Data mining hive inspections: more frequently inspected honey bee colonies have higher over-winter survival rates

Scott, Andrew; Hassler, Edgar; Formato, Giovanni; Rünzel, Max; Wilkes, James; Hassan, Awad Saad; Cazier, Joseph A.

doi:10.1080/00218839.2023.2232145

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 13 publications

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“…Concerning the number of hive inspections realized on a seasonal basis, most European beekeepers declared that they inspect their own colonies frequently during the active season, "four times a month" or "from two to three times a month". Even if this approach is time-consuming, the awareness of beekeepers of the necessity of regular hive inspections demonstrates proper education of European beekeepers, as frequent inspection of the colonies is indispensable for maintaining good bee health status, as it allows early diagnosis as well as prompt management of bee diseases [23,24]. Concerning the recognition of the symptoms of the main infectious honeybee diseases, most of the European beekeepers were able to pair the pictures showing the symptoms with the name of the disease.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comprehensive Analysis of Beekeeping Risks and Validation of Biosecurity Measures against Major Infectious Diseases in Apis mellifera in Europe

De Carolis,

Newmark,

Kim

et al. 2024

Agriculture

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Background/Objectives: In a collaborative effort, FAO, the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Association “Apimondia”, the Appalachian State University, and the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e Toscana (IZSLT), the FAO Reference Centre for Animal Health and Food Security Discipline Apiculture, health, and biosecurity, designed an online international survey (“Knowledge, Awareness and Practice”-KAP) as a risk assessment tool to validate biosecurity measures able to prevent and control the main honeybee (Apis mellifera subsp.) infectious diseases. Methods: The KAP survey was disseminated through various channels for 14 months (January 2019–March 2020). Beekeepers’ knowledge on nosemosis, American foulbrood (AFB), and European foulbrood (EFB) management was assessed. Beekeepers’ attitudes were investigated by asking them to provide a score called “Acceptance by beekeepers”. Results: Of the 410 respondents, the majority of them (68.3%, n = 252) were from Europe. European beekeepers (n = 252) considered “Highly acceptable” the following practices: removing combs that show signs of dysentery and feeding colonies for nosemosis; the quick identification and management of affected hives for American foulbrood and European foulbrood. Instead, the following practices were considered as not acceptable by beekeepers: for nosemosis, the use of antibiotics and sampling of hive debris for early detection; for American foulbrood and European foulbrood, the shook swarm, the destruction of the whole apiary, as well as their treatment with antibiotics. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the validity of the present “Knowledge, Awareness and Practice” (KAP) survey to validate the best practices for the main infectious honeybee diseases, considering the pragmatic point of view of beekeepers. Sustainable practices for disease control are preferred by the European beekeepers. While having an adequate knowledge base for the early detection of the investigated honeybee diseases, European beekeepers tend to be aware of the health status of their hives, embracing advanced, practice-oriented training. Authors highlight that the selection of practices and their validation should be revised on a regular basis, to be adapted in a timely manner to the current infectious honeybee disease situation, in order to build up a resilient and effective stock of practices.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comprehensive Analysis of Beekeeping Risks and Validation of Biosecurity Measures against Major Infectious Diseases in Apis mellifera in Europe

De Carolis,

Newmark,

Kim

et al. 2024

Agriculture

Self Cite

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Definition and Identification of Honey Bee Welfare Practices Within the Five Domains Framework for Sustainable Beekeeping

Formato,

Giannottu,

Lorenzi

et al. 2024

Applied Sciences

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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.

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Data mining hive inspections: more frequently inspected honey bee colonies have higher over-winter survival rates

Cited by 2 publications

References 13 publications

A Comprehensive Analysis of Beekeeping Risks and Validation of Biosecurity Measures against Major Infectious Diseases in Apis mellifera in Europe

A Comprehensive Analysis of Beekeeping Risks and Validation of Biosecurity Measures against Major Infectious Diseases in Apis mellifera in Europe

Definition and Identification of Honey Bee Welfare Practices Within the Five Domains Framework for Sustainable Beekeeping

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