Which mountain cliffs do Apis laboriosa honey bees select as nesting sites and why?

Swarming and Migration ofApis dorsataandApis laboriosaHoney Bees in India, Nepal and BhutanThe migratory open air nestingApis dorsataandApis laboriosahoneybees migrate at least twice a year. DNA genotyping showed that the same swarms return to their natal nesting sites. We examined 23 nesting sites in Nepal, India and Bhutan, on which 587 colonies ofA. dorsataandA. laboriosanested. The results showed that the frequency of the periodic mass flights (PMF) performed by the colonies is a good indicator of the status of current colony performance. During the swarming period, both,A. dorsataandA. laboriosaissue several swarms. In some colonies, so many bees swarmed out, that those remaining in the maternal colonies did not cover the combs. After the rest of the brood emerged, all the bees of such colonies abscond during the swarming period. Thus, absconding appeared in results of total out swarming. The swarms do not migrate directly to the seasonal alternative nesting sites, but establish new colonies in the areas around. After environmental conditions deteriorate, all the bees with their queens abscond and migrate to alternate seasonal nesting sites. The next season, the swarms do not return to their original reproductive natal sites, but to those sites they occupied the previous season lately, where from they absconded.

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Comparison of Defense Body Movements of Apis laboriosa, Apis dorsata dorsata and Apis dorsata breviligula Honey Bees

Journal of Insect Behavior ◽

10.1007/s10905-008-9144-1 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 21 (6) ◽

pp. 481-494 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Jerzy Woyke ◽

Jerzy Wilde ◽

Maria Wilde ◽

Venkataramegowda Sivaram ◽

Cleofas Cervancia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Honey Bees ◽

Apis Dorsata ◽

Body Movements ◽

Apis Laboriosa

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Individuality of wing patterning in Giant honey bees (Apis laboriosa)

Apidologie ◽

10.1051/apido:2003020 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 311-318 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Gerald Kastberger ◽

Sarah Radloff ◽

Gerhard Kranner

Keyword(s):

Honey Bees ◽

Apis Laboriosa

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How honey bees find familiar feeding sites after changing nesting sites with a swarm

Animal Behaviour ◽

10.1006/anbe.1993.1260 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

pp. 813-816 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Fred C. Dyer

Keyword(s):

Honey Bees ◽

Feeding Sites ◽

Nesting Sites

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Pollinating Efficacy of Osmia cornifrons and Osmia lignaria subsp. lignaria (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) on Three Brassicaceae Species Grown Under Field Cages

Journal of Entomological Science ◽

10.18474/0749-8004-38.4.545 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 38 (4) ◽

pp. 545-552 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Craig A. Abel ◽

Richard L. Wilson ◽

Richard L. Luhman

Keyword(s):

Honey Bees ◽

Plant Introduction ◽

Solitary Bee ◽

Osmia Lignaria ◽

North Central ◽

The North ◽

Brassicaceae Species ◽

Native Bee ◽

Nesting Sites ◽

North Central Regional

Until 1997, honey bees, Apis mellifera L., were used to pollinate Brassicaceae grown in field cages at the North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station (NCRPIS), at Ames, IA. At this time, a solitary bee, Osmia cornifrons (Radoszkowski), was first employed to pollinate the crop in field cages; however, a native bee species, Osmia lignaria subsp. lignaria Say, out-competes O. cornifrons in central Iowa for artificial nesting sites erected for rearing. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of these two solitary bee species for producing Brassica napus, B. rapa, and Sinapis alba seed in field cages. There was no difference in seed production for the S. alba accession, PI 209022, or the B. rapa accession, PI 278766, between the two species of Osmia. But, the B. rapa accession, PI 392025, and the B. napus accession, PI 469944, produced significantly more seed when pollinated by O. lignaria subsp. lignaria than by O. cornifrons. Because the native bee is easier to rear and maintain, it will be the pollinator of choice for control pollinating collections of Brassicaceae species maintained at NCRPIS. The commercial use of O. lignaria subsp. lignaria or the related subspecies, O. lignaria subsp. propinqua, should be investigated for improving the production of canola and rapeseed.

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Bee-Proofing for Florida Citizens

EDIS ◽

10.32473/edis-in741-2007 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 2008 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Michael K. O’Malley ◽

James D. Ellis ◽

Anita S. Neal

Keyword(s):

Honey Bees ◽

Africanized Honey Bees ◽

Fact Sheet ◽

Nesting Sites

ENY-143, a 5-page illustrated fact sheet by M. K. O’Malley, J. D. Ellis, and A. S. Neal, provides information about Africanized honey bees (AHB), precautions that can be taken by Florida residents to locate potential nesting sites, prevent nests from forming, and how to inspect one's property for nests. Published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2007. ENY-143/IN741: Bee-Proofing for Florida Citizens (ufl.edu)

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