Search Results (353)

The invasive hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax was first recorded in Spain in 2010 and in Italy in 2012. Control strategies to reduce V. v. nigrithorax infestation level in apiaries include nest neutralization and trapping of adult hornets. Trapping methods are simpler, more cost-effective, and can be implemented directly by beekeepers without the use of insecticides; however, they are usually poorly effective or selective. While assessing trap effectiveness is essential for reducing V. v. nigrithorax pressure on hives, evaluating trap selectivity is equally crucial to minimize the capture of non-target insects, such as honey bees and native hornets like Vespa crabro, which exist in a delicate balance with the honey bees. During autumn 2024, five combinations of commercially available mechanical traps, tested with both a homemade and a commercial bait, were evaluated in Spain and Italy to determine the most effective and selective option against V. v. nigrithorax. The mean daily capture rate was significantly lower in Italy (0.19 ± 0.07) than in Spain (1.82 ± 0.39). Significant differences were observed among the five trap–bait combinations (p < 0.0001), with the VelutinaTrap^® (BeeVital GmbH, Vienna, Austria) associated with a homemade bait (sugar, yeast, and water) being the most effective. When trap design was considered independently of bait, VelutinaTrap^® remained the most effective option (p < 0.0001). In contrast, no significant differences were detected between bait types when analyzed irrespective of trap design (p = 0.524). Concerning selectivity, even though all tested traps showed positive results against A. mellifera, the combination VelutinaTrap^® associated with the homemade bait significantly outperformed in V. crabro selectivity. Further research is needed to develop more effective traps for capturing V. v. nigrithorax and to investigate environmental factors that influence variations in the attractiveness of the same trap and bait combinations across different seasons and geographical areas. Full article

Safe overwintering is a challenging issue in rearing management that is inevitably faced by beekeepers in high-latitude regions. Under the combined influence of multiple factors, the overwintering loss rate of Western honey bees has risen continuously, and investigating the molecular mechanisms related to safe overwintering has become key. The Hunchun bee, an Apis mellifera ecotype in Jilin Province, China, exhibits strong overwintering ability during an overwintering period of more than five months. To investigate the molecular mechanisms of its cold resistance, we conducted a comparative transcriptomic analysis between the summer breeding period (July) and different overwintering intervals (November, December, January, and February), and then systematically identified key genes and signaling pathways related to cold resistance. The results showed that the highest number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was found between December and July. Compared with July, the upregulated genes in Hunchun bee in December were significantly enriched in several pathways, such as ion transport and neuroactive ligand–receptor interactions, and the downregulated genes were significantly enriched in pathways related to fatty acid metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and the peroxisome. Notably, a total of 378 shared DEGs were obtained from the four comparison groups, and several candidate cold-resistant gene families, such as AFPs, HSPs, C₂H₂-ZFPs, STKs, and LRRCs, were identified among the shared DEGs of the winter season. Additionally, 749 shared DEGs related to protein modification and metabolic process regulation were identified between the four successive overwintering intervals. Four shared genes, including sensory neuron membrane protein 1 (SNMP1), were revealed by pairwise comparison of the four intervals. The above results collectively indicate that the Hunchun bee attenuates winter-induced stress responses during the overwintering process by maintaining osmotic pressure balance, reducing fatty acid metabolism, increasing antioxidant capacity, and synthesizing cold-resistant macromolecular proteins. It was also found that chemical signal perception may serve a role in maintaining the stability of the overwintering bee colony. The key genes and pathways related to cold resistance identified in this study not only provide a basis for explaining the overwintering molecular mechanism for Apis mellifera of Hunchun bee but also offer key data to improve overwintering management strategies for Western honey bees. Full article

Honey variety authentication is critical for ensuring market integrity and protecting consumer rights, especially for high-value unifloral honeys, such as acacia honey, which are frequently adulterated with low-value alternatives such as rape honey due to their similar visual appearance. The aim of this study was to develop a method for precise discrimination between rape honey and acacia honey using their chemical profiles combined with machine learning. A total of 542 honey samples were collected from major beekeeping regions in China. Targeted quantification of 12 sugars and 20 amino acids was performed using UPLC-MS/MS. Multivariate analysis revealed significant differences in sugar and amino acid compositions between the two honey types, though partial samples overlapped due to chemical similarity. Six machine learning algorithms, including the Multilayer Perceptron, were employed for classification. Optimization was performed via 10-fold cross-validation and ADASYN oversampling, yielding optimal performance of 98% and 100% prediction accuracies for rape honey and acacia honey, respectively, on the independent test set. SHAP (Shapley Additive Explanations) analysis identified key differential markers, including fructose, turanose, glucose, and GABA, which contributed most to the classification. Furthermore, a user-friendly web application was developed to facilitate rapid on-site authentication. This study provides an innovative technical framework for honey variety discrimination, with potential applications in quality control and anti-fraud practices. Full article

Honeybee products (HBPs), including honey, bee pollen, bee bread, royal jelly, propolis, beeswax, and bee brood, are increasingly used in food, nutraceutical, and cosmetic contexts. Because of their natural origin, HBPs can provoke allergic reactions ranging from localised dermatitis to life-threatening, systemic anaphylaxis. As the use of bee products for health purposes grows in apitherapy (a branch of alternative medicine), raising public awareness of their potential risks is essential. This narrative review synthesises the clinical manifestations of HBP allergy, culprit allergens present in each product, immunological mechanisms, diagnostic approaches, at-risk populations, and knowledge gaps. The analysis of the available literature suggests that, although relatively rarely, HPB may trigger allergic reactions, including anaphylactic shock. The sensitisation mechanism may be associated with both primary sensitisation and cross-reactivity and can be classified into type I (IgE-mediated) and type IV (T-cell-mediated). However, bee bread appears less allergenic than other HBPs, potentially due to lactic fermentation that can degrade allergenic proteins. Severe reactions following intake of bee bread have not been reported to date. Management of HBP allergic reactions centres on avoiding the products, educating about the risks, and providing more precise product labelling, specifying the allergen content. Individuals with atopy and beekeepers are at heightened risk of developing anaphylaxis; therefore, they should be particularly aware of the potential dangerous consequences of HPB use. Further research is needed to clarify the mechanisms of HBP allergies and improve safety for all users. Full article

Background/Objective: In recent years, there has been a growing public interest in natural products, including those derived from bees. While most scientific research on bee products has focused on their pharmacological properties, insufficient attention has been given to consumer knowledge, consumption habits and attitudes. The aim of this study was to estimate the popularity of use of different bee products and assess consumer knowledge about them in Lithuania. Methods: An online survey was carried out of the general adult population of Lithuania with 421 respondents included. Results: The study revealed that honey, beeswax and royal jelly were the best-known bee products, while bee venom was the least known one. Knowledge levels varied by age and occupation of respondents—older people and those working in pharmacy, healthcare, cosmetology, agriculture, beekeeping and food production showed better perception. Honey was most often used for treating colds (78.9%), prevention (78.1%) and reducing fever (65.3%). Dietary use of honey depended on demographic factors and was generally low—28.3% consumed it only a few times per year or less. For cosmetics, propolis was the most used product (34.2%). Conclusions: Older individuals and professionals in pharmacy, healthcare, cosmetology, agriculture, beekeeping and food production, demonstrated better knowledge of bee products. Although honey was rarely consumed as part of the diet, older people tended to use it more often than younger individuals. Men were more likely to use honey for treating digestive and circulatory issues and as an ingredient in food and beverages, whereas women were more inclined to use it for respiratory illnesses and cosmetic treatments. Full article

The sustainability of apiculture within Mediterranean forest ecosystems is contingent upon the extent and health of melliferous tree habitats. This study outlines a five-year initiative (2020–2024) aimed at mapping and monitoring four principal honey-producing tree species—pine (Pinus halepensis and Pinus nigra), Greek fir (Abies cephalonica), oak (Quercus ithaburensis subsp. macrolepis), and chestnut (Castanea sativa)—across Evia, Greece. This is achieved through the utilization of high-resolution Sentinel-2 satellite imagery in conjunction with a hierarchical deep learning framework. Distinct from prior vegetation mapping endeavors, this research introduces an innovative application of a hierarchical framework for species-level semantic segmentation of apicultural flora, employing a U-Net convolutional neural network to capture fine-scale spatial and temporal dynamics. The proposed framework first stratifies forests into broadleaf and coniferous types using Copernicus DLT data, and subsequently applies two specialized U-Net models trained on Sentinel-2 NDVI time series and DEM-derived topographic variables to (i) discriminate pine from fir within coniferous forests and (ii) distinguish oak from chestnut within broadleaf stands. This hierarchical decomposition reduces spectral confusion among structurally similar species and enables fine-scale semantic segmentation of apicultural flora. Our hierarchical framework achieves 92.1% overall accuracy, significantly outperforming traditional multiclass approaches (89.5%) and classical ML methods (76.9%). The results demonstrate the framework’s efficacy in accurately delineating species distributions, quantifying the ecological and economic impacts of the catastrophic 2021 forest fires, and projecting long-term habitat recovery trajectories. The integration of a novel hierarchical approach with Deep Learning-driven monitoring of climate- and disturbance-driven changes in honey-producing habitats marks a significant step towards more effective assessment and management of four major beekeeping tree species. These findings highlight the significance of such methodologies in guiding conservation, restoration, and adaptive management strategies, ultimately supporting resilient apiculture and safeguarding ecosystem services in fire-prone Mediterranean landscapes. Full article

The queen, as the reproductive core of a honeybee colony, has declining reproductive capacity with age, making it necessary to rear new queens to replace older ones. Traditional artificial queen-rearing methods face challenges, such as difficulties in larval grafting, particularly for Apis cerana. To address these issues, we developed a queen-rearing technology by cutting the comb. This study compared queen-rearing technology using comb cutting (CC) with larval grafting in A. cerana, measuring egg traits (length, width, weight), capped brood number, worker offspring initial weight, forager honey sac weight, worker morphology traits, and colony foraging efficiency. Queens reared using comb-cutting technology exhibited superior egg quality compared with those reared by larval grafting. The CC group showed significant improvements in egg length, egg weight, and number of capped brood cells (p < 0.05). Worker offspring from the CC group demonstrated significantly superior morphological traits—including forewing length, hindwing width, and lengths of the third and fourth tergites—as well as higher daily colony foraging activity, compared with those from the grafting larvae group (p < 0.05). Queen-rearing technology using CC effectively enhances the reproductive capacity and productive performance of colonies, promising high-quality queen rearing in A. cerana and sustainable beekeeping optimization. Full article

In Algeria, honey plays an important role in nutrition, traditional medicine and sustainable food practices. However, little is known about how consumers perceive and use this product in their daily lives. This study aims to explore how honey consumption patterns among a specific segment of Algerian households, mainly young, educated, and digitally active individuals, relate to traditional practices and contribute to sustainable food systems and cultural heritage. An online survey remained open for four months, and the final number of participants was 770 individuals from 51 wilayas, using convenience sampling through academic and social media networks. As this was an exploratory study, no fixed statistical population was defined. Chi-square tests revealed significant associations between age and honey consumption frequency (χ² = 45.33, p = 0.0010), annual purchase quantity (χ² = 111.49, p < 0.0001), and buying frequency (χ² = 47.26, p < 0.0001), as well as between climatic zone and buying source (χ² = 34.90, p = 0.0097). The findings highlight honey’s multifunctional role, not only as a food product, but also as a traditional remedy and cosmetic ingredient, embedded in cultural routines and health practices. Consumer preferences are shaped by sensory attributes such as taste, type, and appearance, while purchasing decisions are strongly influenced by trust-based relationships, with most respondents favoring direct acquisition from beekeepers or known individuals. These informal sourcing habits reflect sustainable traditions that support local producers and reinforce consumer confidence. However, widespread misconceptions, such as the belief that crystallized honey is adulterated, reveal a need for targeted consumer education. To promote sustainable honey consumption, the study recommends clearer labeling, school-based programs, and public awareness campaigns. Full article

The aim of this study was to analyse the economic conditions of the beekeeping sector in Poland between 2019 and 2024, with particular emphasis on production costs, price formation mechanisms, the foreign trade balance, and the structure of honey supply. The analysis was based on data from public institutions, beekeeping organisations, individual beekeepers, and the authors’ own research and analyses. The results indicate a clear increase in domestic honey production, which reached 31 thousand tonnes in 2024, confirming the growing potential of the sector. Poland is among the largest honey producers in the European Union. The market structure is dominated by direct sales; however, as production scale increases, wholesale channels become more important. Apiary size remains a key factor influencing unit costs and profitability—commercial apiaries benefit from economies of scale, while smaller operations have limited investment capacity. During the analysed period, the sector faced significant cost pressures driven by high inflation and rising prices of beekeeping production inputs. The market analysis shows increasing competitive pressure, particularly in the wholesale segment, intensified by low-priced imported honey. The oversupply of popular honey types reduces profitability and weakens beekeepers’ bargaining position. The future development of the sector should focus on increasing the added value of production, diversifying distribution channels, expanding premium segments, and building strong and competitive brands. Ensuring the stability of the sector is crucial not only for the agri-food economy but also for ecosystem balance and food security. In this context, proactive measures and the consideration of appropriate market protection instruments are essential to mitigate the effects of market imbalances and enhance the sector’s resilience to future economic shocks. Full article

The chemical composition of honey greatly varies due to diverse factors. Among these, the floral and geographical origin affects not only its quality (i.e., nutritional compounds, including minerals) but also its safety (i.e., contaminants, including potentially toxic elements). Industrialized countries can assure high-quality and safe honey through stringent regulations (e.g., Codex Standard 12-1981 and EU Regulation 915/2023) and testing. However, developing countries still suffer from regulatory gaps and less advanced monitoring systems. The present study aims to (1) monitor inorganic elements in an array of Algerian honeys, (2) explore the variability of the element profile in relation to their botanical and geographical provenance, and (3) assess the potential toxicological risk to African and European humans from consuming them. The element profile of honey is affected by both its geographical origin and its floral source. Many honeys exceeded the maximum levels set by the Codex Alimentarius for Mg (97% of samples), Fe (42% of samples), Zn (36% of samples), Cu (17% of samples), and Cd (50% of samples) and by the EU Regulation for Pb (64% of the samples). However, due to the small daily consumption of honey, exposure levels to the regulated elements were below the reference values. Similarly, negligible non-carcinogenic health effects were highlighted for all honeys. Hopefully, this study will encourage the Algerian government to effectively support the beekeeping sector by strengthening monitoring programs and establishing an adequate regulatory framework for honey. Full article

Honey production is influenced by multiple factors, including climatic conditions, hive management practices, and harvest scheduling. This study evaluated the predictive capacity of statistical modeling techniques using data mining algorithms (MARS, CHAID, CART, and Exhaustive) and artificial neural network algorithms (Multilayer Perceptron, MLP) to estimate honey yields in apiaries located in northeastern Peru. A structured survey was conducted with sixty-nine beekeepers across nineteen districts in the Chachapoyas province. Variables included beekeeper experience, instruction, hive count, visit frequency, harvest frequency, additional income-generating activities, and geographic location. Descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests, Spearman correlations, and exploratory factor analysis were applied to identify latent structures. A linear mixed-effects model was used to assess the combined influence of predictors on honey production, with district included as a random effect. Results indicated that hive number, beekeeping experience, harvest frequency, and exclusive engagement in apiculture were statistically associated with increased honey yields. The model explained a substantial proportion of variance, supporting the integration of technical and socio-demographic variables in production forecasting. These findings demonstrate the utility of predictive modeling for informing hive management strategies and improving the operational efficiency of small-scale beekeeping systems in Andean regions. Full article

The natural phenolic compound p-coumaric acid supports honey bee health by enhancing detoxification, immunity and longevity. It also possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties relevant to human health. While commonly detected in honey and pollen, it is absent from nectar and sucrose-based supplements typically used in beekeeping. Concerns have been raised whether supplemental saccharide feeding deprives bees of this essential phytochemical. In this study, we quantified p-coumaric acid in various bee-derived products and in supplementary sucrose syrup before and after feeding to bees, using HPLC-HRMS analysis. Although fresh sucrose syrup contained negligible amounts of p-coumaric acid, syrup stored in capped combs exhibited levels comparable to or higher than those in honey. We identified propolis in combs as the primary source of p-coumaric acid, diffusing into both honey and sucrose syrup during storage. Our findings demonstrate that supplemental feeding with sucrose syrup does not diminish the bees’ access to this key phytochemical and underscore the importance of a propolis-rich environment in bee health management. Full article

Honey adulteration has long been a nuisance in local and international trade. Sugar syrup addition and false labeling of botanical origin have created a challenge in identifying fraudulent honey supplies and products. Stable carbon isotope ratio analysis (SCIRA) has been widely employed in honey authentication. While it is effective in identifying the addition of C4 plant-derived sugars, it does not provide information related to honey’s botanical source. This research investigated the combination of SCIRA and melissopalynology to provide a more robust assessment of honey integrity and showed that PCA analysis of δ¹³C together with sugar profiles could further improve the decision involving addition of sugar syrups. A total of 34 beekeeper honey samples were analyzed from 7 provinces of Thailand with a focus on longan honey. Twenty-four samples passed the δ¹³C criteria, exhibiting δ¹³C of bulk honey ranging from −28.53 ± 0.19‰ to −22.89 ± 0.08‰ and δ¹³C of extracted protein ranging from −29.30 ± 0.07‰ to −22.76 ± 0.03‰. Pollen profiling further eliminated honey of questionable and multifloral origins, yielding only eight samples that passed both criteria of being monofloral and not being adulterated with C4-derived sugars. These included six samples of longan honey and two honey samples of other botanical origins, yielding an overall passing rate of 23.5%. Our study showed that by combining SCIRA and melissopalynology, a robust determination of honey integrity could be achieved. Full article

Despite the advantages associated with social living, one of the main costs of sociality is an increased exposure to pathogens. For honey bees, these costs are artificially inflated in the unnatural and densely crowded apiary environments common to commercial operations. Modern beekeeping practices have not only exacerbated these problems but have also led to the introduction of novel parasites. One newly introduced parasite of honey bees is Nosema ceranae, a unicellular, spore-forming gut parasite that has achieved a cosmopolitan distribution in recent decades. N. ceranae is widely considered a dangerous pathogen for both individual bees and colonies as a whole. The parasite can infect every member of the honey bee colony; however, it remains to be understood whether there are asymmetrical contributions to spreading N. ceranae spores by particular castes. Here, we test the long-held suspicion that honey bee drones may be important for driving pathogen transmission between colonies in modern apiary settings. Although we find sparse evidence that N. ceranae infection causes enhanced transmission by changing drone or worker behavior, we do confirm that infected drones drift at high rates and are accepted by foreign colonies. Our results thus present a grim picture for enhanced diseases transmission by males in crowded apiaries. Full article

As a novel approach, polyfloral honey originating from the three regions of the Caribbean Island of the Dominican Republic (D.R.) was analyzed. Using the HPLC-DAD technique, 10 specific flavonoids (FLV) together with 9 phenolic acids (PHA) were identified and compared with Spanish polyflorals (commercial brands, artisanal beekeepers, and experimental apiaries). On average, the total content of FLV and PHA was much higher in Spanish (14.2 and 20.1 mg/kg) than in D.R. (10.8 and 4.5 mg/kg) honeys. Unlike in Dominican honeys, chrysin (in FLV) and vanillic acid (in PHA) had the greatest impact on Spanish honey, with the latter alone accounting for more than 50% of the quantified PHAs. Unsupervised Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that the information provided by both FLV and PHA allowed us to differentiate honeys according to their geographical origin, particularly at the country level. Furthermore, a stepwise discriminant-analysis identified the PHA ferulic acid followed by the FLVs apigenin-7-glucoside, chrysin, and naringenin as the most influential compounds for distinguishing among groups of honeys. The resulting model correctly classified 80.3% of the original and 71.2% of the cross-validated cases, indicating acceptable efficiency and robustness. These findings highlight the potential of the analyzed compounds for the geographical authentication of honey, providing the beekeeping sector with valuable tools for ensuring honey provenance. Full article