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Insects
Special Issues
Healthy and Sustainable Beekeeping
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Healthy and Sustainable Beekeeping

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Societies and Sociality".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2024 | Viewed by 10408

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Dirk C. De Graaf

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Interests: honey bee; apiculture, bee pathology; selection and breeding; resilience; health; precision beekeeping
Dr. Alexis L. Beaurepaire

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3003 Bern, Switzerland
2. Bee Research Center, Agroscope, 3097 Liebefeld, Switzerland
Interests: bees; population genetics; host-parasite interactions; behavioural ecology; invasive species
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. James D. Ellis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Interests: honey bee husbandry; ecology; conservation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The recent unsustainable colony loss rates and deterioration of honey bee health observed globally call for adequate mitigation measures. Evidence-based solutions are key to solving these issues. Thus, research plays a central role in providing fundamental and practical knowledge to design strategies needed to combat poor colony health.

With this in mind, we decided to create a new Special Issue (SI) focusing on solutions to enhance sustainable beekeeping. Via this SI, we will consider research articles and reviews of various disciplines related to the beekeeping of Apis spp. (including Apis mellifera and any of the Asian honey bees). Our primary aim is to improve bee management. Topics of particular interest include health monitoring, socio-economics, mitigation of stressors, and improvement of pest control and precision beekeeping. However, candidate authors may also submit articles related to other topics.

Prof. Dr. Dirk C. De Graaf
Dr. Alexis L. Beaurepaire
Dr. James D. Ellis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • beekeeping
  • socio-economics
  • pest control
  • health monitoring
  • pollinator declines

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

35 pages, 49247 KiB  
Article
Decline in Honeybees and Its Consequences for Beekeepers and Crop Pollination in Western Nepal
by Susanne Kortsch, Thomas P. Timberlake, Alyssa R. Cirtwill, Sujan Sapkota, Manish Rokoya, Kedar Devkota, Tomas Roslin, Jane Memmott and Naomi Saville
Insects 2024, 15(4), 281; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15040281 - 16 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1051
Abstract
In understudied regions of the world, beekeeper records can provide valuable insights into changes in pollinator population trends. We conducted a questionnaire survey of 116 beekeepers in a mountainous area of Western Nepal, where the native honeybee Apis cerana cerana is kept as [...] Read more.
In understudied regions of the world, beekeeper records can provide valuable insights into changes in pollinator population trends. We conducted a questionnaire survey of 116 beekeepers in a mountainous area of Western Nepal, where the native honeybee Apis cerana cerana is kept as a managed bee. We complemented the survey with field data on insect–crop visitation, a household income survey, and an interview with a local lead beekeeper. In total, 76% of beekeepers reported declines in honeybees, while 86% and 78% reported declines in honey yield and number of beehives, respectively. Honey yield per hive fell by 50% between 2012 and 2022, whilst the number of occupied hives decreased by 44%. Beekeepers ranked climate change and declining flower abundance as the most important drivers of the decline. This raises concern for the future food and economic security of this region, where honey sales contribute to 16% of total household income, and where Apis cerana cerana plays a major role in crop pollination, contributing more than 50% of all flower visits to apple, cucumber, and pumpkin. To mitigate further declines, we promote native habitat and wildflower preservation, and using well-insulated log hives to buffer bees against the increasingly extreme temperature fluctuations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healthy and Sustainable Beekeeping)
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12 pages, 1811 KiB  
Article
Chemical Composition and Nutritional Value of Royal Jelly Samples Obtained from Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Hives Fed on Oak and Rapeseed Pollen Patties
by Sampat Ghosh and Chuleui Jung
Insects 2024, 15(3), 141; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15030141 - 21 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1093
Abstract
Young workers, i.e., nurse honey bees, synthesize and secrete royal jelly to feed the brood and queen. Since royal jelly is a protein-rich substance, the quality of royal jelly may be influenced by the consumption of feed with varying protein content. We tested [...] Read more.
Young workers, i.e., nurse honey bees, synthesize and secrete royal jelly to feed the brood and queen. Since royal jelly is a protein-rich substance, the quality of royal jelly may be influenced by the consumption of feed with varying protein content. We tested whether honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies compensates for the nutritional quality to produce royal jelly by feeding different pollen patties made of oak or rapeseed pollen. After harvesting royal jelly, we examined the chemical composition including proximate nutrients, amino acids, proteins, fatty acids, and minerals of royal jelly samples obtained from two treatments. The results revealed that pollen patties with different nutritional levels did not influence the nutritional composition except for the crude fat. The levels of 10-HDA, which serves as an indicator of the royal jelly quality, showed no significant difference between the oak and rapeseed treatments, with values of 1.9 and 2.1 g/100 g, respectively. However, we found some differences in the protein intensity, particularly the MRJP3 precursor, MRJP3-like, and glucose oxidase. This study suggests that honey bees may have mechanisms to compensate for nutritional standards to meet the brood’s and queen’s nutritional requirements during bee pollen collection, preserving bee bread and royal jelly secretion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healthy and Sustainable Beekeeping)
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14 pages, 3789 KiB  
Article
Integrated Pest Management Strategies to Control Varroa Mites and Their Effect on Viral Loads in Honey Bee Colonies
by Jernej Bubnič, Janez Prešern, Marco Pietropaoli, Antonella Cersini, Ajda Moškrič, Giovanni Formato, Veronica Manara and Maja Ivana Smodiš Škerl
Insects 2024, 15(2), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15020115 - 05 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1501
Abstract
Honey bee viruses in combination with varroa mite are very damaging for honey bee colonies worldwide. There are no effective methods to control the viral load in honey bee colonies except regular and effective control of mites. Integrated Pest Management strategies are required [...] Read more.
Honey bee viruses in combination with varroa mite are very damaging for honey bee colonies worldwide. There are no effective methods to control the viral load in honey bee colonies except regular and effective control of mites. Integrated Pest Management strategies are required to effectively control mites with veterinary medicines based on organic compounds. We evaluated the effect of two brood interruption techniques, queen caging (QC) and trapping comb (TC), followed by an oxalic acid treatment, on the mite fall, colony strength, and viral load of Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) and Acute Bee Paralysis Virus (ABPV). In this paper, we report the data obtained in two experimental sites, in Slovenia and Italy, in terms of the varroacide efficacy, colony strength, and viral load. The number of adult bees after the adoption of the two techniques showed similar decreasing trends in both locations. The viral load of Acute Bee Paralysis Virus did not show any significant reduction after 25 days, reported as the number of Real-Time PCR cycles needed to detect the virus. The viral load of DWV also did not show a significant reduction after 25 days. The acaricidal efficacy of the applied protocols was high in both experimental groups and in both apiaries. Both the queen caging and trapping comb techniques, followed by an oxalic acid treatment, can be considered effective varroa treatment strategies, but further studies should be carried out to evaluate the long-term effects on viral loads to plan the Integrated Pest Management strategy with the right timing before wintering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healthy and Sustainable Beekeeping)
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18 pages, 2805 KiB  
Article
System Mapping of the Production and Value Chain to Explore Beekeeping Potential in Southwest Ethiopia
by Mulubrihan Bayissa, Ludwig Lauwers, Fikadu Mitiku, Dirk C. de Graaf and Wim Verbeke
Insects 2024, 15(2), 106; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15020106 - 02 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1017
Abstract
Ethiopia has a high potential for the production of honey and other apiary products due to its ideal agroecology. This potential is, however, not yet well utilized due to weak production and valorization systems. The study analyzed beekeeping systems and their honey value [...] Read more.
Ethiopia has a high potential for the production of honey and other apiary products due to its ideal agroecology. This potential is, however, not yet well utilized due to weak production and valorization systems. The study analyzed beekeeping systems and their honey value chain to detect the barriers and to explore ways to better exploit the existing potential. Descriptive statistics, a SWOT and PESTEL matrix, and system mapping were utilized for analysis. Ethiopian beekeeping is still dominated by traditional production systems, followed by modern and transitional systems, differing in types of beehives and the average amount of honey yield. The combined SWOT-PESTEL analysis revealed challenges like a limited supply and high cost of modern beehives, shortage of credit, absence of a honey marketing legal framework, pest and predator attacks, absconding, and uncontrolled application of agrochemicals. Opportunities include the globally increasing demand for honey, availability of good investment policy, conducive agroecology, and support from NGOs. The less productive techniques of smallholder beekeepers’ crude honey production for local beverage making affected the good use of the potential and minimized its contribution to the local and national economy. On the contrary, strengthening private investors and cooperatives towards the production of fully and semi-processed honey impacted the utilization of the potential positively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healthy and Sustainable Beekeeping)
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19 pages, 4887 KiB  
Article
Using Analytic Hierarchy Process to Assess Beekeeping Suitability in Portuguese Controlled Areas: A First Approach
by Natália Roque, Paulo Fernandez, Carlos Silveira, Miguel Vilas-Boas and Ofélia Anjos
Insects 2024, 15(2), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15020091 - 29 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1099
Abstract
Beekeeping management is greatly influenced by spatial factors (e.g., land use/land cover, roads, or electrical energy networks), so GIS are a powerful tool to overlap and relate a variety of spatial data levels and, consequently, a very useful tool for beekeeping activity planning. [...] Read more.
Beekeeping management is greatly influenced by spatial factors (e.g., land use/land cover, roads, or electrical energy networks), so GIS are a powerful tool to overlap and relate a variety of spatial data levels and, consequently, a very useful tool for beekeeping activity planning. This study was developed within the intervention area of three controlled zones managed by Portuguese Beekeepers Associations. The methodology, based on multi-criteria decision analysis, integrates several criteria, such as hydrographic networks, road networks, soil occupation, solar radiation, and electromagnetic radiation sources. These criteria were proposed and evaluated through online questionnaires carried out with beekeepers. Concerning the selected criteria and the respective geographical data, the most relevant were land use/land cover and water availability, with a significance of 44% and 24%, respectively. The beekeeping suitability map enabled us to evaluate the degree of compliance for the actual location of apiaries, with 60% of the apiaries being installed in high potential areas. In the context of beekeeping planning, the potential of the techniques applied seems to be an important tool for optimizing the location of apiaries and the profitability of beekeeping. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healthy and Sustainable Beekeeping)
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22 pages, 3229 KiB  
Article
Bridging the Gap between Field Experiments and Machine Learning: The EC H2020 B-GOOD Project as a Case Study towards Automated Predictive Health Monitoring of Honey Bee Colonies
by Coby van Dooremalen, Zeynep N. Ulgezen, Raffaele Dall’Olio, Ugoline Godeau, Xiaodong Duan, José Paulo Sousa, Marc O. Schäfer, Alexis Beaurepaire, Pim van Gennip, Marten Schoonman, Claude Flener, Severine Matthijs, David Claeys Boúúaert, Wim Verbeke, Dana Freshley, Dirk-Jan Valkenburg, Trudy van den Bosch, Famke Schaafsma, Jeroen Peters, Mang Xu, Yves Le Conte, Cedric Alaux, Anne Dalmon, Robert J. Paxton, Anja Tehel, Tabea Streicher, Daniel S. Dezmirean, Alexandru I. Giurgiu, Christopher J. Topping, James Henty Williams, Nuno Capela, Sara Lopes, Fátima Alves, Joana Alves, João Bica, Sandra Simões, António Alves da Silva, Sílvia Castro, João Loureiro, Eva Horčičková, Martin Bencsik, Adam McVeigh, Tarun Kumar, Arrigo Moro, April van Delden, Elżbieta Ziółkowska, Michał Filipiak, Łukasz Mikołajczyk, Kirsten Leufgen, Lina De Smet and Dirk C. de Graafadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Insects 2024, 15(1), 76; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15010076 - 22 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1444
Abstract
Honey bee colonies have great societal and economic importance. The main challenge that beekeepers face is keeping bee colonies healthy under ever-changing environmental conditions. In the past two decades, beekeepers that manage colonies of Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) have become [...] Read more.
Honey bee colonies have great societal and economic importance. The main challenge that beekeepers face is keeping bee colonies healthy under ever-changing environmental conditions. In the past two decades, beekeepers that manage colonies of Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) have become increasingly concerned by the presence of parasites and pathogens affecting the bees, the reduction in pollen and nectar availability, and the colonies’ exposure to pesticides, among others. Hence, beekeepers need to know the health condition of their colonies and how to keep them alive and thriving, which creates a need for a new holistic data collection method to harmonize the flow of information from various sources that can be linked at the colony level for different health determinants, such as bee colony, environmental, socioeconomic, and genetic statuses. For this purpose, we have developed and implemented the B-GOOD (Giving Beekeeping Guidance by computational-assisted Decision Making) project as a case study to categorize the colony’s health condition and find a Health Status Index (HSI). Using a 3-tier setup guided by work plans and standardized protocols, we have collected data from inside the colonies (amount of brood, disease load, honey harvest, etc.) and from their environment (floral resource availability). Most of the project’s data was automatically collected by the BEEP Base Sensor System. This continuous stream of data served as the basis to determine and validate an algorithm to calculate the HSI using machine learning. In this article, we share our insights on this holistic methodology and also highlight the importance of using a standardized data language to increase the compatibility between different current and future studies. We argue that the combined management of big data will be an essential building block in the development of targeted guidance for beekeepers and for the future of sustainable beekeeping. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healthy and Sustainable Beekeeping)
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12 pages, 1688 KiB  
Article
Exploring a Potential Avenue for Beekeeping in Ireland: Safeguarding Locally Adapted Honeybees for Breeding Varroa-Resistant Lines
by Stephen Smith, Arrigo Moro and Grace P. McCormack
Insects 2023, 14(10), 827; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14100827 - 20 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1467
Abstract
Beekeeping in Ireland has been strongly impacted by the parasitic mite Varroa destructor, whose introduction caused alarming honeybee colony losses. If unmitigated, these losses could lead to the disappearance of the native honeybee subspecies, Apis mellifera mellifera, with severe consequences for [...] Read more.
Beekeeping in Ireland has been strongly impacted by the parasitic mite Varroa destructor, whose introduction caused alarming honeybee colony losses. If unmitigated, these losses could lead to the disappearance of the native honeybee subspecies, Apis mellifera mellifera, with severe consequences for local biodiversity. Although beekeepers play a pivotal role in mitigating this crisis, beekeeping in Ireland is less intensive compared to other European regions, lacking significant infrastructure or support. These circumstances offer a unique opportunity for the development of national programmes that promote sustainable beekeeping practices for varroa control. Notably, local accounts highlight an increasing number of beekeepers successfully managing colonies in the absence of treatments, indicating a potential avenue for developing varroa-resistant stocks through selection of local colonies. Through a survey, we explored beekeeper’s opinions and attitudes towards future national projects focused on the development of sustainable beekeeping practices and selection for varroa resistance. The findings confirm the hobbyist nature of Irish beekeepers and their preference for the native honey bee. Some beekeepers were reported to be effectively controlling varroa without treatment, yielding comparable survivals to those using treatments. The majority expressed preference towards a varroa-resistant line if it were of native origin; a few were open to importing non-Irish lines. Overall, a strong willingness to participate in a national breeding programme was expressed. These findings highlight a prime opportunity for Ireland to establish a community-driven strategy based on sustainable beekeeping practices for safeguarding native honeybees and local biodiversity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healthy and Sustainable Beekeeping)
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