Beekeeping
Predation of the invasive Asian hornet affects foraging activity and survival probability of honey bees in Western Europe
In this study, we assessed the risk of winter colony losses related to hornet-induced disturbances by combining field observations and model system simulations. We provide empirical evidence in bee foragers’ homing failures and bee foraging paralysis behaviour of the colony related to the ...
added Oct 30, 2026
Read article →BEHAVIOR Changes in Infestation, Cell Cap Condition, and Reproductive Status of
Þve to eight drones from other VSH lines. Italian · queens used in control colonies were either naturally ... Measurements. Varroa sensitive hygiene was inves- ... Statistical Analyses. The initial and Þnal mite infes- tations of brood, percentage of mite-infested pupae · that were removed, frequenc…
added Oct 27, 2026
Read article →Thermal energy conduction in a honey bee comb due to cell-heating bees - ScienceDirect
They do this by pressing their warm thoraxes (38.1–42.4 °C) onto the caps of pupae-filled cells for several minutes at a time, in which case they can raise the cell cap temperature by up to 3.2 °C (Bujok et al., 2002).
added Oct 24, 2026
Read article →New Research Links Honey Bee Swarms to the Spread of an Invasive Mite
Tropilaelaps mercedesae (left), native to Asia, has recently expanded its range into Eastern Europe, sparking concern from scientists and beekeepers alike about another mite pest that could threaten colonies.
added Oct 21, 2026
Read article →New components of the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) queen retinue pheromone | PNAS
The honey bee queen produces pheromones ... such as attracting a retinue of workers around her, attracting drones on mating flights, preventing workers from reproducing at the individual (worker egg-laying) and colony (swarming) level, and regulating ...
added Oct 19, 2026
Read article →Honey bee waggle dances facilitate shorter foraging distances and increased foraging aggregation - ScienceDirect
As expected from previous research (Couvillon et al., 2014a), season had a significant effect on colony foraging distance (GLMM: χ21 = 9.20, P = 0.010). Box plots of the unconverted waggle run duration data for oriented versus disoriented ...
added Oct 16, 2026
Read article →Thinking inside the box: Restoring the propolis envelope facilitates honey bee social immunity | PLOS One
When wild honey bee colonies (Apis ... primarily of plant resins. Studies have shown that the resulting “propolis envelope” leads to both individual- and colony-level health benefits....
added Oct 13, 2026
Read article →Drone congregation area - Wikipedia
Drone congregation areas are typically about 100 metres (300 ft) in diameter and 15–30 metres (50–100 ft) above ground. They have the shape of an upward-pointing cone, with the drone density being lower towards the top. The boundaries are sharply defined: drones will not mate with queens even ...
added Oct 11, 2026
Read article →Winter cluster, insulation, and overwintering – The Beekeeping Lab
According to its author Derek Mitchell, the winter cluster formed by the bees favors significant heat loss, is stressful for the bees, and arises spontaneously from the instinct for survival against the cold.
added Oct 8, 2026
Read article →No evidence to support the use of glycerol–oxalic acid mixtures delivered via paper towel for controlling Varroa destructor (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) mites in the Southeast United States | Journal of Insect Science | Oxford Academic
A significant amount of researcher and practitioner effort has focused on developing new chemical controls for the parasitic Varroa destructor mite in beekeeping. One outcome of that has been the development and testing of “glycerol–oxalic acid” mixtures to place in colonies for extended periods of …
added Oct 6, 2026
Read article →Honey bee behaviours within the hive: Insights from long-term video analysis | PLOS One
Citation: Siefert P, Buling N, Grünewald B (2021) Honey bee behaviours within the hive: Insights from long-term video analysis. PLoS ONE 16(3): e0247323.
added Oct 4, 2026
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