Feral honey bee colonies in German beech forests

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Rutschmann ◽  
PL Kohl ◽  
J Tautz ◽  
I Steffan-Dewenter
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Beech Forests ◽  
Bee Colonies

scholarly journals The neglected bee trees: European beech forests as a home for feral honey bee colonies

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e4602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Laurenz Kohl ◽  
Benjamin Rutschmann
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Common Belief ◽  
Forest Edges ◽  
Beech Forests ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Bee Colonies

It is a common belief that feral honey bee colonies (Apis melliferaL.) were eradicated in Europe through the loss of habitats, domestication by man and spread of pathogens and parasites. Interestingly, no scientific data are available, neither about the past nor the present status of naturally nesting honeybee colonies. We expected near-natural beech (Fagus sylvaticaL.) forests to provide enough suitable nest sites to be a home for feral honey bee colonies in Europe. Here, we made a first assessment of their occurrence and density in two German woodland areas based on two methods, the tracing of nest sites based on forager flight routes (beelining technique), and the direct inspection of potential cavity trees. Further, we established experimental swarms at forest edges and decoded dances for nest sites performed by scout bees in order to study how far swarms from beekeeper-managed hives would potentially move into a forest. We found that feral honey bee colonies regularly inhabit tree cavities in near-natural beech forests at densities of at least 0.11–0.14 colonies/km2. Colonies were not confined to the forest edges; they were also living deep inside the forests. We estimated a median distance of 2,600 m from the bee trees to the next apiaries, while scout bees in experimental swarms communicated nest sites in close distances (median: 470 m). We extrapolate that there are several thousand feral honey bee colonies in German woodlands. These have to be taken in account when assessing the role of forest areas in providing pollination services to the surrounding land, and their occurrence has implications for the species’ perception among researchers, beekeepers and conservationists. This study provides a starting point for investigating the life-histories and the ecological interactions of honey bees in temperate European forest environments.

Identification and Treatment of European Foulbrood in Honey Bee Colonies

EDIS ◽  
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

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

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

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

Insects ◽  
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.

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.

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
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