Article
Agronomy
Przemyslaw Grodzicki, Joanna Bacia, Katarzyna Piatkowska, Bartosz Piechowicz
Summary: Among honeybee subspecies, Polish beekeepers commonly rear three of them - Apis mellifera carnica, A. m. mellifera, and A. m. caucasica. The goal of this study was to investigate the connection between their thermal behavior and body glycogen content in relation to wintering. The results showed that the glycogen content in worker bodies differed between autumn bees preparing for wintering and summer bees, except for the Caucasian honeybee. Moreover, the choice of ambient temperature by a certain subspecies was not influenced by the season or geographical race.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Muhammad Fahad Raza, Tianbao Wang, Zhiguo Li, Hongyi Nie, Martin Giurfa, Arif Husain, Pavol Hlavac, Milan Kodrik, M. Ajmal Ali, Ahmed Rady, Songkun Su
Summary: This study investigated the role of biogenic amines in regulating the olfactory learning behavior of bees and found that the levels of dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) were directly correlated with learning success. These findings suggest that dopamine and serotonin may act together to define optimal motivational or attentional levels, improve learning success, and indicate that the dopamine blocker flupenthixol has a modulatory influence on the olfactory learning performance of bees.
JOURNAL OF KING SAUD UNIVERSITY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Quan Zhang, Lili Fu, Tao Cang, Tao Tang, Mingcheng Guo, Bingbing Zhou, Guohua Zhu, Meirong Zhao
Summary: With the increasing demand for pollinating services, the wellness of honeybees has received widespread attention. Research has shown that S-dinotefuran is more toxic than rac-dinotefuran and R-dinotefuran by 114 times, and that the Eastern honeybee is more susceptible to the highly toxic enantiomer S-dinotefuran.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Marcelo Polizel Camilli, Samir Moura Kadri, Marcus Vinicius Niz Alvarez, Paulo Eduardo Martins Ribolla, Ricardo Oliveira Orsi
Summary: The study found that zinc supplementation can modulate gene expression and play an important role in the development of Apis mellifera bees. The information obtained in this study can contribute to future research in the field of bee nutrigenomics.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ewa Danuta Mazur, Anna Maria Gajda
Summary: This paper provides reliable diagnostic methods and basic information on Nosema spp. infection in honey bees, serving as a knowledge source for veterinarians and researchers.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Micaela Buteler, Andrea Marina Alma, Teodoro Stadler, Ariane Carnebia Gingold, Maria Celeste Manattini, Mariana Lozada
Summary: The acute toxicity of microplastics on honeybees is low and does not lead to short-term mortality. However, honeybees' foraging behavior does not prevent them from ingesting microplastics, which could potentially have lethal long-term effects on the bees.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Zhiguo Li, Yuanmei Qiu, Jing Li, Kunlin Wan, Hongyi Nie, Songkun Su
Summary: This study investigates the effects of chronic exposure to cadmium on the olfactory learning and brain gene expression profiles in honey bees. The results show that cadmium exposure impairs olfactory learning ability and decreases head weight in honey bees. Furthermore, genes involved in oxidative stress response and odor sensing are dysregulated in the brain of cadmium-treated bees.
Article
Biology
Hussain Ali, Javaid Iqbal, Hael S. Raweh, Abdulaziz S. Alqarni
Summary: This study compared the response of different honey bee species to three sugar types at different concentrations, indicating that native species are better adapted than A. mellifera under local climate conditions.
SAUDI JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuan Kong, Min Si, Ping Wang, Haikun Guo, Xinju Liu, Meirong Zhao
Summary: The excessive use of agrochemicals is a major cause of decline in wild honeybee populations. Developing low-toxicity versions of chiral fungicides is crucial in mitigating the risks to honeybees. This study assessed the enantioselective toxic effects of triticonazole (TRZ) on honeybees and identified the molecular mechanisms involved. The findings revealed that long-term exposure to TRZ significantly reduced thoracic ATP content, with a decrease of 41% in R-TRZ treatments and 46% in S-TRZ treatments. The transcriptomic results also indicated that R-TRZ and S-TRZ had different effects on gene expression and metabolic pathways. S-TRZ had a greater impact on honeybee energy metabolism, affecting a larger number of genes involved in energy metabolic pathways such as the TCA cycle and glycolysis/glycogenesis.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ivelina Ivanova, Kaspar Bienefeld
Summary: The study focused on the odor sensitivity of Apis mellifera drones and found that genes associated with worker bee olfactory perception play a crucial role in Varroa-sensitive hygiene. Furthermore, the results indicated that the genetic origin of the participating queens and drones was essential for the manifestation of Varroa-sensitive hygiene.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kate E. Smith, Dominique Weis
Summary: Honeybees and their products are useful biomonitors of metal distribution in urban areas. This study investigates the particulate sources that honeybees encounter in Metro Vancouver. Metal concentrations and lead isotope compositions were analyzed in topsoil and PM10, and the results show higher amounts of certain metals associated with human activities in samples collected closer to the city center.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Facundo R. Meroi Arcerito, Leonardo L. De Feudis, Leonardo D. Amarilla, Leonardo Galetto, Giulia Mitton, Natalia Fernandez, Nicolas Szawarski, Camila Corti, Eugenia Olivera, Azucena Iglesias, Liesel Gende, Natalia Damiani, Martin Eguaras, Matias Maggi
Summary: The study demonstrates that using female flowers treated with artificial fragrance can attract more honeybees, leading to higher fruit quality and yield in kiwifruit production.
JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
(2021)
Article
Biology
Michelina Pusceddu, Desiderato Annoscia, Ignazio Floris, Davide Frizzera, Virginia Zanni, Alberto Angioni, Alberto Satta, Francesco Nazzi
Summary: The study found that honeybees use propolis to combat their major ectoparasite Varroa destructor, which has a positive effect on honeybees and potential impact on Varroa population. This discovery sheds light on the behavioral immunity of animals and could have significant implications for managing threats to honeybees globally.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Ricarda Scheiner, Kayun Lim, Marina D. Meixner, Martin S. Gabel
Summary: This study compared the associative learning performance of six honeybee subspecies from different European regions, with results showing that the Iberian honeybee displayed significantly poorer learning performance. Possible causes for this discrepancy were discussed in the study.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrea Marina Alma, Grecia Stefania de Groot, Micaela Buteler
Summary: This study investigates the impact of microplastics on honeybees and the fate of ingested microplastics within beehives. The results show that honeybees can incorporate microplastics from the environment and distribute them throughout the hive, but there were no observed differences in honey reserves or bee population during the experiment.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Mihail Garbuzov, Margaret J. Couvillon, Roger Schuerch, Francis L. W. Ratnieks
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2015)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Margaret J. Couvillon, Hasan Al Toufailia, Thomas M. Butterfield, Felix Schrell, Francis L. W. Ratnieks, Roger Schuerch
Article
Entomology
Roger Schurch, Margaret J. Couvillon, Francis L. W. Ratnieks
JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH
(2015)
Article
Biology
Roger Schurch, Francis L. W. Ratnieks, Elizabeth E. W. Samuelson, Margaret J. Couvillon
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2016)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Kathrin Zuercher, Anne Mooser, Nanina Anderegg, Olga Tymejczyk, Margaret J. Couvillon, Denis Nash, Matthias Egger
TROPICAL MEDICINE & INTERNATIONAL HEALTH
(2017)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Roger Schurch, Keiran Zwirner, Bethany J. Yambrick, Tiffanie Pirault, James M. Wilson, Margaret J. Couvillon
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Morgan K. Carr-Markell, Cora M. Demler, Margaret J. Couvillon, Roger Schurch, Marla Spivak
Editorial Material
Entomology
Bradley N. Metz, Judy Wu-Smart, Michael Simone-Finstrom
Article
Entomology
Bradley D. Ohlinger, Roger Schurch, Sharif Durzi, Parry M. Kietzman, Mary R. Silliman, Margaret J. Couvillon
Summary: This study found that sublethal, field-realistic concentration of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid has a significant impact on the foraging and recruitment behaviors of honey bees. Honey bees treated with imidacloprid showed decreased foraging frequency and duration, potentially affecting their food intake and colony health.
JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Mary R. Silliman, Roger Schurch, Sean Malone, Sally Taylor, Margaret J. Couvillon
Summary: Honey bees provide important services but face health issues. This study investigated the foraging behavior of honey bees in a row crop environment and found that row crop fields are a significant source of summer foraging opportunities for bees.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Taylor N. Steele, Roger Schurch, Bradley D. Ohlinger, Margaret J. Couvillon
Summary: Many fruits rely on flower-visiting insects for their development, and this study focused on the foraging dynamics of honey bees in apple orchards. The researchers found that honey bees mainly foraged locally throughout the season, with some long-range recruitment. Interestingly, the bees recruited more to forests during the apple bloom. Post-bloom apple orchards provided foraging opportunities on the growing understory of certain plants, such as clover and plantain.
Article
Entomology
Margaret J. Couvillon, Bradley D. Ohlinger, Connor Bizon, Lindsay E. Johnson, Laura C. Mchenry, Benjamin E. Mcmillan, Roger Schurch
Summary: This study examines the impact of a portable mosquito repeller, which emits prallethrin, on honey bee foraging and recruitment behaviors. The results show that the insecticide has no significant effects on honey bee behavior, which is useful for consumers concerned about repelling mosquitoes while protecting beneficial insects.
JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Horticulture
Michala C. Palmersheim, Roger Schuerch, Megan E. O'Rourke, Jenna Slezak, Margaret J. Couvillon
Summary: By studying the impact of different ornamental landscape plants on insect visits, we found that plant species significantly affect the abundance and diversity of flower-visiting insects. Native perennials attract more insects compared to non-native plants, and perennials attract more diverse visitors than annuals. There is a quadratic relationship between overall plant diversity and insect abundance.
Article
Biology
Bradley D. Ohlinger, Roger Schurch, Mary R. Silliman, Taylor N. Steele, Margaret J. Couvillon
Summary: Honeybees adjust their foraging behaviors based on supply and demand of resources. Nectar collection is supply-driven, while pollen collection is demand-driven. The research found that honeybees flew longer distances for nectar compared to pollen in different landscapes. Monthly nectar foraging occurred at greater distances than pollen foraging most of the time.
Review
Ecology
Margaret J. Couvillon, Francis L. W. Ratnieks
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2015)