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Precision Beekeeping for the Development of More Productive and Resilient...
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Precision Beekeeping for the Development of More Productive and Resilient Apiculture Systems, Higher-Quality Products, Improved Sustainability, and Honey Bees’ Health

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 15683

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Pier Paolo Danieli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, Via S. C. de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Interests: animal feeding and nutrition; alternative protein sources; animal food quality and safety; beekeeping; insects for feed; circularity and sustainability; prevision livestock farming; precision beekeeping; in vitro models; agro-environmental contaminants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Fulvia Bovera

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Napoli Federico II, 80137 Napoli, Italy
Interests: poultry; rabbit; insects; nutrition; production; precision farming
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the era of climate change, the preeminent ecosystemic role of pollinators, including the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.), as well as their vulnerability, has emerged. Honey bees, more than other farmed animals, rely on what they can find in the environment in terms of nutritive sources (nectar and other sugary substances, pollen, water) both for their development and for the productive aims of beekeepers. Significant findings regarding how to manage and to breed honey bees date back to more than a century ago when very smart inventions, currently in use throughout the world, rapidly took place in Europe and the USA.

To date, managing honey bees according to such a consolidated praxis is revealing wide gaps in the knowledge and awareness of the delicate environment–bee relationship and honey bees’ behavior which beekeepers urgently need to deal with to avoid facing the loss of honey bee colonies and the associated economic cost.

Thus, it is urgent to find solutions that allow filling the existing gaps in honey bee management, and we firmly believe that new approaches based on technology (such as fit-for-purpose sensors, big data, decision support systems, and the so-called Internet of Things), geostatistics, remote sensing, behavioral science, animal genetics, and animal nutrition can support the sector of honey bee husbandry toward a renewed rational beekeeping era, the era of precision beekeeping.

Original manuscripts that address any aspects of the advanced knowledge of biology and management of honey bees are invited to this Special Issue. In particular, manuscripts should address one or more of the following (not exhaustively) listed topics:

  • Quantitative and qualitative estimates of feed and water sources for honey bees;
  • Environmental suitability for beekeeping;
  • Nutrients availability for a growing animal husbandry at local and/or global level;
  • Effect of climate change on honey bee health, beekeeping practices and bee product quantitative and qualitative traits
  • “Cutting-edge” technologies for facing new challenges toward a more effective and sustainable beekeeping
  • New advances in honey bee genetics.

For each of the listed topics, reasoned and updated reviews are also welcome.

Keywords

  • precision beekeeping;
  • modelling;
  • IoT;
  • precision feeding, honey bee-to-environment relationship;
  • nutrition;
  • sustainable beekeeping;
  • honey bee health;
  • biodiversity;
  • foraging resources;
  • pest management

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 2057 KiB  
Article
Honey Bees Prefer Pollen Substitutes Rich in Protein Content Located at Short Distance from the Apiary
by Hamed A. Ghramh and Khalid Ali Khan
Animals 2023, 13(5), 885; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13050885 - 28 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4503
Abstract
The availability of floral resources is crucial for honey bee colonies because it allows them to obtain protein from pollen and carbohydrates from nectar; typically, they consume these nutrients in the form of bee bread, which has undergone fermentation. However, the intensification of [...] Read more.
The availability of floral resources is crucial for honey bee colonies because it allows them to obtain protein from pollen and carbohydrates from nectar; typically, they consume these nutrients in the form of bee bread, which has undergone fermentation. However, the intensification of agriculture, urbanization, changes to the topography, and harsh environmental conditions are currently impacting foraging sites due to habitat loss and scarcity of food resources. Thus, this study aimed to assess honey bee preference for various pollen substitute diet compositions. Bee colonies perform poorly because of specific environmental problems, which ultimately result in pollen scarcity. Pollen substitutes located at various distance from the bee hive were also investigated in addition to determining the preferences of honey bees for various pollen substitute diets. The local honey bee (Apis mellifera jemenitica) colonies and different diets (four main treatments, namely, chickpea flour, maize flour, sorghum flour, wheat flour; each flour was further mixed with cinnamon powder, turmeric powder, flour only, flour mixed with both cinnamon and turmeric powder) were used. Bee pollen was used as a control. The best performing pollen substitutes were further placed at 10, 25, and 50 m distances from the apiary. Maximum bee visits were observed on bee pollen (210 ± 25.96) followed by chickpea flour only (205 ± 19.32). However, there was variability in the bee visits to the different diets (F (16,34) = 17.91; p < 0.01). In addition, a significant difference in diet consumption was observed in control (576 ± 58.85 g) followed by chickpea flour only (463.33 ± 42.84 g), compared to rest of the diets (F (16,34) = 29.75; p < 0.01). Similarly, foraging efforts differed significantly (p < 0.01) at the observed time of 7–8 A.M., 11–12 A.M., and 4–5 P.M. at the distance of 10, 25, and 50 m away from the apiary. Honey bees preferred to visit the food source that was closest to the hive. This study should be very helpful for beekeepers in supplementing their bee colonies when there is a shortage or unavailability of pollens, and it is much better to keep the food source near the apiary. Future research needs to highlight the effect of these diets on bee health and colony development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Beekeeping for the Development of More Productive and Resilient Apiculture Systems, Higher-Quality Products, Improved Sustainability, and Honey Bees’ Health)
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16 pages, 2052 KiB  
Article
Linking Beekeepers’ and Farmers’ Preferences towards Pollination Services in Greek Kiwi Systems
by Elie Abou Nader, Georgios Kleftodimos, Leonidas Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Christina Kleisiari, Nicola Gallai, Salem Darwich, Tristan Berchoux, George Vlontzos and Hatem Belhouchette
Animals 2023, 13(5), 806; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13050806 - 23 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1611
Abstract
The kiwi is a highly insect-pollinated dependent crop and is the cornerstone of the Greek agricultural sector, rendering the country as the fourth biggest kiwi producer worldwide, with an expected increase in national production the following years. This extensive transformation of the Greek [...] Read more.
The kiwi is a highly insect-pollinated dependent crop and is the cornerstone of the Greek agricultural sector, rendering the country as the fourth biggest kiwi producer worldwide, with an expected increase in national production the following years. This extensive transformation of the Greek arable land to Kiwi monocultures in combination with a worldwide shortage of pollination services due to the wild pollinators’ decline raises questions for the provision of pollination services, and consequently, for the sustainability of the sector. In many countries, this shortage of pollination services has been addressed by the installation of pollination services markets, such as those in the USA and France. Therefore, this study tries to identify the barriers towards the implementation of a pollination services market in Greek kiwi production systems by conducting two separate quantitative surveys, one for beekeepers and one for kiwi producers. The findings showed a strong basis for further collaboration between the two stakeholders, as both of them acknowledge the importance of pollination services. Moreover, the farmers’ willingness to pay and the beekeepers’ willingness to receive of the beekeepers regarding the renting of their hives for pollination services were examined. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Beekeeping for the Development of More Productive and Resilient Apiculture Systems, Higher-Quality Products, Improved Sustainability, and Honey Bees’ Health)
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17 pages, 1085 KiB  
Article
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from Honey Production: Two-Year Survey in Italian Beekeeping Farms
by Arianna Pignagnoli, Stefano Pignedoli, Emanuele Carpana, Cecilia Costa and Aldo Dal Prà
Animals 2023, 13(4), 766; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13040766 - 20 Feb 2023
Viewed by 2162
Abstract
The objective of this study was to quantify the climate change (CC) impact of the honey supply chain in different beekeeping systems and farms, over two consecutive years. The CC impact category is quantified as kg CO2 equivalent and it evaluates the [...] Read more.
The objective of this study was to quantify the climate change (CC) impact of the honey supply chain in different beekeeping systems and farms, over two consecutive years. The CC impact category is quantified as kg CO2 equivalent and it evaluates the GHG emissions, mainly CO2, N2O, and CH4. The results ranged from 0.44 to 3.18 (p = 0.039) kg CO2e/kg honey with higher values in 2021 than 2020. The main contributors to climate change of the honey supply chain are represented by transport and supplemental feeding inputs. The beekeeping system (migratory or stationary) influenced CC: the contribution to CC for stationary farms was estimated at 0.58 kg CO2e/kg honey and 2.48 for migratory ones (p < 0.001). Given the close connection between honey yield and LCA results due to the unit of measurement of impact, i.e., kg of honey produced, an index was developed (wildflower honey climate index) as a simple benchmark tool for prediction of honey yield in the survey context. Using the data from the present study, we found that the index is positively related to honey yield (r = 0.504; p < 0.05) but negatively related to supplemental feeding (r = −0.918; p < 0.01) and overall carbon footprint (r = −0.657; p < 0.05). Further studies are needed to better explain the effects of weather on honey production, as well as environmental impact. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Beekeeping for the Development of More Productive and Resilient Apiculture Systems, Higher-Quality Products, Improved Sustainability, and Honey Bees’ Health)
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15 pages, 1316 KiB  
Article
Condition and Honey Productivity of Honeybee Colonies Depending on Type of Supplemental Feed for Overwintering
by Antonín Přidal, Jan Musila and Jiří Svoboda
Animals 2023, 13(3), 323; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13030323 - 17 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1936
Abstract
Harvested honey is usually replaced by an alternative sugar to overwinter honeybee colonies. Supplementation of winter stores with beet or cane sucrose is safe for colonies and does not cause winter mortality. Despite this, there are hypotheses that supplementation of inverted sugars has [...] Read more.
Harvested honey is usually replaced by an alternative sugar to overwinter honeybee colonies. Supplementation of winter stores with beet or cane sucrose is safe for colonies and does not cause winter mortality. Despite this, there are hypotheses that supplementation of inverted sugars has the potential to give better results in overwintering, spring growth, and honey production of the colonies, because bees are consuming already cleaved feed. Therefore, we compared the condition parameters and honey production in 70 colonies at four apiaries overwintered with stores from sucrose or inverted sugars. No statistically significant differences in dependence on the type of the supplemental feed were found. Inverted sugar was more expensive than sucrose for feeding colonies. Economic efficiency, physiological consequences, and other disadvantages of using invert syrups are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Beekeeping for the Development of More Productive and Resilient Apiculture Systems, Higher-Quality Products, Improved Sustainability, and Honey Bees’ Health)
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Review

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19 pages, 597 KiB  
Review
Precision Beekeeping Systems: State of the Art, Pros and Cons, and Their Application as Tools for Advancing the Beekeeping Sector
by Pier Paolo Danieli, Nicola Francesco Addeo, Filippo Lazzari, Federico Manganello and Fulvia Bovera
Animals 2024, 14(1), 70; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14010070 - 24 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1473
Abstract
The present review aims to summarize the more recent scientific literature and updated state of the art on the research effort spent in adapting hardware–software tools to understand the true needs of honeybee colonies as a prerequisite for any sustainable management practice. A [...] Read more.
The present review aims to summarize the more recent scientific literature and updated state of the art on the research effort spent in adapting hardware–software tools to understand the true needs of honeybee colonies as a prerequisite for any sustainable management practice. A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis was also performed with the aim of identifying the key factors that could support or impair the diffusion of precision beekeeping (PB) systems. Honeybee husbandry, or beekeeping, is starting to approach precision livestock farming (PLF), as has already happened in other animal husbandry sectors. A transition from the current paradigm of rational beekeeping to that of precision beekeeping (PB) is thus expected. However, due to the peculiarities of this species and the related farming practices, the PB technological systems (PB systems) are still undergoing a development process that, to some extent, limits their large-scale practical application. Several physical–chemical (weight, temperature, humidity, sound, gases) and behavioral traits (flight activity, swarming) of the hive are reviewed in light of the evolution of sensors, communication systems, and data management approaches. These advanced sensors are equipped with a microprocessor that records data and sends it to a remote server for processing. In this way, through a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) system, the beekeeper, using specific applications on a personal computer, tablet, or smartphone, can have all the above-mentioned parameters under remote control. In general, weight, temperature, and humidity are the main hive traits monitored by commercial sensors. Surprisingly, flight activity sensors are rarely available as an option in modular PB systems marketed via the web. The SWOT analysis highlights that PB systems have promising strength points and represent great opportunities for the development of beekeeping; however, they have some weaknesses, represented especially by the high purchasing costs and the low preparedness of the addressed operators, and imply some possible threats for beekeeping in terms of unrealistic perception of the apiary status if they applied to some hives only and a possible adverse impact on the honeybees’ colony itself. Even if more research is expected to take place in the next few years, indubitably, the success of commercial PB systems will be measured in terms of return on investment, conditioned especially by the benefits (higher yields, better colonies’ health) that the beekeeper will appraise as a consequence of their use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Beekeeping for the Development of More Productive and Resilient Apiculture Systems, Higher-Quality Products, Improved Sustainability, and Honey Bees’ Health)
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16 pages, 1314 KiB  
Review
Developing Strategies to Help Bee Colony Resilience in Changing Environments
by Isabelle Dequenne, Jean-Michel Philippart de Foy and Patrice D. Cani
Animals 2022, 12(23), 3396; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12233396 - 02 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2675
Abstract
Climate change, loss of plant biodiversity, burdens caused by new pathogens, predators, and toxins due to human disturbance and activity are significant causes of the loss of bee colonies and wild bees. The aim of this review is to highlight some possible strategies [...] Read more.
Climate change, loss of plant biodiversity, burdens caused by new pathogens, predators, and toxins due to human disturbance and activity are significant causes of the loss of bee colonies and wild bees. The aim of this review is to highlight some possible strategies that could help develop bee resilience in facing their changing environments. Scientists underline the importance of the links between nutrition, microbiota, and immune and neuroendocrine stress resistance of bees. Nutrition with special care for plant-derived molecules may play a major role in bee colony health. Studies have highlighted the importance of pollen, essential oils, plant resins, and leaves or fungi as sources of fundamental nutrients for the development and longevity of a honeybee colony. The microbiota is also considered as a key factor in bee physiology and a cornerstone between nutrition, metabolism, growth, health, and pathogen resistance. Another stressor is the varroa mite parasite. This parasite is a major concern for beekeepers and needs specific strategies to reduce its severe impact on honeybees. Here we discuss how helping bees to thrive, especially through changing environments, is of great concern for beekeepers and scientists. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Beekeeping for the Development of More Productive and Resilient Apiculture Systems, Higher-Quality Products, Improved Sustainability, and Honey Bees’ Health)
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