The utilization of floral resources from mangroves of the Gulf of Urabá (Colombian Caribbean) by introduced honey bees (Apis mellifera)

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) pollinate melon (Cucumis melo) and improve production and quality of fruits. However, little is known about bee behavior and number of hives required. The aims of this study were to compare bees visiting flowers in crop areas with different number of hives (0, 1, 2, and 3), and to evaluate which is the best number. Flowers were observed (n=78) from 5 am to 6 pm, for five consecutive days, in four experimental areas (0.5ha each). Comparisons were made for male (MF) and hermaphrodite (HF) flowers, number of hives and fruit production. The HF were always more visited than MF. Most comparisons made for three hives presented significant differences, since visits increased drastically, competition among bees for floral resources became stronger and reduced the production of commercial fruit (93.4%). On the other hand, the highest percentage of commercial fruit was obtained (99%) with two hives, setting the ideal number of hives as four hives ha-1.

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Do agrochemicals used during soybean flowering affect the visits of Apis mellifera L.?

Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.5424/sjar/2016141-7492 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. e0301 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Guillermina A. Fagúndez ◽

Diego C. Blettler ◽

Carlos G. Krumrick ◽

Mariana A. Bertos ◽

Cecilia G. Trujillo

Keyword(s):

Glycine Max ◽

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Management Practices ◽

Floral Resources ◽

Crop Pollination ◽

Biological Origin ◽

Lambda Cyhalothrin ◽

Pampa Region ◽

Repellent Action

In the Pampa region of Argentina, most beehives are situated near to soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] crop and honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) use its floral resources. Soybean is often sprayed with pesticides but very little is known about their repellent action against bees. This study evaluates the visit of honey bees to crop after the application of agrochemicals aiming to check for repellency of them and estimate the possible impact on crop pollination. For this, six treatments were used (glyphosate + cypermethrin; glyphosate; cypermethrin; lambda-cyhalothrin; methoxyfenocide; Bacillus thuringiensis) and developed on plots of 625 m2, located in Oro Verde (Argentina), applying two sprays during the crop flowering. The bees were captured using entomological net every 4 days in three different times from the day after the first spraying and up the end of crop flowering. The results showed very little or no repellent action of pesticides on A. mellifera, noting that it foraged on soybean flowers regardless of the temporal proximity and the type of product used in sprays. Possible causes are discussed and the need for larger studies is evident in field conditions related to pesticides repellency and mixtures. Also, further evaluation of the effects of the different chemical formulations available on the market and used regionally where the subspecies A. mellifera can be found. Simultaneously some management practices that could help minimize the risk of contamination are mentioned; the use of defensive crop products of biological origin is encouraged as well as further research in this topic.

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Novel data support model linking floral resources and honey bee competition with bumble bee abundances in coastal scrub

Journal of Pollination Ecology ◽

10.26786/1920-7603(2021)625 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 27 ◽

Author(s):

Diane M Thomson

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Statistical Model ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Floral Resources ◽

Bumble Bee ◽

Mechanistic Models ◽

Pollination Services ◽

Forage Plants ◽

Time Period ◽

Floral Resource

Growing evidence supports that many bee populations are declining, with potentially serious consequences for pollination services. Mechanistic models that predict bee abundances from drivers like floral resource availability can be a powerful way to understand and address declines, but remain rare and largely unvalidated. I used temporally and spatially novel data to validate previous analyses linking bumble bee (Bombus spp.) declines in California coastal scrub with loss of floral resources, mediated by drought and competition with non-native honey bees (Apis mellifera). New observations from 2015-2018 were combined with data from 1999-2014 to further test these mechanistic hypotheses and evaluate predictions of a statistical model for Bombus abundances. As predicted, positive associations between spring rainfall and floral abundances and between Bombus and key forage plants were consistent between time periods. Increased A. mellifera abundance corresponded with reduced Bombus use of the most abundant forage plant and lower Bombus abundances in the following year. Quantitative predictions from the Bombus statistical model previously developed for 1999-2014 were relatively unbiased and strongly rank correlated with either spatially or temporally novel data. However, the model consistently underpredicted Bombus abundances when both flower patch and time period were novel. Overall, four new years of data further strengthen evidence that loss of floral resources due to drought and competition with feral Apis mellifera is an important cause of Bombus decline in this habitat. These findings reinforce the value of even simple models that are mechanistically framed, both in understanding past patterns of change and for qualitative prediction.

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