Queen replacement in African and European honey bee colonies with and without afterswarms

Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV), a widespread honey bee RNA virus, causes massive worker bee losses, mostly in strong colonies. Two different syndromes, with paralysis, ataxia and flight incapacity on one hand and black hairless individuals with shortened abdomens on the other, can affect a colony simultaneously. This case report presents two Apis mellifera carnica colonies with symptoms of paralysis and hairless black syndrome in 2019. Via RT-PCR, a highly positive result for CBPV was detected in both samples. Further problems, such as a Nosema infection and Varroa infestation, were present in these colonies. Therapy methods were applied to colony 1 comprising queen replacement, shook swarm method and Varroa control, whereas colony 2 was asphyxiated after queen loss and colony weakening. After therapy, colony 1 was wintered without symptoms. Beekeeping and sanitary measures can save a CBPV-infected colony, while further complications result in total colony loss.

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An Economic Approach to Assess the Annual Stock in Beekeeping Farms: The Honey Bee Colony Inventory Tool

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12219258 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (21) ◽

pp. 9258 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Monica Vercelli ◽

Luca Croce ◽

Teresina Mancuso

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Climate Trend ◽

Monetary Value ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Queen Replacement ◽

Varroa Mites ◽

Honey Bee Colony ◽

Mite Infestations ◽

Bee Colonies ◽

Economic Size

For beekeepers, the beehive stock represents a fundamental means of ensuring the continuity of their activity, whether they are professionals or hobbyists. The evaluation of this asset for economic purposes requires knowledge of the rhythms and adaptations of honey bee colonies during the annual seasons. As in any breeding activity, it is necessary to establish the numerical and economic size of the species bred. Beekeepers are interested in this evaluation to monitor beehive stock. For keeping economic accounts of stock, a specific tool has been developed and proposed, here called the “Honey Bee Colony Inventory (HBCI)”. The HBCI can be used as either a final or preventive scheme to assess the numbers of honey bee colonies and nuclei, and the mortality rate, in order to calculate the monetary value. This tool allows the strength of honey bee colony stocks to be monitored, including fluctuations throughout the year, and will prove useful for determining solutions to maintain or increase how long stocks last. Data can be registered in countries such as Italy where the veterinary authorities request data on the stock owned and its variations. Due to widespread Varroa mite infestations, in recent years, beekeepers have experimented with a range of different biotechniques that have included queen caging as well as drone and total brood removal. To verify its effectiveness for gathering honey bee colony data, the HBCI was used in nine beekeeping farms applying different biotechniques to control Varroa mites: chemical treatment, total brood removal, queen caging and old queen replacement by royal cell insertion. The results are compared and discussed. Out of the nine farms, seven showed negative monetary value according to the HBCI, as expected, due to multiple factors such as the unfavorable climate trend of 2017 in the studied area. The positive aspect is that the application of this tool will allow farmers to monitor, manage and maintain their beehive stocks.

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Identification and Treatment of European Foulbrood in Honey Bee Colonies

EDIS ◽

10.32473/edis-in1272-2019 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 (1) ◽

pp. 7

Author(s):

Catherine M. Mueller ◽

Cameron Jack ◽

Ashley N. Mortensen ◽

Jamie D. Ellis

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Bacterial Disease ◽

American Foulbrood ◽

Fact Sheet ◽

European Foulbrood ◽

Bee Colonies ◽

Honey Bee Larvae

European foulbrood is a bacterial disease that affects Western honey bee larvae. It is a concern to beekeepers everywhere, though it is less serious than American foulbrood because it does not form spores, which means that it can be treated. This 7-page fact sheet written by Catherine M. Mueller, Cameron J. Jack, Ashley N. Mortensen, and Jamie Ellis and published by the UF/IFAS Entomology and Nematology Department describes the disease and explains how to identify it to help beekeepers manage their colonies effectively and prevent the spread of both American and European foulbrood.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1272

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Honey bee sociometry: Tracking honey bee colonies and their nest contents from swarm until death

10.1603/ice.2016.111152 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Michael L Smith

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Bee Colonies

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NewPaenibacillus larvaebacterial isolates from honey bee colonies infected with American foulbrood disease in Egypt

Biotechnology & Biotechnological Equipment ◽

10.1080/13102818.2014.906826 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 271-276 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Saad Hamdy Daif Masry ◽

Sanaa Soliman Kabeil ◽

Elsayed Elsayed Hafez

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

American Foulbrood ◽

American Foulbrood Disease ◽

Bee Colonies

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Pesticides in Honey Bee Colonies: establishing a baseline for real world exposure over seven years in the USA

Environmental Pollution ◽

10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116566 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 116566

Author(s):

Kirsten S. Traynor ◽

Simone Tosi ◽

Karen Rennich ◽

Nathalie Steinhauer ◽

Eva Forsgren ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Real World ◽

The Usa ◽

Bee Colonies

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Mitochondrial DNA Variation in Peruvian Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.) Populations Using the tRNAleu-cox2 Intergenic Region

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12070641 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 641

Author(s):

Julio Chávez-Galarza ◽

Ruth López-Montañez ◽

Alejandra Jiménez ◽

Rubén Ferro-Mauricio ◽

Juan Oré ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Mitochondrial Dna ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Intergenic Region ◽

Current Status ◽

Dna Variation ◽

Africanized Honey Bee ◽

Dna Variations ◽

The 19Th Century ◽

Bee Colonies

Mitochondrial DNA variations of Peruvian honey bee populations were surveyed by using the tRNAleu-cox2 intergenic region. Only two studies have characterized these populations, indicating the presence of Africanized honey bee colonies in different regions of Peru and varied levels of Africanization, but the current status of its genetic diversity is unknown. A total of 512 honey bee colonies were sampled from three regions to characterize them. Our results revealed the presence of European and African haplotypes: the African haplotypes identified belong to sub-lineage AI (13) and sub-lineage AIII (03), and the European haplotypes to lineages C (06) and M (02). Of 24 haplotypes identified, 15 new sequences are reported here (11 sub-lineage AI, 2 sub-lineage AIII, and 2 lineage M). Peruvian honey bee populations presented a higher proportion from African than European haplotypes. High proportions of African haplotype were reported for Piura and Junín, unlike Lima, which showed more European haplotypes from lineage C. Few colonies belonging to lineage M would represent accidental purchase or traces of the introduction into Peru in the 19th century.

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

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-83958-8 ◽

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.

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