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Advances in Honeybee and Their Biological and Environmental Threats
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Advances in Honeybee and Their Biological and Environmental Threats

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 1889

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Franco Mutinelli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Reference Laboratory for Honey Bee Health, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell’Università 10, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
Interests: animal pathology; animal experimentation and welfare; honeybee diseases; disease control; environmental monitoring; regulations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Michela Bertola

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Reference Laboratory for Honey Bee Health, and FAO Reference Centre for Apiculture—Health and Biosecurity, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell’Università 10, 35020 Legnaro, Italy
Interests: insect breeding; honeybee diseases pests and pathogens; epidemiology and statistics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Honeybees' growing challenges have garnered significant attention due to various emerging biological and environmental threats. These challenges include losses driven by pathogens, the spread of invasive alien species, the rise of resistance phenomena, exposure to environmental contaminants, i.e., pesticides and pollutants, and climate change.

This Special Issue, titled "Advances in Honeybee and Their Biological and Environmental Threats", explores the multifaceted nature of apiculture and the complex interactions between managed honeybees, their biological threats, and their environment.

Furthermore, this Special Issue wants to collect data on honey bees as crucial agricultural and environmental health bioindicators, offering valuable insights into ecosystem status through their biological responses and behavior.

This Special Issue invites original research papers and comprehensive reviews that address the diverse aspects of biological and environmental threats emerging in apiculture, non-managed bee colonies, and wild bees. Contributions that enhance our understanding and propose innovative solutions to the current challenges in this essential sector are highly encouraged.

Dr. Franco Mutinelli
Dr. Michela Bertola
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. 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

  • honey bee health
  • disease
  • invasive species
  • predators
  • parasites
  • diagnosis
  • control
  • prevention
  • bioindicators
  • environmental monitoring
  • management practices

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 3459 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Land Cover on the Nectar Collection by Honeybee Colonies in Urban and Rural Areas
by Dariusz Gerula and Jakub Gąbka
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(8), 4497; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15084497 - 18 Apr 2025
Viewed by 131
Abstract
In the context of increasing urbanisation, the question arises as to whether urban environments can provide honeybee colonies with floral resources comparable to those available in rural areas. The present study sought to evaluate the impact of land cover on nectar collection by [...] Read more.
In the context of increasing urbanisation, the question arises as to whether urban environments can provide honeybee colonies with floral resources comparable to those available in rural areas. The present study sought to evaluate the impact of land cover on nectar collection by bees in urban and rural apiaries. To this end, changes in the mass of 10 hives located in five urban–rural site pairs were monitored over two years (2021–2022) to assess nectar yield, weight loss, and the number of foraging days. The 3 km surroundings of each apiary were analysed using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery from the S2GLC-PL (National Satellite Information System 2025). The analysis identified eight distinct land cover classes: anthropogenic, agricultural, broad-leaved forest, coniferous forest, grassland, shrubs, wetlands, and water bodies. The findings revealed no statistically significant variation in the total nectar collected between urban and rural colonies (72.9 kg vs. 64.5 kg; p > 0.6). However, urban colonies exhibited a significantly higher number of foraging days (67 vs. 56). No significant correlations were identified between specific land cover types and nectar yield. Principal component analysis (PCA) and clustering revealed distinct landscape gradients, yet these did not influence nectar collection. The findings of this study indicate that diverse urban environments have the capacity to support beekeeping to a similar extent as rural areas and may even have superior conditions, provided that the continuity and diversity of nectar plants are maintained. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Honeybee and Their Biological and Environmental Threats)
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33 pages, 4489 KiB  
Article
Urban Green Areas: Examining Honeybee Pathogen Spillover in Wild Bees Through Shared Foraging Niches
by Carla Sorvillo, Serena Malabusini, Erica Holzer, Matteo Frasnelli, Manuela Giovanetti, Antonio Lavazza and Daniela Lupi
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(6), 2879; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15062879 - 7 Mar 2025
Viewed by 982
Abstract
In urbanized environments, the expansion of urban areas has led to the creation of fragmented green spaces such as gardens and parks. While these areas provide essential habitats for pollinators, they may also inadvertently concentrate specimens of different species, increasing opportunities for pathogen [...] Read more.
In urbanized environments, the expansion of urban areas has led to the creation of fragmented green spaces such as gardens and parks. While these areas provide essential habitats for pollinators, they may also inadvertently concentrate specimens of different species, increasing opportunities for pathogen transmission. This study highlights the importance of investigating pathogen dynamics in urban ecosystems, focusing on managed pollinators, such as Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758, and their wild counterparts. Over a two-year monitoring period in Milan, Italy, we examined the interactions between pollinator populations in urban green spaces and the spillover of honeybee pathogens. Our findings confirm widespread RNA virus transmission between honeybees and wild pollinators, supporting the previous studies. Notably, the Acute Bee Paralysis Virus (ABPV) exhibited the highest prevalence across both sampling years, underscoring its significant role in pathogen dynamics. These results emphasize the need for regular research to mitigate pathogen spillover risks in urban pollinator communities and inform conservation strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Honeybee and Their Biological and Environmental Threats)
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Graphical abstract

15 pages, 1701 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of Urban and Rural Ecosystems in the Context of Suitability for Honeybees
by Dariusz Gerula, Paweł Węgrzynowicz and Zbigniew Kołtowski
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(5), 2431; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15052431 - 24 Feb 2025
Viewed by 415
Abstract
The present study set out to compare the performance of honeybees maintained in urban and agricultural environments across various regions in Poland. A range of measurements and observations were used to assess overwintering, development, strength, swarming behaviour, honey yield, and Varroa destructor infestation [...] Read more.
The present study set out to compare the performance of honeybees maintained in urban and agricultural environments across various regions in Poland. A range of measurements and observations were used to assess overwintering, development, strength, swarming behaviour, honey yield, and Varroa destructor infestation in bee colonies in five towns and five surrounding villages. The rural apiaries were located 4.5–39.5 km away from the urban apiaries. The colonies were kept in wooden Dadant hives and were led by Apis mellifera carnica queens. The brood count and colony strength were assessed based on the Liebefeld method, while Varroa destructor infestation levels in the colonies were determined using icing sugar at the end of July. The urban apiaries exhibited significantly higher brood-rearing dynamics. Consequently, an increase in brood count in spring resulted in a significant increase in Varroa infestation levels in summer. In certain regions, urban apiaries exhibited higher honey production, though this was influenced by geographic location and the availability of bee forage. The significant variation in most traits, including honey production, was observed depending on the region. Variations between years in the study were observed in bee colonies overwintering, brood numbers in the pre-spring period, and bee population in summer. This may suggest the presence of differing weather conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Honeybee and Their Biological and Environmental Threats)
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