal and external influences, including pests, pathogens, honey bee stock diversity, and environmental change. Reduced honey bee vitality and nutrition, exposure to agrochemicals, and quality of colony management contribute to reduced colony survival in beekeeping operations. Our Special Issue (SI) on ‘’Monitoring of Honey Bee Colony Losses’’ aims to address specific challenges facing honey bee researchers and beekeepers. This SI includes four reviews, with one being a meta-analysis that identifies gaps in the current and future directions for research into honey bee colonies mortalities. Other review articles include studies regarding the impact of numerous factors on honey bee mortality, including external abiotic factors (e.g., winter conditions and colony management) as well as biotic factors such as attacks by Vespa velutina and Varroa destructor.

scholarly journals Risk factors associated with honey bee colony loss in apiaries in Galicia, NW Spain

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. e0501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aranzazu Meana ◽  
Miguel Llorens-Picher ◽  
Amaia Euba ◽  
José L. Bernal ◽  
José Bernal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Varroa Mite ◽  
Nw Spain ◽  
Acarapis Woodi ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Colony Loss ◽  
Honey Bee Colony ◽  
The Impact

A cross-sectional study was carried out in Galicia, NW Spain, in order to estimate the magnitude of honey bee colony losses and to identify potential risk factors involved. A total of 99 samples from 99 apiaries were collected in spring using simple random sampling. According to international guidelines, the apiaries were classified as affected by colony loss or asymptomatic. Each sample consisted of worker bees, brood and comb-stored pollen. All worker bees and brood samples were analysed individually in order to detect the main honey bee pathogens. Moreover, the presence of residues of the most prevalent agrotoxic insecticides and acaricides was assessed in comb-stored pollen. The general characteristics of the apiaries and sanitary information regarding previous years was evaluated through questionnaires, while the vegetation surrounding the apiaries sampled was assessed by palynological analysis of comb-stored pollen. The colony loss prevalence was 53.5% (CI95%=43.2-63.9) and Nosema ceranae was found to be the only risk factor strongly associated with colony loss. The decision tree also pointed out the impact of the Varroa mite presence while variables such as apiary size, the incorrect application of Varroa mite treatments, and the presence of Acarapis woodi and Kashmir bee virus (KBV) were identified as possible co-factors.

Ukraine is Moving Forward from “Undiscovered Honey Land” to Active Participation in International Monitoring of Honey Bee Colony Losses

Bee World ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariia M. Fedoriak ◽  
Per K. Angelstam ◽  
Oleksandr M. Kulmanov ◽  
Lesia I. Tymochko ◽  
Svitlana S. Rudenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Active Participation ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
International Monitoring ◽  
Honey Bee Colony ◽  
Honey Bee Colony Losses

scholarly journals A survey of managed honey bee colony losses in the Republic of South Africa–2009 to 2011

2014 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian W W Pirk ◽  
Hannelie Human ◽  
Robin M Crewe ◽  
Dennis vanEngelsdorp
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Honey Bee Colony ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Honey Bee Colony Losses

Correlations between land covers and honey bee colony losses in a country with industrialized and rural regions

2015 ◽  
Vol 532 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoine Clermont ◽  
Michael Eickermann ◽  
François Kraus ◽  
Lucien Hoffmann ◽  
Marco Beyer
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Rural Regions ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Honey Bee Colony ◽  
Land Covers ◽  
Honey Bee Colony Losses

scholarly journals A mutualistic symbiosis between a parasitic mite and a pathogenic virus undermines honey bee immunity and health

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (12) ◽  
pp. 3203-3208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gennaro Di Prisco ◽  
Desiderato Annoscia ◽  
Marina Margiotta ◽  
Rosalba Ferrara ◽  
Paola Varricchio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Viral Pathogen ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Mutualistic Symbiosis ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Parasitic Mite ◽  
Honey Bee Colony ◽  
Honey Bee Colony Losses

Honey bee colony losses are triggered by interacting stress factors consistently associated with high loads of parasites and/or pathogens. A wealth of biotic and abiotic stressors are involved in the induction of this complex multifactorial syndrome, with the parasitic mite Varroa destructor and the associated deformed wing virus (DWV) apparently playing key roles. The mechanistic basis underpinning this association and the evolutionary implications remain largely obscure. Here we narrow this research gap by demonstrating that DWV, vectored by the Varroa mite, adversely affects humoral and cellular immune responses by interfering with NF-κB signaling. This immunosuppressive effect of the viral pathogen enhances reproduction of the parasitic mite. Our experimental data uncover an unrecognized mutualistic symbiosis between Varroa and DWV, which perpetuates a loop of reciprocal stimulation with escalating negative effects on honey bee immunity and health. These results largely account for the remarkable importance of this mite–virus interaction in the induction of honey bee colony losses. The discovery of this mutualistic association and the elucidation of the underlying regulatory mechanisms sets the stage for a more insightful analysis of how synergistic stress factors contribute to colony collapse, and for the development of new strategies to alleviate this problem.

Honey bee colony losses in Canada

2010 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert W Currie ◽  
Stephen F Pernal ◽  
Ernesto Guzmán-Novoa
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Honey Bee Colony ◽  
Honey Bee Colony Losses

scholarly journals A survey of honey bee colony losses in the United States, fall 2008 to spring 2009

2010 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis vanEngelsdorp ◽  
Jerry Hayes ◽  
Robyn M Underwood ◽  
Jeffery S Pettis
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
The United States ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Honey Bee Colony ◽  
Honey Bee Colony Losses

scholarly journals A biophysical approach to assess weather impacts on honey bee colony winter mortality

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedikt Becsi ◽  
Herbert Formayer ◽  
Robert Brodschneider
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Winter Mortality ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Biophysical Processes ◽  
Biophysical Approach

The western honey bee ( Apis mellifera ) is one of the most important insects kept by humans, but high colony losses are reported around the world. While the effects of general climatic conditions on colony winter mortality were already demonstrated, no study has investigated specific weather conditions linked to biophysical processes governing colony vitality. Here, we quantify the comparative relevance of four such processes that co-determine the colonies' fitness for wintering during the annual hive management cycle, using a 10-year dataset of winter colony mortality in Austria that includes 266 378 bee colonies. We formulate four process-based hypotheses for wintering success and operationalize them with weather indicators. The empirical data is used to fit simple and multiple linear regression models on different geographical scales. The results show that approximately 20% of winter mortality variability can be explained by the analysed weather conditions, and that it is most sensitive to the duration of extreme cold spells in mid and late winter. Our approach shows the potential of developing weather indicators based on biophysical processes and discusses the way forward for applying them in climate change studies.

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