FLOW OF SACBROOD DISEASE IN CREATION OF INFERTILE PERIOD AT BEE COLONIES IN COMPARISON WITH THE USE OF PROBIOTIC «APINORMIN», NANOSIZED CERIUM DIOXIDE, PLANT ORIGIN PREPARATION «NI NU NA»

На бджолиних сім’ях, уражених мішечкуватим розплодом, визначено ефективність безрозплідного періоду порівняно з обробленням сімей пробіотиком «Апінорміном» (4%), нано-розмірним діоксидом церію («Нано-СеО2») (0,5%), препаратом рослинного походження «Ні Ну На» (1%), діючою речовиною якого є витяжка з виноградних кісточок. Установлено, що жоден із випробуваних препаратів не мав лікувального ефекту за мішечкуватого розплоду. Ефективним заходом виявилося створення у хворих сім’ях безрозплідного періоду на термін виведення нових маток. Оскільки аналогічні дані ми отримали раніше за аскосферозу та мішечкуватого розплоду, то цей технологічний прийом можна рекомендувати при більшості інфекційних захворювань розплоду у бджіл. Ключові слова: бджолині сім’ї, мішечкуватий розплід, безрозплідний період, пробіотик «Апінормін», нано-розмірний діоксид церію («Нано-СеО2»), препарат рослинного походження «Ні Ну На».

EVALUATION OF THE PLACES FOR CREATION OF APIARIES AND OPTIMAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE BEE COLONIES

An approach for evaluation of the places for creation of apiaries and optimal distribution of bee colonies formed on the basis of the feeding capacities of the areas with flowering plants, the distances between these sites and the feeding areas is proposed. A multicriteria model with two main criteria is considered. The first maximizes the sum of the products of the weights for a given place multiplied by the number of colonies that will be positioned at that place. This criterion is divided into two sub-criteria, including the ‘subjective’ and ‘objective’ assessment of place preferences, respectively. The second criterion aims to minimize malnourished bee colonies. The model, with the proposed approach for ‘objective’ assessment of potential distribution sites, can be applied both for cases without overpopulation of the area with bee colonies and for areas with overpopulation.

Assessment of the quality of honey apiaries central agroecological zone of Yakutia

This article discusses the results of a study of the quality of honey from different apiaries of the Central agroecological zone of Yakutia. The data of organoleptic evaluation of honey samples are given. The mass fractions of water, mass fractions of recoding sugars, sucrose and insoluble substances in both samples comply with the standards. The diastase number in honey samples is higher than standard indicators, which with the above organoleptic and other physico-chemical indicators confirm the quality and high biological activity. Keywords: BEE COLONIES, APIARY, AGROECOLOGICAL ZONE, HONEY, HONEY PRODUCTIVITY, ORGANOLEPTIC INDICATORS, PHYSICOCHEMICAL INDICATORS, BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY

Unprecedented Density and Persistence of Feral Honey Bees in Urban Environments of a Large SE-European City (Belgrade, Serbia)

It is assumed that wild honey bees have become largely extinct across Europe since the 1980s, following the introduction of exotic ectoparasitic mite (Varroa) and the associated spillover of various pathogens. However, several recent studies reported on unmanaged colonies that survived the Varroa mite infestation. Herewith, we present another case of unmanaged, free-living population of honey bees in SE Europe, a rare case of feral bees inhabiting a large and highly populated urban area: Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. We compiled a massive data-set derived from opportunistic citizen science (>1300 records) during the 2011–2017 period and investigated whether these honey bee colonies and the high incidence of swarms could be a result of a stable, self-sustaining feral population (i.e., not of regular inflow of swarms escaping from local managed apiaries), and discussed various explanations for its existence. We also present the possibilities and challenges associated with the detection and effective monitoring of feral/wild honey bees in urban settings, and the role of citizen science in such endeavors. Our results will underpin ongoing initiatives to better understand and support naturally selected resistance mechanisms against the Varroa mite, which should contribute to alleviating current threats and risks to global apiculture and food production security.

Emerging Applications of Bio-Inspired Algorithms in Image Segmentation

Image processing is one example of digital media. It consists of a set of operations to handle an image. Image segmentation is among its main important operations. It involves dividing the image into several parts or regions to extract vital information or identify relevant objects. Many techniques of artificial intelligence, including bio-inspired algorithms, have been used in this regard. This article collected the state-of-the-art studies presenting image-segmentation techniques combined with four bio-inspired algorithms including particle swarm optimization (PSO), genetic algorithms (GA), ant colony optimization (ACO), and artificial bee colonies (ABC). This research work aimed at showing the importance of image segmentation and its combination with these algorithms. This article provides insights on how these algorithms are adapted to image-segmentation combinatorial problems, which assist researchers to start the first hands-on application. It also discusses their setting parameters and the highly used algorithms such as PSO, GA, ACO, and ABC. The article presents new research directions in image segmentation based on bio-inspired algorithms.

Influence of early spring feeding on the development of bee families in the natural lands of Polissya

To ensure intensive early spring development of bee colonies in the natural lands of Polissya Zhytomyr region in the winter-spring period it is necessary to feed stimulating food. Therefore, the aim of the work is to study the influence of spring feeding with sugar-honey dough on the development and honey productivity of bee families of Ukrainian breed in conditions of clean and radioactively contaminated natural lands of Zhytomyr Polissya. The influence of feeding bee colonies with sugar-honey dough (powdered sugar, centrifuged honey, water) using pure and radioactively contaminated honey on the intensity of development and honey productivity was studied. To do this, two groups were created with experimental families of Ukrainian bee breeds, selected on the principle of analogs, one of which was in a radioactively clean area, and the other in radioactively contaminated soils 137 Cs within 15 Ki/km² and above. A comparative assessment of the early spring development of families was made: from March 16 to May 20, with an interval of 21 days, the number of open and sealed brood, egg production of queens during the honey harvest season was determined. Honey productivity at the honey harvest from natural lands was determined by the amount of honey obtained in spring and summer. Early spring feeding with sugar-honey dough promotes intensive development of families, and the content of radioactively contaminated honey does not have a negative impact on their development. After the end of the season of honey collection from natural lands, bee families of Ukrainian breed, both in the radioactively contaminated and clean zone, had a medium strength and could successfully overwinter.

Influence of conditions of keeping bee families in wintering on their productivity

Creating favorable conditions for the development of bee colonies, adherence to technological techniques and processes are of great importance in increasing productivity. The article highlights the results of research on the impact of increased subframe space during the wintering of bee colonies on their further development and productivity. In the course of the research, bee colonies were evaluated on the basis of a set of economically useful traits. For research, 2 groups of bee colonies were identified, 10 in each, equivalent in strength and food security, with young fertile queens bred in the same year. The formation of experimental groups took into account the strength of bee colonies, the number of closed brood, the age of the queens, the availability of feed (honey and perga), and the quality of nest cells. These indicators in the experimental groups were almost the same. When preparing bee colonies for winter, the frames in the families of the control group were in the center of the hive, removed the top insulation and unscrewed the sheets by 5–7 sm in the experimental group performed the same actions as in the control winters substituted empty store extensions, thus increasing the subframe space. During the research, honey and wax productivity, strength of families in different periods of the active season and winter hardiness were determined. It was found that bees kept in the hives with increased subframe space, in which 76.1 % less plague was detected, compared with the control group, tolerate wintering well. These families are developing more intensively in the spring and summer period – the advantage in strength was 25.8 % in April, 31.4 % in May, and 31.6 % in June. And further they show higher honey and wax productivity by 24.9 and 32.1 %, respectively.

THE QUALITY OF BEE QUEENS OBTAINED BY DIFFERENT METHODS

Honeybees can only live and work in a bee colony. There is normally only one queen bee in a standard bee colony. It is the family's only fully matured female and the mother of young queen, drone, and worker bees. When a bee colony loses its queen bee and is unable to reproduce a new one, it eventually dies. Timely change of queen bees every 2 years, as well as increasing and maintaining the strength of bee colonies are the main zootechnical measures to maintain optimal life of bees and get the maximum amount of products from them. The presence of the queen bee in the bee family of honey bees fully influences their flight activity in collecting bee pollen. In its absence, the harvesting of pollen and its processing, as well as the extraction of wax and the construction of honeycombs, the cultivation of brood, and the collection of nectar are significantly slowed down and then completely stopped. With the advent of the uterus, all the functions of the family as a whole biological system are restored. Therefore, the quality of queens is a determining factor in the viability and productivity of the bee colony. The aim of the study was to compare the quality of reproductive function of queen bees of Apis mellifera sossimai and Apis mellifera carpatica breeds in different ways of obtaining them, and the impact on productivity of the bee colony. To carry out experimental work in the apiary, three control groups and two experimental groups were formed, with nine bee colonies in each group. In the first group, the queen bees were artificially breeded from the nursery, in the second group - fistulous queens bees, and in the third - the swarm queen bees. The apiary is situated on a 50-50 meter plot of land. Hives are used to keep bee colonies. Bees are kept in the apiary of the Ukrainian field breed. A pollinating honey area is available at the apiary. A winter house, a mobile vehicle, and a suitable chamber for honey pumping are all available at the apiary. Mustard is sown around the apiary every year. According to the study, big full-fledged queen bees are born in a healthy, physiologically complete bee colony. When the strength of a bee colony was increased, the queen bees were born 30 mg lighter. The number of fallopian tubes of queen bees raised with a biological integrity breach is 185,1 ± 7,3, while the number of fallopian tubes of queen bees raised with biological integrity is 207,6 ± 7,4. If the bees bring nectar and pollen during the breeding process, the queen bees are born huge, but without the forage а little and with poor executive abilities. It makes no difference how strong the foraging is; even 200 – 300 g of nectar and pollen per day has a positive impact on the quality of queen bees produced. Fistula uteruses had higher egg production compared to swarms in the same conditions of colony development.