For the past six years in which overwintering mortality of honey bee colonies has been surveyed in the USA, estimates of colony loss have
fluctuated around one-third of the national population. Here we report on the losses for the 2012-2013 seasons. We collected data from 6,482
US beekeepers (6,114 backyard,...
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are responsible for approximately $17 billion in crop production per year in the United States, and are arguably the most important pollinators in the nation. The future of crop pollination and production is threatened by widespread national honey bee colony losses, which have averaged approximately 30%...
Estimates of winter loss for managed honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies are an important measure of honey bee health and productivity. We used data from 5,500 US beekeepers (5,244 backyard, 189 sideline and 67 commercial beekeepers) who responded to the April 2012 Bee Informed Partnership Winter Colony Loss Survey and...
This study records the fifth consecutive year that winter losses of managed honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in the USA have been around 30%. In April 2011, a total of 5,441 US beekeepers (an estimated 11% of total US beekeepers) responded to a survey conducted by the Bee Informed Partnership....
Multiple stressors are currently threatening honey bee health, including pests and pathogens. Among honey bee pathogens, Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian found parasitizing the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) relatively recently. Honey bee colonies are fed pollen or protein substitute during pollen dearth to boost colony growth and immunity against...
Honey bees are important pollinators for many agricultural systems throughout the world. However, recent honey bee declines have caused great alarm, drawing attention to the vulnerability of worldwide agriculture to pollinator loss. These declines are often attributed to a combination of pests, pathogens, viruses, chemicals, and a lack of proper...
The prevalence of Tropilaelaps mercedesae and Varroa destructor in concurrently infested A. mellifera colonies in Thailand was monitored. We also assessed the fecundity of T. mercedesae and V. destructor in naturally infested brood and in brood cells deliberately infested with both mite genera. Results showed that the natural co-infestation of...
BACKGROUND. Residues of pesticides on crops can result in mortality to foraging bees. The likelihood of mortality can be mitigated by applying pesticides in the evening so that their residues dissipate by the following morning when bees resume foraging. The dissipation rates of different pesticides, or their residual toxicity, is...
Honey bees are vital for our food production and ecosystem due to their critical pollination services. The beekeepers in the United States and worldwide have reported significant colony losses for over fifteen years. Several stressors are implicated in these colony declines, including parasites, diseases, poor nutrition, and pesticide exposure. There...