Beekeeping: Science updates

  Science updates: Effect of Hive Color on Colony Performance     The research investigates how the color of beehives might influence the internal temperature and, consequently, the performance of honey bee colonies. The study was conducted in Van, Türkiye, between June 27 and July 26, with data recorded every 59 minutes using data recorders placed inside hives of three different color combinations: white, blue, and blue with white covers.   The results showed that the white hives had the lowest average temperature compared to the blue hives and the blue hives with white covers, both during the day and the hottest hours (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). The one-way variance analysis indicated a statistically significant difference among the groups (p<0.001), suggesting that hive color significantly affects internal temperature.     The study highlights the importance of temperature regulation within honey bee colonies for brood production and ...

  Science updates: Tracking Varroa Parasitism Using Cameras     The article explores the use of infrared thermal imaging to detect Varroa destructor parasitism in honey bee (Apis mellifera) broods. The study, conducted over two years at the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, involved five beehives each year, using a FLIR E5-XT WIFI handheld infrared camera to create heat maps of capped brood frames.   The authors found that handheld infrared cameras can generate detailed heat maps, effectively distinguishing between cells containing honey, pollen, and brood. They observed a sustained temperature increase in developing honey bee pupae infested with Varroa mites, detectable regardless of the number of mites in the cell. This indicates an advanced thermoregulatory behavior in honey bee colonies, potentially a social fever response to the presence of Varroa mites.   The study identified two heating patterns associated with Varroa...

  Science updates: Edible antiviral therapeutics for bees The document titled "Green biomanufacturing of edible antiviral therapeutics for managed pollinators" presents a study on the development of an antiviral platform for bees using an edible cyanobacterium, Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973. The research aims to address the significant declines in managed bee populations due to RNA viruses, which pose a threat to global food security. By engineering the cyanobacterial biomass to induce RNA interference (RNAi) immune responses in bees, the study demonstrates the potential to suppress viral infection and improve survival in honey bees.   The research highlights the importance of pollination in maintaining biodiversity and agricultural crop production, emphasizing the critical role of bees, both managed and wild, in this ecosystem service. The study's findings offer a sustainable and versatile therapeutic approach that can be directly incorporated into suppl...

  Science updates: Solitary Bees and almond pollination   The study "Use of a Managed Solitary Bee to Pollinate Almonds: Population Sustainability and Increased Fruit Set" investigates the sustainability and impact of using Osmia cornuta, a managed solitary bee, for pollinating almond orchards. The research demonstrates that Osmia populations can be sustained in orchard environments and have a significant impact on fruit set, even with honeybees being 10 times more abundant than Osmia. The study also identifies important factors limiting the growth of Osmia populations released in orchards, such as winter mortality, low female establishment, low fecundity, progeny mortality, and male-biased progeny sex ratios. The findings suggest that even a small population of a highly effective pollinator can significantly impact crop pollination service and fruit set. The study provides encouraging results for the use of Osmia managed populations and emphasizes the importance of p...