The Effectiveness of Varroa destructor Infestation Classification Using an E-Nose Depending on the Time of Day

Abstract

Honey bees are subject to a number of stressors. In recent years, there has been a worldwide decline in the population of these insects. Losses raise a serious concern, because bees have an indispensable role in the food supply of humankind. This work is focused on the method of assessment of honey bee colony infestation by Varroa destructor. The approach allows to detect several categories of infestation: “Low”, “Medium” and “High”. The method of detection consists of two components: (1) the measurements of beehive air using a gas sensor array and (2) classification, which is based on the measurement data. In this work, we indicate the sensitivity of the bee colony infestation assessment to the timing of measurement data collection. It was observed that the semiconductor gas sensor responses to the atmosphere of a defined beehive, collected during 24 h, displayed temporal variation. We demonstrated that the success rate of the bee colony infestation assessment also altered depending on the time of day when the gas sensor array measurement was done. Moreover, it was found that different times of day were the most favorable to detect the particular infestation category. This result could indicate that the representation of the disease in the beehive air may be confounded during the day, due to some interferences. More studies are needed to explain this fact and determine the best measurement periods. The problem addressed in this work is very important for scheduling the beekeeping practices aimed at Varroa destructor infestation assessment, using the proposed method.

Application of a Low-Cost Electronic Nose for Differentiation between Pathogenic Oomycetes Pythium intermedium and Phytophthora plurivora

“…Oates et al [ 46 ] presented research on a sinusoidally heated e-nose applied to olive oil type classification. Recently, several constructions were reported by Gonzalez Vieyo et al [ 47 ] to assess aroma profiles of beer, by Anyfantis and Bliona [ 48 ] to detect human presence, by Wu et al [ 49 ] for cigarette brand identification, and by Szczurek et al [ 50 ] to detect bee colony infestation. Development of a portable electronic nose for detection of pests and plant damage has been reported by Lampson and coworkers [ 51 ].…”

Varroa destructor from the Laboratory to the Field: Control, Biocontrol and IPM Perspectives—A Review

“…The recent development and adaptation of gas sensor systems to beekeeping practices is really promising. They have already been used to infer a parasite pressure based on volatils detected in hives [ 256 , 257 ]. It is necessary to be able to precisely assess the state of the colony when infested with the acari, thus to use acaricides only if required and at the right moment [ 175 , 257 ].…”

Beehive Air Sampling and Sensing Device Operation in Apicultural Applications—Methodological and Technical Aspects

“…There is a high probability of obtaining misleading information when the measuring session is performed in an inadequate time period. This problem is mainly associated with the temporal variability of beehive air [26]. The chemical composition of air inside the beehive presents a temporal variability, see Figure 6.…”

“…The important issue is also the time of the day when the measuring sessions should be performed. It was demonstrated that the adequate time of sampling and measurements allows to obtain better effectiveness of bee disease detection [26]. This knowledge is important from an economical point of view because it helps in planning an effective sampling program for the whole apiary.…”