scholarly journals Quantifying the food requirements and effects of food stress on bumble bee colony development

2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 288-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen L Rotheray ◽  
Juliet L Osborne ◽  
Dave Goulson
Keyword(s):  
Colony Development ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Food Stress ◽  
Bee Colony

scholarly journals Bumble Bee Foraged Pollen Analyses in Spring Time in Southern Estonia Shows Abundant Food Sources

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 922
Author(s):  
Anna Bontšutšnaja ◽  
Reet Karise ◽  
Marika Mänd ◽  
Guy Smagghe
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Colony Development ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Forage Plants ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Foraging Preferences ◽  
Dna Metabarcoding

Agricultural landscapes usually provide higher quantities of single-source food, which are noticeably lacking in diversity and might thus have low nutrient value for bumble bee colony development. Here, in this study, we analysed the pollen foraging preferences over a large territory of a heterogeneous agricultural landscape: southern Estonia. We aimed to assess the botanical diversity of bumble bee food plants in the spring time there. We looked for preferences for some food plants or signs of food shortage that could be associated with any particular landscape features. For this purpose, we took Bombus terrestris commercial hives to the landscape, performed microscopy analyses and improved the results with the innovative DNA metabarcoding technique to determine the botanical origin of bumble bee-collected pollen. We found high variability of forage plants with no strong relationship with any particular landscape features. Based on the low number of plant species in single flights, we deduce that the availability of main forage plants is sufficient indicating rich forage availabilities. Despite specific limitations, we saw strong correlations between microscopy and DNA metabarcoding data usable for quantification analyses. As a conclusion, we saw that the spring-time vegetation in southern Estonia can support bumble bee colony development regardless of the detailed landscape structure. The absence of clearly dominating food preference by the tested generalist bumble bee species B. terrestris makes us suggest that other bumble bee species, at least food generalists, should also find plenty of forage in their early development phase.

Bumble bee colony growth and reproduction on reclaimed surface coal mines

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 183-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessie Lanterman ◽  
Karen Goodell
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mines ◽  
Colony Growth ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Growth And Reproduction

scholarly journals Annual flowers strips benefit bumble bee colony growth and reproduction

2020 ◽  
Vol 252 ◽  
pp. 108814
Author(s):  
Björn K. Klatt ◽  
Lovisa Nilsson ◽  
Henrik G. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Colony Growth ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Growth And Reproduction

scholarly journals The influence of conopid flies on bumble bee colony productivity under different food resource conditions

2018 ◽  
Vol 88 (4) ◽  
pp. 653-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosemary L. Malfi ◽  
Jonathan A. Walter ◽  
T'ai H. Roulston ◽  
Clara Stuligross ◽  
Sarah McIntosh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Resource ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Resource Conditions ◽  
Colony Productivity

scholarly journals Nutritional Effect of Alpha-Linolenic Acid on Honey Bee Colony Development (Apis Mellifera L.)

2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lanting Ma ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Xiaobo Hang ◽  
Hongfang Wang ◽  
Weiren Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Linolenic Acid ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Basal Diet ◽  
The Other ◽  
Colony Development ◽  
Alpha Linolenic Acid ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Nutritional Effect

AbstractAlpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is an n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), influences honey bee feed intake and longevity. The objective of this study was to research the effect of six dietary ALA levels on the growth and development of Apis mellifera ligustica colonies. In the early spring, a total of 36 honey bee colonies of equal size and queen quality were randomly allocated into 6 groups. The six groups of honey bees were fed a basal diet with supplementation of ALA levels at 0 (group A), 2 (group B), 4 (group C), 6 (group D), 8 (group E), and 10% (group F). In this study, there were significant effects of pollen substitute ALA levels on the feeding amounts of the bee colony, colony population, sealed brood amount, and weight of newly emerged workers (P<0.05). The workers’ midgut Lipase (LPS) activity of group C was significantly lower than that of the other groups (P<0.01). The worker bees in groups B, C, and D had significantly longer lifespans than those in the other groups (P<0.05). However, when the diets had ALA concentrations of more than 6%, the mortality of the honey bees increased (P<0.01). These results indicate that ALA levels of 2 ~ 4% of the pollen substitute were optimal for maintaining the highest reproductive performance and the digestion and absorption of fatty acids in honey bees during the period of spring multiplication. Additionally, ALA levels of 2 ~ 6% of the pollen substitute, improved worker bee longevity.

scholarly journals Influence of spring feed on the strength of honey bee colonies during spring development

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 1757-1760
Author(s):  
B. Andjelkovic ◽  
G. Jevtic ◽  
M. Mladenovic ◽  
M. Petrovic ◽  
T. Vasic
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Colony Development ◽  
Forage Crops ◽  
Fourth Group ◽  
The Third ◽  
Spring Period ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Sugar Syrup ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Bee Colonies

The strength of honey bee colonies during year depends on wintering and on biologic development of colonies during spring period. To ensure satisfactory colony development in spring period, it is necessary to add stimulative feed. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of different types of spring feed on the honey bee colony strength. Twenty honey bee colonies were selected for this experiment. Colonies were divided into five groups, and each group received different stimulative feed. The first group was fed with sugar syrup, and the second with sugar syrup with added microelements and with vitamin complex. The third group received sugar candy without additives, and the fourth group received sugar candy with addition of microelements and vitamins. The fifth group was fed with honey. The experiment was conducted on the apiary of the Institute for forage crops in Krusevac.

THE EFFECTS OF FOOD SUPPLY ON ADULT SIZE IN THE BUMBLE BEE BOMBUS TERRICOLA KIRBY (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE)

1988 ◽  
Vol 120 (12) ◽  
pp. 1051-1058 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.H. Sutcliffe ◽  
R.C. Plowright
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Colony Development ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Adult Size ◽  
Food Regimes ◽  
Worker Size ◽  
Over Time

AbstractCaptive colonies of Bombus terricola Kirby received pollen for 8, 14, or 24 h per day from the time of onset of second brood oviposition until colony decline. The pattern of change of worker body size over time, especially between the first and second broods, varied according to these experimental food regimes. The results indicate that conflicting results reported in the literature, with respect to changes in worker size over the course of colony development, probably can be regarded, at least in part, as the outcome of differences in food supply.

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