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 Chronic exposure to a neonicotinoid pesticide and a synthetic pyrethroid in full-sized honey bee colonies

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Odemer ◽  
Peter Rosenkranz
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Chronic Exposure ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Synthetic Pyrethroid ◽  
Social Resilience ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Bee Colonies

ABSTRACTIn the last decade, the use of neonicotinoid insecticides increased significantly in the agricultural landscape and meanwhile considered a risk to honey bees. Besides the exposure to pesticides, colonies are treated frequently with various acaricides that beekeepers are forced to use against the parasitic mite Varroa destructor. Here we have analyzed the impact of a chronic exposure to sublethal concentrations of the common neonicotinoid thiacloprid (T) and the widely used acaricide τ-fluvalinate (synthetic pyrethroid, F) - applied alone or in combination - to honey bee colonies under field conditions. The population dynamics of bees and brood were assessed in all colonies according to the Liebefeld method. Four groups (T, F, F+T, control) with 8-9 colonies each were analyzed in two independent replications, each lasting from spring/summer until spring of the consecutive year. In late autumn, all colonies were treated with oxalic acid against Varroosis. We could not find a negative impact of the chronic neonicotinoid exposure on the population dynamics or overwintering success of the colonies, irrespective of whether applied alone or in combination with τ-fluvalinate. This is in contrast to some results obtained from individually treated bees under laboratory conditions and confirms again an effective buffering capacity of the honey bee colony as a superorganism. Yet, the underlying mechanisms for this social resilience remain to be fully understood.

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.

Honey yield of different commercial apiaries treated with Lactobacillus salivarius A3iob, a new bee-probiotic strain

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Novicov Fanciotti ◽  
M. Tejerina ◽  
M.R. Benítez-Ahrendts ◽  
M.C. Audisio
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Probiotic Strain ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Unexpected Result ◽  
Lactobacillus Salivarius ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Bee Colonies ◽  
North Western ◽  
Honey Yield

The main objective of this study was to determine the impact of Lactobacillus salivarius A3iob, a honey bee gut-associated strain (GenBank code access KX198010), on honey yield. Independent assays were conducted from May to September 2014 and 2015, in three commercial apiaries: Tilquiza, El Carmen and Yala, all located in north-western Argentina. Local Apis mellifera L. bees were kept in standard Langstroth hives; treated hives were fed once a month with 1×105 cfu/ml viable Lactobacillus cells, administered to the bees through a Doolittle-type feeder in 125 g/l sucrose syrup. Control hives were only given the syrup mixed with MRS sterile broth. The main honey harvest was done in December in all groups and we found that there was an overall increase in honey yield from the treated hives. In 2014, all treated hives produced between 2.3 to 6.5 times more honey than the controls. However, in 2015, higher honey average yields in the treated hives at El Carmen and Yala were obtained, yet not at Tilquiza, because of a slight mishap. They experienced the swarming of several bee colonies due to a higher number of bees without appropriate management, which caused the control group to yield more honey compared to the hives fed with Lactobacillus. Interestingly, at El Carmen, two honey harvests were recorded: one in winter and another in summer (July and December 2015, respectively). This unexpected result arose from the particular flora of the region, mainly Tithonia tubaeformis, which blooms in winter. L. salivarius A3iob cells prove to be a natural alternative that will positively impact the beekeepers’ economy by providing a higher honey yield.

scholarly journals Sublethal concentrations of clothianidin affect honey bee colony behavior and interact with landscapes to affect colony growth

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
William G. Meikle ◽  
John J. Adamczyk ◽  
Milagra Weiss ◽  
Janie Ross ◽  
Chris Werle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Sonoran Desert ◽  
Colony Growth ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Sugar Syrup ◽  
Continuous Basis ◽  
Bee Health ◽  
Bee Colonies ◽  
Stressful Environments ◽  
Sublethal Concentrations

AbstractHoney bee colonies were exposed to sublethal concentrations (5 and 20 ppb) of clothianidin in sugar syrup, while control colonies were fed syrup with no pesticide. In addition to standard colony assessments of adult bees and brood, hive weight and internal temperature were monitored on a continuous basis at all sites. Experiments were conducted twice in Arizona, in successive years at the same site, and once in Mississippi, to examine the concomitant effects of weather and landscape. Adult bee masses at the Arizona site were significantly affected by clothianidin concentration. Newly-emerged bee dry weights, measured only at the Arizona site, were significantly lower for colonies fed 5 ppb clothianidin compared to the other groups. CO2 concentration, also only measured at the Arizona site, was higher in colonies fed 20 ppb clothianidin. Neither daily hive weight change nor colony thermoregulation were affected by clothianidin exposure. The Mississippi site had higher rainfall, more diverse land use, and a different temperature regime, and bee colonies there did not show any effects of clothianidin. These results suggest that bee colonies in more stressful environments, such as the Sonoran desert of southern Arizona, are affected more by clothianidin exposure than colonies at sites with higher rainfall and more forage. Clothianidin was also found to be, like imidacloprid, highly stable in honey in the hive environment at least over several months. These results also showed that CO2 concentration within the hive is potentially valuable in measuring the effects of stressors on bee health.

scholarly journals Initial Exposure of Wax Foundation to Agrochemicals Causes Negligible Effects on the Growth and Winter Survival of Incipient Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Colonies

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandria N. Payne ◽  
Elizabeth M. Walsh ◽  
Juliana Rangel
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Pesticide Exposure ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Colony Growth ◽  
Winter Survival ◽  
Food Storage ◽  
Brood Production ◽  
Initial Exposure ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Overwintering Survival

Widespread use of agrochemicals in the U.S. has led to nearly universal contamination of beeswax in honey bee hives. The most commonly found agrochemicals in wax include beekeeper-applied miticides containing tau-fluvalinate, coumaphos, or amitraz, and field-applied pesticides containing chlorothalonil or chlorpyrifos. Wax contaminated with these pesticides negatively affects the reproductive quality of queens and drones. However, the synergistic effects of these pesticides on the growth and survival of incipient colonies remain understudied. We established new colonies using frames with wax foundation that was pesticide free or contaminated with field-relevant concentrations of amitraz alone, a combination of tau-fluvalinate and coumaphos, or a combination of chlorothalonil and chlorpyrifos. Colony growth was assessed by estimating comb and brood production, food storage, and adult bee population during a colony’s first season. We also measured colony overwintering survival. We found no significant differences in colony growth or survivorship between colonies established on pesticide-free vs. pesticide-laden wax foundation. However, colonies that had Varroa destructor levels above 3% in the fall were more likely to die over winter than those with levels below this threshold, indicating that high Varroa infestation in the fall played a more important role than initial pesticide exposure of wax foundation in the winter survival of newly established colonies.

scholarly journals Efficiency of probiotic supplements in the dynamics of economically useful indicators of honey-bee colonies

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
pp. 05014
Author(s):  
A.I. Lyubimov ◽  
S.L. Vorobieva ◽  
A.S. Tronina ◽  
V.M. Yudin
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Beneficial Effect ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
The Body ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Sugar Syrup ◽  
Bee Colonies ◽  
Intensive Search

In the modern world, the problem of honey-bee colonies’ death is acute. An intensive search is underway for environmentally friendly preparations that could stimulate the bees’ resistance to various diseases, as well as have a beneficial effect on the body, thereby contributing to an increase in honey productivity. Preparations based on live probiotics bacteria of Lactobacillus and Bacillus subtilis genus are currently becoming increasingly popular. The use of probiotics in beekeeping allows to destroy pathogenic microflora, strengthen immunity and activate the body’s metabolic processes. The aim of the study was to determine the influence efficiency of probiotic preparations complex ApiVrach, SpasiPchel, Pche-loNormoSil during the period of spring development on the economically useful traits of honey-bee colonies. Studies have found that when probiotics are added to sugar syrup in the spring, the brood growth of bee colonies and their honey productivity are activated. The flight activity of bees when feeding with probiotic preparations increased by 43.6% from the control group. When assessing the dynamics of the bee colony’s strength, it was found that the usage of “ApiVrach” + “PcheloNormoSil” combination allows increasing the amount of sealed brood by 4 times, and the strength of the bee colony - by 1.5 times. Also, this combination of preparations made it possible to obtain the largest amount of total honey yield by 19.2% more than the control group, by 3.0% more than the group that received the ApiVrach + SpasiPchel complex and by 1.1% more than when using ApiVrach.

scholarly journals Mist-Netting of Migrating Bee-Eaters Positively Influences Honey Bee Colony Performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Łangowska ◽  
Reuven Yosef ◽  
Piotr Skórka ◽  
Piotr Tryjanowski
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Agricultural Pests ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Quantitative Evidence ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Colony Performance ◽  
Migratory Routes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Bee Colonies

Abstract Bee-eaters (Meropidae) are considered agricultural pests and their presence provokes conflicts with beekeepers and farmers who rely on the pollination services of honey bees. This problem is often deal with through the mass killing of the birds, even though the quantitative evidence on the impact of bee-eaters on honey bee colonies is scarce. The current paper reports the performance of honey bee colonies protected with mist nets from migrating flocks of European bee-eaters Merops apiaster in Israel. In the study the weight gains of bee hives surrounded by mist nets were 6.44 times higher than that of unprotected hives (26.4 kg vs. 4.1 kg). The results confirmed that bee-eaters locally pose a problem to apiaries and potentially to the crops that require pollination. Mist- netting appeared to be an effective mitigation method for alleviating conflicts between beekeepers and bee-eaters. However, the study also showed that bees were able to differentiate between their main predator and other avian species trapped in mist nets and stung only bee-eaters. Moreover, the bees were targeting the most vulnerable body parts of birds which resulted in some bird fatalities. Therefore, due to accidental mortal- ity of birds, mist-netting is recommended only on the migratory routes in cases when bee hives cannot be moved to other areas.

scholarly journals Colony strength in the spring inspection and its impact on the amount of foraged pollen at the time of red clover pollination

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Jevtic ◽  
B. Andjelkovic ◽  
Z. Lugic ◽  
N. Nedic ◽  
K. Matovic
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Honey Bee Colony ◽  
Second Year ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Bee Colonies

In this study, the impact of honey bee colony strength in the spring inspection on the colony strength at the time of pollination, the amount of foraged pollen and on the colony strength in autumn was observed. The honey bee colonies were, after the spring inspection, divided into two groups, based on the amount of bees. The weak colonies, in spring inspection, had an average up to 4 frames occupied by bees and the strong colonies, in the spring inspection, had more than 6 frames occupied by bees. In addition to the amount of bees, the amount of brood and food supplies were assessed in the inspections. It was determined that the stronger colonies had more pollen foragers in all three year of observation. The quantity of foraged pollen, in addition to strength in the spring inspection, was influenced by year. In two years (first and third) more pollen and larger quantity of red clover pollen was collected by the strong colonies, while in the second year, more pollen and a large quantity of red clover pollen was collected by weak colonies. In the fall inspections was found that the strong colonies still had more bees and brood, more pollen and, also, more honey in relation to the weak colonies.

Can pollen supplementation mitigate the impact of nutritional stress on honey bee colonies?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Belén Branchiccela ◽  
Loreley Castelli ◽  
Sebastián Díaz-Cetti ◽  
Ciro Invernizzi ◽  
Yamandú Mendoza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Nutritional Stress ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Bee Colonies

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.

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