Application of the Natural Products NOZEMAT HERB and NOZEMAT HERB PLUS Can Decrease Honey Bee Colonies Losses during the Winter

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are crucial pollinators for many crops and natural ecosystems. However, honey bee colonies have been experiencing heavy overwinter mortality in almost all parts of the world. In the present study we have investigatеd, for the first time, the effects from the application of the herbal supplements NOZEMAT HERB® (NH) and NOZEMAT HERB PLUS® (NHP) on overwintering honey bee colony survival and on total protein and lysozyme content. To achieve this, in early autumn 2019, 45 colonies were selected and treated with these herbal supplements. The total protein and lysozyme content were evaluated after administration of NH and NHP twice the following year (June and September 2020). The obtained results have shown that both supplements have a positive effect on overwintering colony survival. Considerable enhancement in longevity of “winter bees” has been observed after the application of NHP, possibly due to the increased functionality of the immune system and antioxidant detoxification capacity. Although the mechanisms of action of NH and NHP are yet to be completely elucidated, our results suggest a new holistic approach on overwintering honey bee colony survival and welfare.

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Florida Beekeeping Management Calendar

EDIS ◽

10.32473/edis-in848-2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 (4) ◽

Author(s):

James D. Ellis ◽

Mary C. Bammer ◽

William H. Kern Jr.

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Plant Communities ◽

South Florida ◽

Floral Resources ◽

North Central ◽

Colony Management ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Starting Point ◽

Honey Bee Colony ◽

Bee Colonies

Climate, plant communities, and timing of floral resources differ significantly across Florida, which means that management of European honey bee colonies in Florida differs as well. This 8-page fact sheet written by James D. Ellis, Mary C. Bammer, and William H. Kern and published by Department of Entomology and Nematology outlines a management calendar created for Florida beekeepers. It is specific to region (north, central, and south Florida) and month and includes recommendations for major management considerations like when to treat for parasites or pathogens and when to feed colonies or harvest honey. This management calendar, while not exhaustive, is a valuable reference or starting point for honey bee colony management in Florida. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in848

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An Economic Approach to Assess the Annual Stock in Beekeeping Farms: The Honey Bee Colony Inventory Tool

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12219258 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (21) ◽

pp. 9258 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Monica Vercelli ◽

Luca Croce ◽

Teresina Mancuso

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Climate Trend ◽

Monetary Value ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Queen Replacement ◽

Varroa Mites ◽

Honey Bee Colony ◽

Mite Infestations ◽

Bee Colonies ◽

Economic Size

For beekeepers, the beehive stock represents a fundamental means of ensuring the continuity of their activity, whether they are professionals or hobbyists. The evaluation of this asset for economic purposes requires knowledge of the rhythms and adaptations of honey bee colonies during the annual seasons. As in any breeding activity, it is necessary to establish the numerical and economic size of the species bred. Beekeepers are interested in this evaluation to monitor beehive stock. For keeping economic accounts of stock, a specific tool has been developed and proposed, here called the “Honey Bee Colony Inventory (HBCI)”. The HBCI can be used as either a final or preventive scheme to assess the numbers of honey bee colonies and nuclei, and the mortality rate, in order to calculate the monetary value. This tool allows the strength of honey bee colony stocks to be monitored, including fluctuations throughout the year, and will prove useful for determining solutions to maintain or increase how long stocks last. Data can be registered in countries such as Italy where the veterinary authorities request data on the stock owned and its variations. Due to widespread Varroa mite infestations, in recent years, beekeepers have experimented with a range of different biotechniques that have included queen caging as well as drone and total brood removal. To verify its effectiveness for gathering honey bee colony data, the HBCI was used in nine beekeeping farms applying different biotechniques to control Varroa mites: chemical treatment, total brood removal, queen caging and old queen replacement by royal cell insertion. The results are compared and discussed. Out of the nine farms, seven showed negative monetary value according to the HBCI, as expected, due to multiple factors such as the unfavorable climate trend of 2017 in the studied area. The positive aspect is that the application of this tool will allow farmers to monitor, manage and maintain their beehive stocks.

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Monitoring of Honey Bee Colony Losses: A Special Issue

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d12100403 ◽

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.

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Austrian COLOSS Survey of Honey Bee Colony Winter Losses 2018/19 and Analysis of Hive Management Practices

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d12030099 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 99 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Hannes Oberreiter ◽

Robert Brodschneider

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Management Practices ◽

Favourable Effect ◽

Winter Mortality ◽

Colony Losses ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Honey Bee Colony ◽

Colony Survival ◽

The Impact ◽

Loss Rates

We conducted a citizen science survey on overwinter honey bee colony losses in Austria. A total of 1534 beekeepers with 33,651 colonies reported valid loss rates. The total winter loss rate for Austria was 15.2% (95% confidence interval: 14.4–16.1%). Young queens showed a positive effect on colony survival and queen-related losses. Observed queen problems during the season increased the probability of losing colonies to unsolvable queen problems. A notable number of bees with crippled wings during the foraging season resulted in high losses and could serve as an alarm signal for beekeepers. Migratory beekeepers and large operations had lower loss rates than smaller ones. Additionally, we investigated the impact of several hive management practices. Most of them had no significant effect on winter mortality, but purchasing wax from outside the own operation was associated with higher loss rates. Colonies that reported foraging on maize and late catch crop fields or collecting melezitose exhibited higher loss rates. The most common Varroa destructor control methods were a combination of long-term formic acid treatment in summer and oxalic acid trickling in winter. Biotechnical methods in summer had a favourable effect on colony survival.

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The effect of oxalic acid applied by sublimation on honey bee colony fitness: a comparison with amitraz

Acta Veterinaria Brno ◽

10.2754/avb201685030255 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 85 (3) ◽

pp. 255-260

Author(s):

Ivana Papežíková ◽

Miroslava Palíková ◽

Stanislav Navrátil ◽

Radka Heumannová ◽

Michael Fronc

Keyword(s):

Adverse Effect ◽

Apis Mellifera ◽

Oxalic Acid ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Varroa Destructor ◽

Treated Group ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Colony Fitness ◽

Honey Bee Colony ◽

Bee Colonies

Oxalic acid is one of the organic acids used for controlling Varroa destructor, a mite parasitizing the honey bee (Apis mellifera). The aim of this work was to examine the effect of oxalic acid applied by sublimation on honey bee colony fitness, and to compare it with the effect of amitraz, a routinely used synthetic acaricide. Bee colonies of equal strength were randomly divided into two groups. In December 2014, one group was treated with amitraz in the form of aerosol, and the second group was treated with oxalic acid applied by sublimation. The colonies were monitored over winter. Dead bees found at the bottom of the hive were counted regularly and examined microscopically for infection with Nosema sp. (Microsporidia). At the end of March 2015, living foragers from each hive were sampled and individually examined for Nosema sp. infection. Colony strength was evaluated at the beginning of April. No adverse effect of oxalic acid on colony strength was observed despite the fact that the total number of dead bees was non-significantly higher in the oxalic acid-treated group. Examination of dead bees for Nosema infection did not reveal significant differences in spore numbers between the experimental groups. There was a substantial difference in living individuals, however, with a significantly higher amount of spores per bee found in the amitraz-treated colonies compared to the oxalic acid-treated colonies. Compared to amitraz, oxalic acid applied by sublimation showed no adverse effects on bee colony fitness or on successful overwintering.

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Effects of honey bee virus prevalence, Varroa destructor load and queen condition on honey bee colony survival over the winter in Belgium

Journal of Apicultural Research ◽

10.3896/ibra.1.50.3.03 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 50 (3) ◽

pp. 195-202 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Bach Kim Nguyen ◽

Magali Ribière ◽

Dennis vanEngelsdorp ◽

Chantal Snoeck ◽

Claude Saegerman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Varroa Destructor ◽

Virus Prevalence ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Honey Bee Colony ◽

Colony Survival ◽

Bee Virus

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Factors Associated with Honey Bee Colony Losses: A Mini-Review

Veterinary Sciences ◽

10.3390/vetsci7040166 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 166 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Peter Hristov ◽

Rositsa Shumkova ◽

Nadezhda Palova ◽

Boyko Neov

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Daily Routine ◽

Colony Losses ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Main Factors ◽

Honey Bee Colony ◽

Bee Colonies ◽

Honey Bee Colony Losses

The Western honey bee (Apis mellifera L., Hymenoptera: Apidae) is a species of crucial economic, agricultural and environmental importance. In the last ten years, some regions of the world have suffered from a significant reduction of honey bee colonies. In fact, honey bee losses are not an unusual phenomenon, but in many countries worldwide there has been a notable decrease in honey bee colonies. The cases in the USA, in many European countries, and in the Middle East have received considerable attention, mostly due to the absence of an easily identifiable cause. It has been difficult to determine the main factors leading to colony losses because of honey bees’ diverse social behavior. Moreover, in their daily routine, they make contact with many agents of the environment and are exposed to a plethora of human activities and their consequences. Nevertheless, various factors have been considered to be contributing to honey bee losses, and recent investigations have established some of the most important ones, in particular, pests and diseases, bee management, including bee keeping practices and breeding, the change in climatic conditions, agricultural practices, and the use of pesticides. The global picture highlights the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor as a major factor in colony loss. Last but not least, microsporidian parasites, mainly Nosema ceranae, also contribute to the problem. Thus, it is obvious that there are many factors affecting honey bee colony losses globally. Increased monitoring and scientific research should throw new light on the factors involved in recent honey bee colony losses. The present review focuses on the main factors which have been found to have an impact on the increase in honey bee colony losses.

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Honey Bee Colony Population Daily Loss Rate Forecasting and an Early Warning Method Using Temporal Convolutional Networks

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21113900 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (11) ◽

pp. 3900

Author(s):

Thi-Nha Ngo ◽

Dan Jeric Arcega Rustia ◽

En-Cheng Yang ◽

Ta-Te Lin

Keyword(s):

Honey Bee ◽

Early Warning ◽

Loss Rate ◽

Critical Index ◽

Forecasting Model ◽

Determination Method ◽

Bee Colony ◽

Population Loss ◽

Honey Bee Colony ◽

Bee Colonies

The population loss rate of a honey bee colony is a critical index to verify its health condition. Forecasting models for the population loss rate of a honey bee colony can be an essential tool in honey bee health management and pave away to early warning methods in the understanding of potential abnormalities affecting a honey bee colony. This work presents a forecasting and early warning algorithm for the population daily loss rate of honey bee colonies and determining warning levels based on the predictions. Honey bee colony population daily loss rate data were obtained through embedded image systems to automatically monitor in real-time the in-and-out activity of honey bees at hive entrances. A forecasting model was trained based on temporal convolutional neural networks (TCN) to predict the following day’s population loss rate. The forecasting model was optimized by conducting feature importance analysis, feature selection, and hyperparameter optimization. A warning level determination method using an isolation forest algorithm was applied to classify the population daily loss rate as normal or abnormal. The integrated algorithm was tested on two population loss rate datasets collected from multiple honey bee colonies in a honey bee farm. The test results show that the forecasting model can achieve a weighted mean average percentage error (WMAPE) of 17.1 ± 1.6%, while the warning level determination method reached 90.0 ± 8.5% accuracy. The forecasting model developed through this study can be used to facilitate efficient management of honey bee colonies and prevent colony collapse.

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