The impact of lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) and cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) pollination on honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colony health status.

Commercial lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) and cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) crops benefit from the presence of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) for pollination. Unfortunately, beekeepers are observing negative impacts of pollination services on honey bee colonies. In this study, we investigated three beekeeping management strategies (MS) and measured their impact on honey bee colony health and development. Experimental groups (five colonies/MS) were: A) Control farmland honey producing MS (control MS); B) Blueberry pollination MS (blueberry MS); C) Cranberry pollination MS (cranberry MS) and D) Double pollination MS, blueberry followed by cranberry (double MS). Our goals were to 1) compare floral abundance and attractiveness of foraging areas to honey bees between apiaries using a Geographic Information System, and 2) compare honey bee colony health status and population development between MS during a complete beekeeping season. Our results show significantly lower floral abundance and honey bee attractiveness of foraging areas during cranberry pollination compared to the other environments. The blueberry pollination site seemed to significantly reduce brood population in the colonies who provided those services (blueberry MS and double MS). The cranberry pollination site seemed to significantly reduce colony weight gain (cranberry MS and double MS) and induce a significantly higher winter mortality rate (cranberry MS). We also measured significantly higher levels of Black queen cell virus and Sacbrood virus in the MS providing cranberry pollination (cranberry MS and double MS).

Good farming practices in apiculture.

Modern European beekeeping is facing numerous challenges due to a variety of factors, mainly related to globalisation, agrochemical pollution and environmental changes. In addition to this, new pathogens threaten the health of European honey bees. In that context, correct colony management should encompass a wider vision, where productivity aspects are linked to a One Health approach in order to protect honey bees, humans and the environment. This paper describes a novel tool to be applied in beekeeping operations: good beekeeping practices (GBPs). The authors ranked a list of GBPs scored against their importance and validated by an international team, including researchers, national animal health authorities and international beekeepers' associations. These activities were carried out in the project 'BPRACTICES', approved within the transnational call of the European Research Area Network on Sustainable Animal Production (ERA-NET SusAn) in the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme of the European Union. This study, created through an international collaboration, aims to present an innovative and implementable approach, similar to applications already adopted in other livestock production systems.

L'apiculture moderne européenne est confrontée à de nombreuses difficultés dues à divers facteurs, pour la plupart liés à la mondialisation, à la pollution agrochimique et à la modification de l'environnement. À ces facteurs s'ajoute l'émergence de nouveaux agents pathogènes qui menacent la santé des abeilles mellifères d'Europe. Dans ce contexte, une gestion appropriée des colonies d'abeilles devrait reposer sur une vision plus large, dans laquelle les aspects relevant de la productivité sont examinés suivant une approche « Une seule santé ¼ afin de protéger les abeilles mellifères, les humains et l'environnement. Les auteurs décrivent un nouvel outil destiné à l'apiculture : les bonnes pratiques apicoles. Ils ont évalué et classé par ordre d'importance une liste de bonnes pratiques apicoles validées par une équipe internationale composée de chercheurs, d'autorités nationales de la santé animale et d'associations internationales d'apiculteurs. Ces activités ont été conduites dans le cadre du projet « BPRACTICES ¼, proposition retenue suite à l'appel à projets transnationaux du réseau ERA­NET SusAn (European Research Area Network on Sustainable Animal Production) au sein du Programme Horizon 2020 de l'Union européenne pour la recherche et l'innovation. Conçue sous forme de collaboration internationale, cette étude vise à proposer une approche innovante et pratique, similaire aux applications précédemment adoptées dans d'autres systèmes de production animale.

La apicultura europea hace frente a numerosos problemas resultantes de diversos factores, relacionados principalmente con la mundialización, la contaminación agroquímica y los cambios ambientales, a todo lo cual se suman nuevos patógenos que amenazan la salud de las abejas melíferas europeas. En este contexto, una correcta gestión de las colonias debe traer aparejada una visión más global, en la que las cuestiones de productividad se consideren en clave de «Una sola salud¼ con objeto de proteger tanto a las abejas melíferas como a las personas y el medio ambiente. En este artículo se describe una novedosa herramienta aplicable a la actividad apícola: las buenas prácticas de apicultura. Los autores jerarquizaron una serie de buenas prácticas de apicultura seleccionadas, validadas y puntuadas según su importancia por un equipo internacional que incluía a investigadores, autoridades nacionales de sanidad animal y asociaciones internacionales de apicultores. Este trabajo formaba parte del proyecto «BPRACTICES¼, aprobado con ocasión de la convocatoria internacional abierta por la Red del espacio europeo de investigación en sanidad animal sostenible (ERA­NET SusAn), inscrita a su vez en Horizonte 2020, el programa de investigación e innovación de la Unión Europea. El estudio aquí descrito, fruto de la colaboración internacional, tiene por objeto presentar un planteamiento novedoso y viable, parecido a las aplicaciones ya implantadas en otros sistemas de producción animal.

Keepers urged to bee aware of hive disease.

Recent outbreaks of European foulbrood in honey bee colonies emphasise the importance of good hive biosecurity, as Georgina Mills reports.

Risk management in primary apicultural production. Part 1: bee health and disease prevention and associated best practices.

Prompted by FAO/WHO's and the European Commission's recognition that documents on Good Farming Practices (GFPs) and Good Veterinary Practices (GVPs) in apicultural production are hardly available, part 1 of this contribution provides an update of current apicultural production and associated best practices to ensure animal and public health. Major bee health and disease prevention issues and risk management options at the primary production level are summarised with particular reference to the role of the veterinary practitioner/consultant and the official veterinarian in a control function in the safe production of honey.

Prevalence, intensity and associated factor analysis of Tropilaelaps mercedesae infesting Apis mellifera in China.

Tropilaelaps mercedesae is a serious ectoparasite of Apis mellifera in China. The aim of this study was to investigate the infestation rates and intensity of T. mercedesae in A. mellifera in China, and to explore the relative importance of climate, district, management practices and beekeeper characteristics that are assumed to be associated with the intensity of T. mercedesae. Of the 410 participating apiaries, 379 apiaries were included in analyses of seasonal infestation rates and 352 apiaries were included in multivariable regression analysis. The highest infestation rate (86.3%) of T. mercedesae was encountered in autumn, followed by summer (66.5%), spring (17.2%) and winter (14.8%). In autumn, 28.9% (93) of the infested apiaries were in the north (including the northeast and northwest of China), 71.1% (229) were in the central and south (including east, southeast and southwest China), and 306 apiaries (82.9%) were co-infested by both T. mercedesae and Varroa. Multivariable regression analysis showed that geographical location, season, royal jelly collection and Varroa infestation were the factors that influence the intensity of T. mercedesae. The influence of beekeeper's education, time of beekeeping, operation size, and hive migration on the intensity of T. mercedesa was not statistically significant. This study provided information about the establishment of the linkage of the environment and the parasite and could lead to better timing and methods of control.

Erythromycin residue in honey from the Southern Marmara region of Turkey.

Honey samples, collected from the Southern Marmara region of Turkey, were analysed for erythromycin residues by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry using electrospray ionization in the positive ion mode (LC-ESI-MS). Fifty samples, comprising chestnut, pine, linden and multi-flower honeys, were collected directly from hives and analyzed. The limit of detection and quantification were 6 and 20 ng g(-1), respectively, and recovery ranged from 85 to 89%. Four of the honey samples (8%) were found to be contaminated with erythromycin residues at concentrations ranging from 50 to 1776 ng g(-1). An erythromycin-fortified cake feeding assay was also performed in a defined hive to test the transfer of erythromycin residue to the honey matrix. In this test hive, the residue level in the honey, 3 months after dosing, was approximately 28 ng g(-1).