In Italy a nation-wide monitoring network was established in 2009 in response to significant honey bee colony mortality reported during 2008. The network comprised of approximately 100 apiaries located across Italy. Colonies were sampled four times per year, in order to assess the health status and to collect samples for pathogen, chemical and pollen analyses. The prevalence of Nosema ceranae ranged, on average, from 47–69% in 2009 and from 30–60% in 2010, with strong seasonal variation. Virus prevalence was higher in 2010 than in 2009. The most widespread viruses were BQCV, DWV and SBV. The most frequent pesticides in all hive contents were organophosphates and pyrethroids such as coumaphos and tau-fluvalinate. Beeswax was the most frequently contaminated hive product, with 40% of samples positive and 13% having multiple residues, while 27% of bee-bread and 12% of honey bee samples were contaminated. Colony losses in 2009/10 were on average 19%, with no major differences between regions of Italy. In 2009, the presence of DWV in autumn was positively correlated with colony losses. Similarly, hive mortality was higher in BQCV infected colonies in the first and second visits of the year. In 2010, colony losses were significantly related to the presence of pesticides in honey bees during the second sampling period. Honey bee exposure to poisons in spring could have a negative impact at the colony level, contributing to increase colony mortality during the beekeeping season. In both 2009 and 2010, colony mortality rates were positively related to the percentage of agricultural land surrounding apiaries, supporting the importance of land use for honey bee health.

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of thymol and resveratrol administered in two different formulation modes (candy and syrup) on the development of Nosema ceranae and on the longevity of honey bees. Emerging bees from a nosema-free apiary were individually infected with 1 μL of sucrose syrup containing 18000 spores of N. ceranae, placed in cages, and kept in an incubator at 33 • C and 65% RH. The experimental groups were fed candy or syrup prepared with thymol (100 ppm) or resveratrol (10 ppm). Infection levels were monitored over a 25 day period by removal and dissection of two live bees per cage. On day 25, post-infection bees fed with thymol syrup had significantly lower levels of infection (60 ± 9 million spores/bee) compared to control bees (138 ± 7 million spores/bee). Bees fed with thymol or resveratrol syrup lived significantly longer (23 and 25 days, respectively) than bees fed with control syrup (20 days). Thymol treated syrup appears to be promising in the control of nosema infection. Nosema / microsporidian / honey bee / thymol / resveratrol