scholarly journals Моніторинг втрат колоній медоносних бджіл (Apis mellifera L.) в Україні після зимівлі 2015-2016 рр.

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 604-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. Fedoriak ◽  
L. I. Timochko ◽  
O. M. Kulmanov ◽  
R. A. Volkov ◽  
S. S. Rudenko
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Loss Rate ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Winter Mortality ◽  
Research Association ◽  
Forest Zone ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Queen Replacement

Increasing of honey bee colony losses is considered to be a global threat to the planet's ecosystems, food security and global economy (Neumann & Carreck, 2010; van der Zee et al., 2012; van der Zee et al., 2014; Chauzat et al., 2016). A large-scale study of this phenomenon using the standard protocol is conducted by the international honey bee research association COLOSS. Ukraine has been providing the data since 2015. Honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colony losses in Ukraine after the winter of 2015-2016 have been analyzed according to the physiographic zones of the country. It has been established that the total loss (the sum of the dead colonies and the colonies lost due to the unsolvable queen problems) after the winter of 2015-2016 was 9.9%, which is 1.5 times lower compared to the winter of 2014-2015 (14.9%). The losses due to colonies death decreased (6.3% after the winter of 2015-2016; 13.4% after the winter of 2014-2015), while the losses due to the unsolvable queen problems increased (3.6% after the winter of 2015-2016; 1.6% after the winter of 2014-2015). The overall loss rate of 12.0% was recorded for the countries participating in the international COLOSS monitoring after the winter of 2015-2016, therefore Ukraine is considered to be the region with the comparatively low risk. Small apiaries had a significantly higher loss rate than medium and large ones. The highest loss rate was noticed in the zone of mixed forests, whereas it was the lowest in the deciduous forest zone. The majority of the respondents (44.4%) from the mixed forest zone, where the loss due to the unsolvable queen problems reached the largest scale, noted that the problems with the queens after this winter were more serious than usual, and wintering of the colonies with new queens was better, than with the old ones (83.3%). 64.4% of respondents conducted monitoring of Varroa infestation level of their colonies, and 82.5% treated the colonies against Varroa. The correlation between the use of some chemical and biotechnical methods against Varroa (lactic acid, amitraz, formic acid, hyperthermia, etc.) and losses due to both colonies death and unsolvable queen problems was revealed. It has been shown that queen replacement before winter contributes to lowering winter mortality (r = -0.18).

scholarly journals Results of Standardized Beekeeper Survey of Honey Bee Colony Losses in Ukraine for Winter 2018-2019

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Loss Rate ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Steppe Zone ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Research Association ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Bee Colonies

Purpose. Analysis of honey bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758) colony losses in Ukraine for winter 2018–2019 in comparison with the previous year in different physiographic zones of Ukraine and at the operations of different sizes. Methods. Survey of Ukrainian beekeepers for winter 2018–2019 using the standardised COLOSS questionnaire (International honey bee research association COLOSS). A total of 677 valid questionnaires from five physiographic zones of Ukraine were processed. Results. The total loss rate of honey bee colonies for winter 2018–2019 in Ukraine was 11.18 %, the mortality rate was 5.95 %; the losses due to unsolvable queen problems – 3.37 %, and due to natural disasters – 1.86 %. The total losses in the forest-steppe and the mixed forest zones were 16.2 % and 15.1 %, respectively, whereas in the Ukrainian Carpathians – 7.2 %. The most common sign of dead colonies in Ukraine was the presence of a large number of dead bees in or in front of the hive (25.3 %). The loss rate in the small operations was almost 18 %, in medium – 8.38 % and in large ones – 7.6 %. 77.8 % of respondents treated their bee colonies against Varroa destructor in the period from April 2018 to April 2019. 16.4 % respondents treated their colonies without prior monitoring of mite rate. The most commonly used acaricides were the veterinary medicinal products containing flumetrin (15.1 %), amitraz in strips (11.67 %) and fumigation (9.9 %), as well as oxalic acid – spraying and sublimation (9.5 % and 8.4 %, respectively). Conclusions. The total losses of honey bee colonies for winter of 2018–2019 (11.18 %) remained stable compared to the previous year (for winter of 2017–2018: 11.30 %), the losses due to colonies death (5.95 %) and losses due to natural disasters (1.86 %) decreased slightly (for winter of 2017–2018: 6.7 % and 2.4 %, respectively), whereas losses due to unsolvable queen problems increased form 2.1 % to 3.37 %). The highest losses were observed in the forest-steppe zone and the zone of mixed forests, whereas the lowest in the Ukrainian Carpathians. The smaller beekeeping operations with at most 50 colonies suffer significantly higher losses than larger operations.

Results of annual honey bee colony losses survey in Ukraine: winter 2017-2018

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Fedoriak ◽  
L Tymochko ◽  
O Kulmanov ◽  
O Shkrobanets ◽  
A Zhuk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Loss Rate ◽  
Steppe Zone ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Research Association ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Bee Colony

Decline of honey bee colonies remains a global problem. It may affect catastrophically both ecosystems and the global economy. Here we present the results of the fourth year of a research project on bee colony losses in Ukraine over winter 2017-2018, conducted in the framework of international monitoring coordinated by the non-profit honey bee research association COLOSS. Overall winter loss rate and the mortality rate over winter 2017-2018 were significantly lower compared to the previous year: overall winter loss rate – 11.3% (95 % СІ 10.0-12.6); mortality rate – 6.7% (95 % СІ 5.8-7.7); rate of colony loss due to unsolvable queen problems – 2.1% (95 % СІ 1.6-2.7) and due to natural disasters – 2.4% (95 % СІ 2.0-3.0). Likewise previous years, the highest losses were observed in small operations (with 50 or fewer colonies). The highest overall loss rate was observed in the Steppe zone, with the highest both mortality rate and losses due to natural disasters compared to the other physiographic zones of Ukraine. Minimum mortality was recorded from deciduous forests 5.6 % (95 % CI 4.4-7.2) and the Ukrainian Carpathians 5.5 % (95 % CI 4.2-7.2). Winter losses related to queen problems varied greatly with a minimum in the Forest-Steppe zone 0.71 % (95 % CI 0.3-1.5). 83.3% of beekeepers treated their colonies against Varroa. The r-rank correlation analysis identified two potential risk factors (no or only a few dead bees in or in front of the empty hive; dead workers in cells and no food present) which revealed a weak positive correlation with both mortality rate and the rate of losses due to unsolvable queen problems.

scholarly journals A SNP assay for assessing diversity in immune genes in the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dora Henriques ◽  
Ana R. Lopes ◽  
Nor Chejanovsky ◽  
Anne Dalmon ◽  
Mariano Higes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Medium Density ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Functional Variation ◽  
Immune Genes ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Scale Range ◽  
Innate Immune Genes

AbstractWith a growing number of parasites and pathogens experiencing large-scale range expansions, monitoring diversity in immune genes of host populations has never been so important because it can inform on the adaptive potential to resist the invaders. Population surveys of immune genes are becoming common in many organisms, yet they are missing in the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.), a key managed pollinator species that has been severely affected by biological invasions. To fill the gap, here we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a wide range of honey bee immune genes and developed a medium-density assay targeting a subset of these genes. Using a discovery panel of 123 whole-genomes, representing seven A. mellifera subspecies and three evolutionary lineages, 180 immune genes were scanned for SNPs in exons, introns (< 4 bp from exons), 3’ and 5´UTR, and < 1 kb upstream of the transcription start site. After application of multiple filtering criteria and validation, the final medium-density assay combines 91 quality-proved functional SNPs marking 89 innate immune genes and these can be readily typed using the high-sample-throughput iPLEX MassARRAY system. This medium-density-SNP assay was applied to 156 samples from four countries and the admixture analysis clustered the samples according to their lineage and subspecies, suggesting that honey bee ancestry can be delineated from functional variation. In addition to allowing analysis of immunogenetic variation, this newly-developed SNP assay can be used for inferring genetic structure and admixture in the honey bee.

scholarly journals Selective Breeding for Low and High Varroa destructor Growth in Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Colonies: Initial Results of Two Generations

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 864
Author(s):  
Alvaro De la Mora ◽  
Berna Emsen ◽  
Nuria Morfin ◽  
Daniel Borges ◽  
Les Eccles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Varroa Destructor ◽  
Winter Mortality ◽  
Genotypic Differences ◽  
Two Generations ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Bidirectional Selection ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Initial Results

After two years of bidirectional selection for low and high rates of Varroa destructor population growth (LVG and HVG, respectively) in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in Ontario, Canada, significant differences between the two genotypes were observed. LVG colonies had V. destructor population increases over the summer of 1.7 fold compared to 9.6 fold for HVG colonies by Generation 2. Additionally, HVG colonies had significantly higher mite infestation rates in adult bees compared to LVG colonies for both selected generations. DWV prevalence and levels were significantly higher in HVG colonies than in LVG colonies in Generation 1 but not in Generation 2. Winter mortality rates of Generation 1 colonies were significantly different at 26% and 14% for the HVG and LVG genotypes, respectively. The results of this study thus far indicate that selection for LVG may result in colonies with lower V. destructor infestation rates, lower prevalence, and levels of DWV and higher colony winter survivorship. Future work will focus on determining what mechanisms are responsible for the genotypic differences, estimating genetic parameters, and molecular analyses of the genotypes to identify candidate genes associated with resistance to V. destructor and DWV that could potentially be used for marker-assisted selection.

scholarly journals First molecular detection of Apis mellifera filamentous virus in honey bees (Apis mellifera) in Hungary

2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigitta Zana ◽  
Lili Geiger ◽  
Anett Kepner ◽  
Fanni Földes ◽  
Péter Urbán ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Distribution Data ◽  
Winter Mortality ◽  
Pcr Screening ◽  
Economic Role ◽  
Parasitic Mite ◽  
First Time

Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) are important pollinators in the ecosystem and also play a crucial economic role in the honey industry. During the last decades, a continuous decay was registered in honey bee populations worldwide, including Hungary. In our study, we used metagenomic approaches and conventional PCR screening on healthy and winter mortality affected colonies from multiple sites in Hungary. The major goal was to discover presumed bee pathogens with viral metagenomic experiments and gain prevalence and distribution data by targeted PCR screening. We examined 664 honey bee samples that had been collected during winter mortality from three seemingly healthy colonies and from one colony infested heavily by the parasitic mite Varroa destructor in 2016 and 2017. The subsequent PCR screening of honey bee samples revealed the abundant presence of Apis mellifera filamentous virus (AmFV) for the first time in Central Europe. Based on phylogeny reconstruction, the newly-detected virus was found to be most closely related to a Chinese AmFV strain. More sequence data from multiple countries would be needed for studying the detailed phylogeographical patterns and worldwide spreading process of AmFV. Here we report the prevalent presence of this virus in Hungarian honey bee colonies.

scholarly journals Diversity and Global Distribution of Viruses of the Western Honey Bee, Apis mellifera

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexis Beaurepaire ◽  
Niels Piot ◽  
Vincent Doublet ◽  
Karina Antunez ◽  
Ewan Campbell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
New Host ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Queen Cell

In the past centuries, viruses have benefited from globalization to spread across the globe, infecting new host species and populations. A growing number of viruses have been documented in the western honey bee, Apis mellifera. Several of these contribute significantly to honey bee colony losses. This review synthetizes the knowledge of the diversity and distribution of honey-bee-infecting viruses, including recent data from high-throughput sequencing (HTS). After presenting the diversity of viruses and their corresponding symptoms, we surveyed the scientific literature for the prevalence of these pathogens across the globe. The geographical distribution shows that the most prevalent viruses (deformed wing virus, sacbrood virus, black queen cell virus and acute paralysis complex) are also the most widely distributed. We discuss the ecological drivers that influence the distribution of these pathogens in worldwide honey bee populations. Besides the natural transmission routes and the resulting temporal dynamics, global trade contributes to their dissemination. As recent evidence shows that these viruses are often multihost pathogens, their spread is a risk for both the beekeeping industry and the pollination services provided by managed and wild pollinators.

scholarly journals A biophysical approach to assess weather impacts on honey bee colony winter mortality

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedikt Becsi ◽  
Herbert Formayer ◽  
Robert Brodschneider
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Winter Mortality ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Biophysical Processes ◽  
Biophysical Approach

The western honey bee ( Apis mellifera ) is one of the most important insects kept by humans, but high colony losses are reported around the world. While the effects of general climatic conditions on colony winter mortality were already demonstrated, no study has investigated specific weather conditions linked to biophysical processes governing colony vitality. Here, we quantify the comparative relevance of four such processes that co-determine the colonies' fitness for wintering during the annual hive management cycle, using a 10-year dataset of winter colony mortality in Austria that includes 266 378 bee colonies. We formulate four process-based hypotheses for wintering success and operationalize them with weather indicators. The empirical data is used to fit simple and multiple linear regression models on different geographical scales. The results show that approximately 20% of winter mortality variability can be explained by the analysed weather conditions, and that it is most sensitive to the duration of extreme cold spells in mid and late winter. Our approach shows the potential of developing weather indicators based on biophysical processes and discusses the way forward for applying them in climate change studies.

scholarly journals Current Status of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Technologies for the Detection of Honey Bee Pathogens

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy C. Cameron ◽  
Danielle Wiles ◽  
Travis Beddoe
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Isothermal Amplification ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Molecular Diagnostic ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification

Approximately one-third of the typical human Western diet depends upon pollination for production, and honey bees (Apis mellifera) are the primary pollinators of numerous food crops, including fruits, nuts, vegetables, and oilseeds. Regional large scale losses of managed honey bee populations have increased significantly during the last decade. In particular, asymptomatic infection of honey bees with viruses and bacterial pathogens are quite common, and co-pathogenic interaction with other pathogens have led to more severe and frequent colony losses. Other multiple environmental stress factors, including agrochemical exposure, lack of quality forage, and reduced habitat, have all contributed to the considerable negative impact upon bee health. The ability to accurately diagnose diseases early could likely lead to better management and treatment strategies. While many molecular diagnostic tests such as real-time PCR and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry have been developed to detect honey bee pathogens, they are not field-deployable and thus cannot support local apiary husbandry decision-making for disease control. Here we review the field-deployable technology termed loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and its application to diagnose honey bee infections.

scholarly journals Comparison of apiculture and winter mortality of honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera) in Austria and Czechia

2019 ◽  
Vol 274 ◽  
pp. 24-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Brodschneider ◽  
Jan Brus ◽  
Jiří Danihlík
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Winter Mortality ◽  
Bee Colonies

Levels of selection shaping caste interactions during queen replacement in the honey bee, Apis mellifera

2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Long ◽  
T. T. Cao ◽  
J. J. Keller ◽  
D. R. Tarpy ◽  
M. Shin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Levels Of Selection ◽  
Queen Replacement
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