MSPB: a longitudinal multi-sensor dataset with phenotypic trait measurements from honey bees.

We present a one-year-long multi-sensor dataset collected from honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera) with rich phenotypic measurements. Data were collected non-stop from April 2020 to April 2021 from 53 hives located at two apiaries in Québec, Canada. The sensor data included audio features, temperature, and relative humidity. The phenotypic measurements contained beehive population, number of brood cells (eggs, larva and pupa), Varroa destructor infestation levels, defensive and hygienic behaviors, honey yield, and winter mortality. Our study is amongst the first to combine a wide variety of phenotypic trait measurements annotated by apicultural science experts with multi-sensor data, which facilitate a broader scope of analysis. We first summarize the data collection procedure, sensor data pre-processing steps, and data composition. We then provide an overview of the phenotypic data distribution as well as a visualization of the sensor data patterns. Lastly, we showcase several hive monitoring applications based on sensor data analysis and machine learning, such as winter mortality prediction, hive population estimation, and the presence of an active and laying queen.

Observation of Genetic Gain with Instrumental Insemination of Honeybee Queens.

Controlling mating in the honeybee (Apis mellifera) is part of one of the greatest challenges for the beekeeping industry's genetic selection programs due to specific characteristics of their reproduction. Several techniques for supervising honeybee mating with relative effective control have been developed over the years to allow honeybee selection. As part of this project, we compared the genetic gains for several colony performance traits, obtained using the BLUP-animal method, according to the selection pressure applied in controlled reproduction (directed fertilization versus instrumental insemination). Our results show similar genetic gains for hygienic behavior and honey production between colonies whether queens were fertilized naturally or via instrumental insemination, as well as similar or lower genetic gains for colonies with queens inseminated for spring development. In addition, we noticed greater fragility in queens following insemination. These findings show that instrumental insemination is an effective tool for reproductive control in genetic selection and for estimating breeding values more precisely. However, this technique does not result in queens of superior genetic quality for commercial purposes.

Genetic Parameters of Honey Bee Colonies Traits in a Canadian Selection Program.

Genetic selection has led to spectacular advances in animal production in many domestic species. However, it is still little applied to honey bees (Apis mellifera), whose complex genetic and reproductive characteristics are a challenge to model statistically. Advances in informatics now enable creation of a statistical model consistent with honey bee genetics, and, consequently, genetic selection for this species. The aim of this project was to determine the genetic parameters of several traits important for Canadian beekeepers with a view to establishing a breeding program in a northern context. Our results show that the five traits measured (Varroa destructor infestation, spring development, honey production, winter consumption, and hygienic behavior) are heritable. Thus, the rate of V. destructor infestation has a high heritability (h2 = 0.44 ± 0.56), spring development and honey production have a medium heritability (respectively, h2 = 0.30 ± 0.14 and h2 = 0.20 ± 0.13), and winter consumption and hygienic behavior have a low heritability (respectively, h2 = 0.11 ± 0.09 and h2 = 0.18 ± 0.13). Furthermore, the genetic correlations between these traits are all positive or null, except between hygienic behavior and V. destructor infestation level. These genetic parameters will be instrumental to the development of a selection index that will be used to improve the capacity of honey bees to thrive in northern conditions.