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Varroa destructor, a killing machine!

The many scientific articles available to beekeepers make it possible to understand the physiology of bees, drones and, of course, varroa. However, it is essential to grasp the relationships between these different actors within the hive and over the course of the months, that is, the pathophysiology of these three populations. Joseph Létondal provides a comprehensive perspective, and the curves in his diagrams allow potential varroa-related problems to be anticipated before it is too late. This video is very rich in a wide range of practical information.

It has become clear that honey bees can develop several strategies to reduce infestation by Varroa. This has been demonstrated both in untreated wild colonies and in selected colonies (such as bees exhibiting the VSH behaviour of the USDA in Bâton-Rouge). Resistance strategies can be classified into two types: those associated with the brood and those associated with the period during which Varroa is present on adult bees.

What qualities are required to be a good beekeeper? They are numerous, as beekeeping draws on a wide range of techniques and fields. Some are present from the outset, while others are acquired over time.

Although substantial research has been conducted on the causes of colony collapse disorder in the European honey bee Apis mellifera, there has been increasing evidence over the past two decades that another pandemic affecting both domesticated and native bees is emerging. This pandemic is the result of the spread of fungal pathogens of the genus Nosema.

It sticks, it stains, and we sometimes curse it when inspecting our beehives; yet it gives beekeeping one of the fragrances that contribute to its charm and is also an increasingly sought-after product, representing a growing source of income for beekeepers. Although omnipresent in our hives, propolis is the result of a harvest and a processing effort that is anything but simple for the bee. A demanding but indispensable task; for this resinous substance, whose medicinal properties have been appreciated since Antiquity, fulfils multiple functions within the colony.

The art of economy (Janine Kevits)

Winter represents a formidable challenge for fauna, as it must cope both with cold temperatures and with food scarcity. Some insects have “chosen” to avoid it by migrating to warmer regions; this is the case, for example, of the painted lady butterfly. Others concentrate their chances of survival on a few individuals—reproductives that are abundantly nourished during the favorable season and whose task is to found a new colony on their own the following spring; this is the strategy of wasps, hornets, and other solitary bees. The honey bee, by contrast, has found a different path: it is the powerful organization of the colonies it forms that enables it to meet this challenge, by implementing two means that are entirely original in the insect world—on the one hand, the storage of reserves, and on the other, the reorganization of the colony to form the winter cluster, a system characterized by the absence of brood and by modes of functioning that differ fundamentally from those of the summer colony.

The creation, as early as spring, of several nucleus colonies from a small six-frame colony is highly profitable and straightforward, provided that the beekeeper monitors the development of the parent colony, transfers the brood frames onto two stacked boxes, and that frequent syrup feeding stimulates a particularly prolific queen.

The economic benefit for beekeeping operations of removing drone brood as a complementary measure
to control varroa

Since the first article, we have received a large number of requests for clarification regarding the practical implementation
in the hive, followed by many very positive comments on the effects of this “mechanical treatment,” which poses no risk to bees or the queen. After recalling the context of the study and the way it was conducted, we now present the complete results over a two-year period.

Communication in bees is highly elaborate and has been the subject of numerous studies. There is, of course, the well-known “waggle dance” or “figure-eight dance,” but what is less well known is that this dance serves solely to indicate the location of a food source. While dancing, the bee releases chemical messengers that recruit other foragers and inform them about the type and richness of the source. Communication therefore indeed relies on the exchange of chemical substances known as pheromones.

While the bee amazes us with its highly social behaviour, its anatomy and multifunctional organs are truly awe-inspiring.

The bee is equipped with two antennae attached to the upper part of its head, composed of three main segments: the scape, the pedicel, and the flagellum. The antennae are in constant motion thanks to four muscles located in the head capsule that enable rotation of the scape; the latter contains two groups of muscles responsible for the movements of the flagellum and the pedicel. The motor neurons involved in activating these muscles (nine for the scape, six for the flagellum) have their cell bodies located in the dorsal lobe, which constitutes the motor and mechanosensory system of the antennae. The antennae thus serve as the bee’s central organs for perceiving its environment and, through thousands of sensilla, transmit an enormous amount of information linking it to the external world. The antennae therefore support the senses of smell, taste, touch, hearing, and the perception of electric fields.