Beekeeping: Science updates

  Science updates: The grooming behavior of honey bees in response to the Varroa mite   The research article focuses on the grooming behavior of honey bees in response to the Varroa destructor mite, a significant threat to bee populations. The study aimed to compare the grooming responses of bees from colonies with high and low grooming behaviors, using both a standardized irritant (chalk dust) and live Varroa mites as stimuli. Through a series of individual bee trials, it was found that high-grooming bees from colonies with high mite damage rates exhibited a greater grooming response to Varroa than those with moderate mite damage rates, indicating a link between grooming behavior and resistance to Varroa. The study also revealed that the sensitivity of bees from high-grooming colonies varied across different body regions, with heightened responses observed in the head and thorax when stimulated with Varroa or chalk dust. This finding suggests that bees selected based ...

  Science updates: Fragmented landscapes & honey bees   What are the potential consequences of habitat fragmentation on plant-pollinator networks? Habitat fragmentation can have significant consequences on plant-pollinator networks. The loss and simplification of habitats can lead to reduced species richness and abundance, resulting in non-random loss of interactions and changes in network structure and functionality. This can affect the availability of interacting partners, potentially leading to increased specialization or generalization of species within the network. Additionally, habitat fragmentation can impact the occurrence of single-fragment interactions, potentially reducing network specialization and increasing the relative proportion of interactions involving generalist species. Furthermore, landscape diversification in the surrounding area of habitat fragments may increase the influx of habitat generalist species, establishing new generalized intera...

  Science updates: Microbiota Analysis  of Ejaculated Honey Bee Drone Semen   This study investigates the microbiota of ejaculated honey bee drone semen and the impact of semen collection methods on bacterial loads. The research aims to characterize the bacterial composition of semen and assess variations based on collection methods, colonies, and apiaries. The study employs culture-dependent and independent methods, including next-generation sequencing, to analyze semen samples from different locations. The findings reveal significant differences in bacterial loads and microbiota composition between semen collection methods and across different apiaries and colonies.   The study was conducted over two beekeeping seasons in northeastern Spain. Semen samples were collected from drones using two methods: ejaculation and seminal vesicle extraction. Bacterial loads were assessed using culture-dependent methods, and the microbiome was characterized through nex...

  Science updates: Heat stress and honey bees   This study investigates the regulatory roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in adult worker bees under short-term heat stress. Through deep sequencing and bioinformatic analysis, 7,842 lncRNAs and 115 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) were identified. The study reveals that lncRNAs are involved in various biological processes, including metabolism, protein folding, response to stress, and signal transduction pathways. RNA interference experiments targeting the most highly expressed lncRNA, MSTRG.9645.5, showed a significant impact on the expression of heat shock protein (HSP) genes, providing insights into the regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs in honeybees under heat stress.   The study utilized deep sequencing and bioinformatic analysis to identify lncRNAs in honeybees exposed to short-term heat stress. RNA interference was performed using siRNA targeting the most highly expressed lncRNA, MSTRG.9645.5. T...