Beekeeping has the potential to diversify the income of farmers in addition to regular farm income. This can lead to a wealthier farmer and also a respectable source of income to unemployed youth. The present research was designed to find out how farmers can maximize their apiary income by following practices that are scientifically proved. Apis melllifera colonies were managed at different initial

Honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) populations have undergone a dramatic decline as an outcome of an increasing incidence of colony collapse disorder (CCD). The honey bee is a unique keystone species because its pollination activities are not only necessary for the viability of many flowering plant species in the wild, but are also necessary for many human agricultural practices. The increasing prevalence

Eggplant is an important vegetable crop grown worldwide. Eggplant flowers have typical poricidal anthers which need a vibratory motion for effective pollination. This study was conducted to identify the major flower visitors and their effect on eggplant pollination/fruit set. Nine different species of bees visited eggplant flowers. The pollination efficiency index of the buzz pollinating bee, Amegilla

There is both anecdotal and empirical evidence to suggest that honey bee queen longevity has decreased in recent years, leading to premature supersedure and queen failure. This is particularly evident when beekeepers create new colonies from packages, where many queens are immediately rejected or replaced after only a few weeks. Relatively little is known about the mechanisms that trigger supersedure

Volatile oils of propolis obtained from Ondo (Ondo town) and Osun (Ile-Ife) States in Rain forest region of southwest Nigeria were extracted using the hydrodistillation method. The oils were analysed on GC/MS and investigated for DPPH scavenging activities, antibacterial potentials, and inhibitory activities on lipase and alpha glucosidase enzymes. Spectrophotometric methods were used for the DPPH

Stingless social bees have been used in the Meliponiculture as a sustainable activity by several indigenous communities in Central Amazon. Pollen samples collected by Melipona dubia, Melipona seminigra and Scaptotrigona sp. bees from communities of the Sateré Mawé tribe were analyzed and 61 pollen types were identified. The most representative botanical families in the samples were: Anacardiaceae,

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is the second most produced oilseed crop in the world. It provides a high-quality nutrient for pollinating insects, and pollination, in many cases, increases crop yield. Although a large number of species visit rapeseed crops, Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) is the most frequent, abundant, and with the highest pollination potential. Our aim was to evaluate the effect

This study aimed to determine the palynological and physicochemical properties of multifloral honey collected from different regions of Algeria. A total of 24 different honey samples have been analysed for various physicochemical parameters (moisture, electrical conductivity, pH, acidity (free, lactone and total), Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), proteins, color, total sugars, fructose, glucose, sucrose

(2021). Editorial. Journal of Apicultural Research: Vol. 60, No. 1, pp. 1-2.

The European dark honey bee (Apis mellifera mellifera) is today a rare subspecies across the former range of northern Europe where it has largely been replaced by hybrid bees such as the popular “Buckfast,” involving, but not limited to, the Italian subspecies (Apis mellifera ligustica). Here, we report the presence of native dark bees in advertisements since the later half of the 19th century and

In this study, we present for the first time information on nesting site, the architecture of nests, sex ration, and development of Centris (Trachina) perforator. Furthermore, we revised the literature and summarized the information on the nest biology of ground-nesting species of Centris. The nest of C. perforator consists of a main short tunnel that is split into branches with 2 to 15 brood cells

Apis mellifera ruttneri is the endemic honey bee subspecies of the Maltese Islands. This population is endangered by hybridization with other honey bee subspecies that are frequently imported by beekeepers. It deserves conservation because of its unique behavioral traits including adaptation to the local climate. Conservation of honey bee subspecies is not easy, because it requires the identification

The effects of in-hive tasks on the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) ventriculus microbial profile were investigated by analysing honey bees belonging to six in-hive tasks (newly-emerged, nurses, wax builder, guardians, young foragers, old foragers). Total viable aerobic bacterial count, Enterobacteriaceae, staphylococci, Escherichia coli, lactic acid bacteria, Pseudomonas spp., aerobic bacterial endospores

Honey products have become an important human dietary constituent because of their nutraceutical and pharmaceutical activities. Studies on honey products have increased to inform consumers. Therefore, the antioxidant properties and phenolic and carotenoid profiles of bee pollen collected from two different regions (Black Sea and Marmara) in Turkey were studied. The antioxidant properties of 16 chestnut

The main objective of this study was to determine the effects of heat treatment on the physicochemical, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of Kelulut, Tualang, and Acacia honey. Each type of honey was heated to 50, 75, and 90 °C, with unheated honey used as a control. The results indicate that the pH and color intensity of Kelulut, Tualang, and Acacia honey increased after heat treatment. Antioxidant

The number of bees has decreased drastically partly due to bacterial pathogens like Paenibacillus larvae that cause American foulbrood disease. The recent emergence of pathogenic resistant strains makes it more difficult to, successfully, treat infections. Research on alternative antibacterial agents from naturally occurring plants that also have low toxicity levels is critical to address the issue

Historical antecedents of bee introductions, as well as behavioral aspects of the bees, have allowed assuming that Cuban bees are of European origin, and have remained on that way for approximately 60 years of isolation, even though Latin America and the Caribbean region is practically Africanized. In this work, three bees were collected per apiary from 11 localities distributed throughout Cuba and

Notes on three nests of the large carpenter bee Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) frontalis (Olivier) (Apidae) attacked by the parasitoid Leucospis leucotelus Walker (Leucospidae) are presented. We observed that host brood cells contained from four to 12 parasitoids (adults or immature) which allowed us to identify this Leucospis species as a gregarious parasitoid. This was the first record of a gregarious Leucospis

Melissococcus plutonius is the causative agent of European foulbrood of honey bee larvae (Apis mellifera). The early diagnosis of disease is necessary for its elimination. Previously, we found false-positive results for PCR detection of M. plutonius in honey bee workers by qPCR. Here we report the comparison of PCR methods for quantification of M. plutonius in the bacteria spiked samples of honey bee

The biodiversity survey of small carpenter bees for two years (2014–15) in Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, resulted in a new record, Ceratina (Ceratinidia) compacta Smith (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Ceratinini) from India. Earlier, C. compacta was known from the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China and Bangladesh; now this record in India shows the range expansion of this bee among Asian

Beekeeping has been increasingly been promoted in developing countries to create income-generating opportunities for marginalised people without exacerbating environmental degradation. While many successful programs have been implemented, there have also been projects with high resource inputs that have resulted in few, if any, positive livelihood outcomes. This variation in success highlights a need

The Carniolan honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica) is an indigenous subspecies of the Western honey bee in Central Europe. Croatia represents a large part of its native range. Hybridization and introgression is a realistic possibility due to unmonitored imports by beekeepers. In this study, we focused on honey bee colonies managed by beekeepers from all over Croatia and Slovenia. The identification of

The present study focused on evaluating the nutritional effects of different levels of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) on queen’s spawning, the estimation of adult and worker bee population, and the production of honey, body fat, and protein in Apis mellifara meda. In the early spring, a total of 25 honey bee colonies with similar conditions in terms of the quality and age of the queen, as well as the same

Unlike the situation in other countries such as Brazil or Mexico, beekeeping with stingless bees has only recently become a prominent practice in Australia. The first divisible brood-chamber hive designed for native bees was developed in the late 1980s, which stimulated the social interest and popularity for keeping stingless bees on the east coast of Australia. The cultural significance and history

We investigated the fruit set and quality of yellow passion fruit subjected to hand and natural pollination by carpenter bees (Xylocopa spp.) in the Philippines. We also recorded the foraging behavior of the bees. A quadrat measuring 6 m x 7 m was marked in a yellow passion fruit plantation for the investigation. Two groups of 20 flowers that had been either hand pollinated or visited by the bees were

Pesticides have been described as a major cause of bee mortality, and thus are predictors of population decline and decrease in pollination services. Standardized tests with Apis mellifera are already common, and there is a need to create adequate parameters for the native solitary and eusocial species of stingless bees. In this study, we evaluated lethal dosages (LD50 and LD90), lethal time (LT),

To evaluate the effect of Roundup® on royal jelly production, Apis mellifera hives were exposed to food containing sublethal doses of the herbicide. The bioassay was carried out in field conditions with exposed and not exposed hives to Roundup®, three replicates per treatment. The Roundup® diet decreases the amount of royal jelly produced and the number of grafted cells.

This study aimed to characterize honey of Melipona scutellaris regarding its physicochemical parameters using the electronic tongue (e-tongue) technique combined with the multivariate statistical analysis for honey differentiation. Physicochemical parameters were evaluated following official methods of chemical analyses. A potentiometric electronic tongue with 16 cross-sensitivity sensors was used

Bee pollen has been promoted as a dietary supplement for humans due to its nutritional and bioactive properties. Sixty-two samples of Apis mellifera dehydrated bee pollen collected in Brazil (eight states and Federal District) were analyzed for phenolic compounds, flavonoids, antioxidant activity using DPPH, β-carotene and ORAC methods, and antimicrobial activity. The values obtained for total phenolic

Structure and function of the honey bee, Apis mellifera stinger is very well known. Nevertheless, we described two novel ultrastructural details at the end of the stinger using scanning electron microscopy. We found that the tips of the stinger lancets are not smooth; their edges are serrated and their surface contains numerous pits. We determined the height of the edge teeth to be approximately 0

Apis mellifera mellifera (Linnaeus), the Western European honey bee, is considered extinct in the wild over most of its range due largely to hybridisation and replacement by other subspecies, parasitism by Varroa destructor, habitat loss, and effects from agricultural pesticides. The purity of the subspecies within the managed cohort is also at risk over much of its range. Here, we investigated if

Many organisms are known to have wide distribution ranges, which cover large variability of ecological conditions. Therefore, natural history traits can differ throughout the distributional range, and, thus, studies on the natural history of traits from multiple areas of a single species are highly valuable. Ceratina cucurbitina is the most common small carpenter bee in Europe. We examined the social

In recent years, there has been a great concern about increased honey bee losses and this phenomenon has turned into a global issue. Therefore, immune system research on honey bees gained importance. Hemocytes are an important part of the immune system. But there is a limited study about hemocyte types of honey bees. From this point of view, a detailed study was performed on hemocyte types of honey

Centris (Paracentris) xanthomelaena is a ground-nesting solitary bee endemic to Brazil’s Caatinga biome. In this unprecedented study, we described this species’ nesting biology and other features, such as its architecture, nest building dynamics, sex ratio and adult emergence. We selected five aggregations in a fragment of seasonally dry forest. Nests were established on vertical banks and flat soil

This study aimed to investigate the lactic acid bacteria in stingless bees (Lepidotrigona terminata). Stingless bees were randomly collected from five different nests in Chiang Mai University, identified via the COI gene, and compared to those in the NCBI database. The result showed that all samples were L. terminata. Bees were extracted and subjected to 10-fold dilution to screen on MRS agar to estimate

The gut parasite Lotmaria passim has recently been identified in Apis mellifera and appears to be the predominant trypanosome in honey bees worldwide, but there is little information about L. passim in honey bees of different ages and stages of development. We evaluated the prevalence and load of L. passim in eggs, young and old larvae, dark pupae, newly emerged, nurse and forager bees from colonies

The research aimed to evaluate the effect of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae on Africanized Apis mellifera L. 1758 (Hymenoptera: Apidae). The application methods of entomopathogens suspensions were: 1) sprayed on eucalyptus leaves; 2) sprayed directly onto workers honey bees; and 3) incorporated in a candy paste. Sterilized distilled water that was offered to bees was used as a control

The present work aimed to evaluate the biochemical, physicochemical and melissopalynological characteristics of two honey types obtained from the same production period (a light one and a dark one) and to apply them in the fermentative process of mead by three yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae Montrachet, Saccharomyces bayanus Premier Blanc and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Safbrew T-58), incubated at 30 °C

Propolis is a resinous product collected by honey bees from plant-derived materials, with high content of polyphenols associated to various bioactivities. In this study, a powerful separation and identification method of polyphenol compounds from Chinese propolis samples were investigated using off-line two-dimensional reversed-phase liquid chromatography (2D-RPLC/RPLC) in combination with Q-TOF-MS

In the field of agriculture, neonicotinoids are used for seed dressing as well as for spraying. They are systemic in nature and are highly efficient in controlling sucking insect pests. But nowadays, the reduction in the count of pollinators is a major concern and this new class of insecticides is being criticized for being the main cause of this destruction. Neonicotinoids affect the nicotinic acetylcholine

This study compared the nutraceutical potential of Apis mellifera and Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides honeys from the semiarid region of Bahia, Brazil, using microbiological, melissopalynological, and physicochemical techniques. Total phenols and flavonoids and the antioxidant activity were also determined. All samples had good microbiological quality and safety with an absence of coliforms, Escherichia

Bee pollen is a favorable microhabitat for many microorganisms and its dissemination via commercialization must be of important consideration. Here the data presented describe the characterization of bacteria and fungi community structure in seven commercial bee pollen samples from Europe, Mexico, and Chile, obtained from a commercial supplier, which were determined by amplicon-rRNA and ITS analysis

(2021). Nesting behavior of the oil-collecting bee Epicharis (Triepicharis) analis Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in an urban area of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Journal of Apicultural Research: Vol. 60, No. 1, pp. 135-142.

The high infection of adult honey bees with Nosema spores is known as nosemosis and can destroy bee colonies. In a previous study, we have reported the anti-nosemosis effect of ethanol and aqueous extracts of Artemisia dubia, Aster scaber, and A. dubia + A. scaber. In the current study, we isolated five phenolic compounds [chlorogenic acid, 3,4-dicaffaeoylquinic acid(3,4-DCQA), 3,5-dicaffaeoylquinic

The socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 on society have yet to be truly revealed; there is no doubt that the pandemic has severely affected the daily lives of most of humanity. It is to be expected that the research activities of scientists could be impacted to varying degrees, but no data exist on how COVID-19 has affected research specifically. Here, we show that the still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

Propolis has been used in ethnobotany and traditional practices and is currently considered a source of phytotherapeutics. The aim of this study was to develop an antibiotic and antioxidant hydrogel containing Argentine propolis extract and evaluate its stability for one year in different conditions. A fingerprint by HPLC-DAD of propolis extract showed the presence of caffeic, coumaric, ferulic and

This article presents managed honey bee colony loss rates over winter 2018/19 resulting from using the standardised COLOSS questionnaire in 35 countries (31 in Europe). In total, 28,629 beekeepers supplying valid loss data wintered 738,233 colonies, and reported 29,912 (4.1%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.0–4.1%) colonies with unsolvable queen problems, 79,146 (10.7%, 95% CI 10.5–10.9%) dead colonies

Most Varroa induced colony losses occur during the autumn or winter season as a consequence of an elevated Varroa infestation level and an insufficient health status of the adult bees. Even with an initial low Varroa infestation in early spring, critical mite and virus infection levels can be reached before winter if colonies continuously rear brood throughout the whole season. To overcome this challenge

Essential oils (EOs) extracted from the aromatic plants Artemisia annua, Artemisia verlotiorum, Cinnamomum verum, and Citrus reticulata were investigated as repellents against the honey bees parasitic mite Varroa destructor. In laboratory tests, all EOs except C. reticulata exerted significant repellent activity against the mite after 24 h exposure. C. verumwas the most effective EO against V. destructor

The aim of this study was to develop mixtures of bee bread and pollen with linseed oil, sea buckthorn oil, royal jelly, and algae Spirulina (Spirulina platesnis) and to determine the impact of vegetable oils on invertase and glucose oxidase activity, free acidity and the influence of storage conditions on enzyme activity in the tested products. The influence of storage conditions and duration was determined

Small hive beetles (SHB, Aethina tumida Murray, Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) are parasites of social bee colonies endemic to sub-Saharan Africa and have become an invasive species. Even though the global spread of SHB seems inevitable, the origin of novel introductions and their impact on new host populations need to be investigated to foster mitigation. Here, we report a case of SHBs from China and use

Being part of the Wallacea region, Sulawesi has many endemic fauna, including five species of stingless bees. However, their morphology, nest structure, and molecular characteristics have not been documented fully. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the morphology, nest structure, and molecular characteristics of stingless bees in South and West Sulawesi. Samples were collected from seven sampling

The aim of this study was to determine the physicochemical properties, bioactive substance content, and microbiological quality of sixty different honey samples collected from twelve different regions of Bayburt, Turkey. The samples were analyzed for their sugar, moisture, total phenolic, total flavonoid contents, and water activity, conductivity, pH values and colour, antiradical activity, and DSC

Honey bees have a sting which allows them to inject venomous substances into the body of an opponent or attacker. As the sting originates from a modified ovipositor, it only occurs in the female insect, and this is a defining feature of the bee species that belong to a subclade of the Hymenoptera called Aculeata. There is considerable interest in bee venom research, primarily because of an important

Pollen collected by stingless bee is stored and packed in honey pots following the addition of various enzymes and nectar, or honey which contains microorganisms to undergo lactic acid fermentation to produce bee bread. Naturally fermented foods are known to contain probiotic bacteria. Thus, the aim of this study was to isolate probiotic bacteria from bee bread and characterize the probiotic potential

The socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 on society have yet to be truly revealed; there is no doubt that the pandemic has severely affected the daily lives of most of humanity. It is to be expected that the research activities of scientists could be impacted to varying degrees, but no data exist on how COVID-19 has affected research specifically. Here, we show that the still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

This article presents managed honey bee colony loss rates over winter 2018/19 resulting from using the standardised COLOSS questionnaire in 35 countries (31 in Europe). In total, 28,629 beekeepers supplying valid loss data wintered 738,233 colonies, and reported 29,912 (4.1%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.0–4.1%) colonies with unsolvable queen problems, 79,146 (10.7%, 95% CI 10.5–10.9%) dead colonies

Melipona scutellaris Latreille, 1811 is of economic importance for local beekeepers, besides its relevance in the pollination of native plant species of the Brazilian Atlantic forest. Currently, data on the use of floral resources by Meliponini colonies are scarce, particularly in urban environments. We evaluated the botanical origin, the microbiological and physicochemical characteristics of pollen

Honey bees have been an important area of research and study going back at least to the days of Aristotle in the third century B.C. The amount and breadth of this research have been steadily increasing over time, especially during the modern age with the growing importance of honey bees to our society in agriculture, economics, food, medicine, and even computing technology. Even for those familiar

Propolis is a honey bee product containing resin derived from plants. It has been shown that propolis protects beehives against infections and enhances their immunity. The honey bee favorite source of resin for propolis production in southeast Brazil is Baccharis dracunculifolia (Asteraceae), a species not adapted to grow inside forests. Colonies of Africanized honey bees were placed in a clearing