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Depiction:
Dioecious tree or shrub with deciduous leaves. The male flowers have yellow anthers; the female flowers are inconspicuous, greenish, and develop at maturity into capsules rich in seeds.
Among the various goldenrod species with invasive characteristics are the late or giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea) and the Canadian goldenrod (Solidago canadensis). It is rather difficult to distinguish between these two invasive species originating from North America, especially as they readily hybridise with one another.
The Asian hornet is poorly named, since the vast majority of hornets (including our European hornet) originate from Asia. Scientists are more precise and refer to it as Vespa velutina nigrithorax. This Latin designation could be translated as “large wasp, covered with numerous short, silky hairs, with a black thorax”. It belongs to the hymenopteran insects (bearing 4 membranous wings that couple in flight via a series of small hamuli) Apocrita (with a narrow wasp waist). Its portrait is clearly less poetic...
This article begins by examining the life cycle of the varroa mite to identify the two windows of opportunity available to a colony in dealing with the parasite, and then reviews the known mechanisms and methods for evaluating them. It constitutes the practical and methodological component of the special report on varroa resistance.
Deciduous tree or occasionally evergreen, monoecious and wind-pollinated, with inconspicuous, greenish and unisexual flowers. The male flowers are pendulous and grouped in catkins, whereas the female flowers are rounded and hardly visible, developing into acorns (nut fruits).
Propolis is a complex material, composed mainly of resins derived from various plant species, but also containing variable amounts of wax produced by the bees themselves.
Honey bee colonies meet their requirements for proteins and mineral salts by consuming pollen. They therefore need an adequate supply of pollen. How much pollen do honey bee colonies collect each year? This article attempts to answer that question.
When one speaks of alfalfa, one first thinks of cultivated alfalfa, Medicago sativa, a perennial herbaceous plant native to the Middle East with blue-violet flowers; however, there are other species with flowers in different shades, ranging from yellow to white, via green and brown. All are highly melliferous.
Monoecious deciduous tree or shrub. The flowers are unisexual, yellow-green, and arranged in racemes or panicles. The samara (fruit) consists of two seeds joined in a helical shape and is dispersed by wind. Species of importance for bees include: sycamore maple (A. pseudoplatanus), Norway maple (A. platanoides), and field maple (A. campestre).
Like any living organism, the honey bee can become ill. The beekeeper must remain vigilant, as a disease can have serious consequences, especially if it is a so-called “notifiable contagious disease” (MRC). A beekeeper who has been practising this activity for many years will immediately detect even the slightest anomaly in the hives. For a beginner, however, it is often very difficult to identify a disease; this is why they must be much more observant, considerably more inquisitive, and always very attentive to what is happening on the landing board.
Some flowers produce a blue halo on their petals to attract pollinators
Acquired and controlled through evolution, a degree of “disorder” in the nanometric structure of the petals of many flowers allows for more efficient pollination.
Researchers have discovered that some flowers have developed an additional strategy to encourage insects to forage on them. An ultraviolet halo effectively attracts pollinators.
Image: Ursinia speciosa, like other flower species, produces a blue halo on its petals to attract pollinators. © Edwige Moyroud
The first difficulty for a beginner beekeeper is choosing a hive. There are many systems, and all of them have their advantages and disadvantages, their supporters and their critics. It is important to choose hives carefully so that the colony develops well, production is satisfactory, overwintering proceeds properly, and beekeeping remains a pleasure. Dadant, Langstroth, Voirnot, Alsacienne, WBC, Warré, Layens, Simplex, Zander, National … and all the others: which is the best hive? How can one make a decision when starting out in beekeeping and the opinions of the “experienced beekeepers” diverge?
Bees do not close their eyes throughout their lives. Nevertheless, their activities are influenced by an intracerebral protein (pigment-dispersing factor, PDF), which enables them, among other things, to orient themselves in relation to the position of the sun.
To unravel the mysteries of crystallization, the authors explore the world of science and delve into the heart of the product: principles of chemistry and physics, together with a measure of common sense, are essential to understand it and to highlight the different factors that can influence it.
Varroa destructor, a killing machine!
The many scientific articles available to beekeepers provide valuable insight into the physiology of honey bees, drones and, of course, Varroa destructor. What is crucial, however, is to understand the dynamic relationships between these different actors within the colony over time—that is, the combined pathophysiology of these three populations throughout the season.
The rowan is a deciduous tree that is very widespread in Valais, where it grows naturally in woodlands but is also widely planted in parks and gardens, notably to form living hedges that are highly valued for their foliage and decorative fruits. Several species of rowan exist; the most common are the rowanberry or mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia), the service tree, also known as sorb apple tree (Sorbus domestica), and the whitebeam (Sorbus aria).
(by Jean-Michel Normand)
Is it because it provides honey and wax? Or because its sophisticated organisation strangely echoes human societies? Or perhaps because of a character that is at once fierce and disciplined, making its domestication uncertain, or because of the way it positions itself at the confluence of the plant and animal worlds. Protean and tinged with mystery, the fascination exerted by the bee has endured for millennia, albeit with periods of interruption.
Ellingsenius fulleri is the most frequently encountered pseudoscorpion species of the family Cheliferidae in South Africa. This arthropod is considered a predator of small mites and wax moth larvae found in debris at the bottom of beehives. They often attach themselves to the legs of bees and thus appear to spread to other colonies.
It is a contagious disease of the honey bee caused by a virus known as CBPV, an abbreviation of its English name Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (chronic bee paralysis virus).
Varroosis promotes drifting, a mechanism explained by the fact that bees from heavily infested colonies lose the specificity of their cuticular chemical profile as well as the accuracy of their orientation. What can we learn from wild colonies?
Adherence to recommended treatment regimens against Varroa destructor improves the winter survival of honey bee colonies. Key findings:
- Compliance of beekeepers with recommended control measures against the mite Varroa destructor was assessed.
- Mite infestation levels and honey bee colony mortality were measured to evaluate the impact of compliance.
- Non-compliance resulted in higher mite infestation rates and increased colony mortality.
- A colony had up to a 25-fold higher risk of death when it was not treated as recommended.
- Communicating the impact of deviations from recommendations improves compliance.