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New Advances in Beekeeping, Bee Behavior and Its Bionic Applications

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2025) | Viewed by 1791

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Zoology, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Interests: animal physiology; image analysis; cardiac function; bionics; bio-inspired research and development; respiratory physiology; LabVIEW programming; cardiovascular physiology; pest control; animal tracking
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bionics, or the application of biological principles to engineering and design, has emerged as a powerful tool in a variety of fields, including beekeeping. The significance of bionics in beekeeping stems from its ability to address critical challenges confronting honey bee populations worldwide. As these important pollinators face threats such as climate change, habitat loss, and the devastating effects of pests and diseases, the field of bionics provides innovative solutions to ensure their survival.

One of the most important applications of bionics is in hive design. Beekeepers can create hives that mimic the bees' preferred environments by studying their natural behaviors and intricate colony structures. Beehives inspired by bionics can improve bee comfort and productivity, resulting in healthier colonies and more honey production.

Furthermore, bionics enables for the development of advanced bee health monitoring systems. Beekeepers can collect real-time data on factors such as hive temperature, humidity, and pest infestations by using bio-inspired sensors and microdevices. These technological advancements aid in the early detection of potential problems, allowing beekeepers to intervene quickly and precisely to prevent colony losses.

Bionics also helps to understand bee communication and foraging behavior. Understanding how bees communicate and locate food sources within their colonies can lead to better pollination strategies. Beekeepers can boost crop yields by using bionics to optimize pollination techniques, ensuring sustainable food production and ecological balance.

Furthermore, bionics holds promise in the development of beekeeper protective gear. Innovative beekeeping suits and equipment can be designed to improve safety and comfort for beekeepers during hive inspections by drawing inspiration from the natural adaptations of bees, evidenced by their unique protective anatomy.

Beyond its immediate applications, bionics fosters a greater appreciation for nature's wonders and encourages conservation efforts. We gain a better understanding of bees' role in the ecosystem by studying and imitating their intricate systems, prompting us to take more significant steps toward preserving their habitats and supporting their populations.

Finally, bionics is proving to be a transformative force in beekeeping, providing novel solutions to challenges, promoting bee health, and improving the efficiency and sustainability of beekeeping practices. We can contribute to the conservation of honey bee populations and the preservation of a critical ecological balance by incorporating bio-inspired innovations into the apicultural industry.

Prof. Dr. Thorsten Schwerte
Guest Editor

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. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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

  • bionics in beekeeping
  • beehive design
  • bee health monitoring
  • bee communication
  • foraging behavior
  • pollination strategies
  • crop yields
  • protective gear for beekeepers
  • conservation efforts
  • sustainability in beekeeping
  • hive inspection
  • bee colony structures
  • honey production
  • bio-inspired sensors
  • ecosystem balance

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

23 pages, 491 KiB  
Article
Definition and Identification of Honey Bee Welfare Practices Within the Five Domains Framework for Sustainable Beekeeping
by Giovanni Formato, Elena Giannottu, Valentina Lorenzi, Cristina Roncoroni, Marco Pietropaoli, Camilla Pedrelli, Marina Bagni and Stefano Palomba
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(24), 11902; https://doi.org/10.3390/app142411902 - 19 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1082
Abstract
This paper aims to define and identify the Honey Bee Welfare Practices (HBWPs) that beekeepers should adopt within a modern framework for sustainable apiculture. Once identified, HBWPs were categorized according to the Five Domains Model used in other animal species. Drawing on findings [...] Read more.
This paper aims to define and identify the Honey Bee Welfare Practices (HBWPs) that beekeepers should adopt within a modern framework for sustainable apiculture. Once identified, HBWPs were categorized according to the Five Domains Model used in other animal species. Drawing on findings of the European BPRACTICES Horizon 2020 project, we identified, for the first time, 243 HBWPs: while all practices were considered impacting the mental state domain, 38 were assigned to nutrition/hydration, 90 to environment, 220 to health, and 50 to behavior. The proposed HBWPs aim to fill existing gaps by introducing a new approach that more fully respects honey bee behavior and helps prevent unnecessary suffering for each bee and the whole beehive at the same time. Future efforts should focus on maximizing welfare benefits within the One Welfare framework, moving beyond the previously considered One Health perspective. This welfare-oriented focus benefits honey bees, supports beekeepers, and promotes environmental sustainability, aligning with the principles of One Welfare. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Beekeeping, Bee Behavior and Its Bionic Applications)
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