No abstract

Due to a continuing shift toward reducing/minimizing the use of chemicals in honey bee colonies, we explored the possibility of using small cell foundation as a varroa control. Based on the number of anecdotal reports supporting small cell as an efficacious varroa control tool, we hypothesized that bee colonies housed on combs constructed on small cell foundation would have lower varroa populations and higher adult bee populations and more cm(2) brood. To summarize our results, we found that the use of small cell foundation did not significantly affect cm(2) total brood, total mites per colony, mites per brood cell, or mites per adult bee, but did affect adult bee population for two sampling months. Varroa levels were similar in all colonies throughout the study. We found no evidence that small cell foundation was beneficial with regard to varroa control under the tested conditions in Florida.

Manuka honey is widely recognized for its antimicrobial activity. Our study adds to the growing body of evidence that manuka honey and its active ingredient, methylglyoxal (MGO), can also function as antibiotic adjuvants. In this study, we provide the first report of synergy between MGO and linezolid against Staphylococcus aureus. Both manuka honey and purified MGO significantly increased the sensitivity of S. aureus to linezolid.

No abstract

Greater (Galleria mellonella L.) and lesser wax moth (Achroia grisella F.) larval feeding can cause significant damage in active honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies and stored equipment. This damage may lead to significant material and financial losses. Traditional control methods use toxic chemicals that may leave residues in wax and honey and are potentially hazardous to bees and humans. In this study, we evaluated the use of a product (B401®; Vita [Europe] Ltd., Basingstoke, UK) that contains Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner, a bacterium that is not harmful to bees or humans. The main objectives of our research were to determine if B401 could be successfully applied to the midrib of foundation during its production and if combs constructed on the foundation were protected from wax moth damage. B401 significantly reduced the comb damage score that was given to combs on a scale from 0–10, with 0 equal to no damage and 10 equal to complete damage (B401 = 1.70 ± 0.39 and 0.45 ±0.16, control = 8.55 ± 0.32 and 3.80 ± 0.71) and the proportion of larvae surviving at 6 wk (B401 = 0.69 = 0.07, control = 0.95 ± 0.04). Yet, as administered in our study, the product did not eliminate all wax moth damage to combs.