Register for newsletter
Depiction:
Deutsche Wespe (Vespula germanica) | Feldwespe | Garten | Haus-Feldwespe (Polistes dominula) | Insekten | Insektensterben | Nest | Polistes | Polistinae | Sommer | Wabe | allergie | angst | artensterben | beine | bestäubung | blütenpflanzen | gefahr | gif
© Lothar Lenz lotharlenz@gmx.de
This article provides an accessible overview of the main issues surrounding wild bees in Switzerland. For a more in-depth discussion, with greater scientific detail, references, and further analysis of ecology, threats, and conservation measures, please refer to the main feature article. This condensed version summarizes the key points in a shorter, more practical format.
► Read for you
This article examines a question that is becoming increasingly relevant for apiaries in Switzerland and temperate Europe: how effective is winter treatment against varroa when colonies still have brood? It explains why the absence of capped brood remains a key condition for the effectiveness of oxalic acid — and why protecting winter bees starts well before December.
by Yves Martignoni and Julien Balet
What do breeding instructors do? What is breeding? Is it something within my reach? These are some of the questions we will attempt to address in this article.
► Read for you
The honey bee dance is not merely an instinctive reflex: its precision is also shaped by observing experienced foragers. Two recent studies shed light on the link between learning, vision and orientation — and help explain why visual landmarks, including around water sources, matter more in the apiary than one might think.
© ecaterinaleonte@yahoo.com
► Read for you
This study shows that water collection increases with colony size and on warm days. It also serves as a reminder that water is a basic resource for brood and the normal functioning of the colony. For the apiary, the message is straightforward: a reliable watering point is worth planning for, with appropriate caution given the semi-controlled experimental setup.
Metamorphosis is a major transformation of the body and way of life during the development and life cycle of certain animals, such as amphibians and some insects. It represents an evolutionary adaptation of an organism to its respective environmental conditions. In zoology, it refers to the transformation from the larval form to the adult, sexually mature animal.
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.
Every beekeeper is required to indicate the following information on each jar of honey sold (ODAIOUs Art. 26, food labelling ordinance, OEDAI):
(By Jean Riondet)
The question of feeding is recurring: in spring to stimulate colonies and to have strong populations at the time of the first nectar flows, then during the season in periods of dearth, and finally to ensure winter stores.
Any decision to feed colonies must be carefully considered, taking the season into account, have a specific purpose, and the ingredients must be well chosen so as to answer the questions properly: when ?, why ?, how ?
The expression may come as a surprise and calls for some clarification. “Insemination with a single male” refers to the insemination of a queen using the semen of a single drone, instead of the 12 to 20 males involved in natural mating or conventional instrumental insemination. This article presents this specific technique and its contexts of use. An overview of our current knowledge regarding the benefits and the present limitations of this technique!
The developmental cycles of Varroa destructor and the honey bee are closely linked. Since the emergence of the varroa mite in Europe in the early 1980s, numerous chemical treatments have been recommended and applied to control varroosis. Residues of synthetic chemicals and persistent compounds have accumulated in beeswax over the years, contributing to the selection of varroa populations with increased resistance. It is therefore possible to manage varroa populations by intervening in the bee’s developmental cycle. Caging the queen to obtain a brood-free colony is an example of an interesting biotechnical method for controlling varroosis.
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.
When a honey bee colony reaches a certain level of development, part of the population may leave the hive to form a new colony. This division is called swarming.
This is the natural reproduction of the colony viewed as a superorganism. It enables reproduction and thus the survival of the species, and has done so for millions of years. However, beekeepers aim for colonies that develop well and become strong without swarming. What methods can be used to prevent swarming?
A nightmare for some, an opportunity for others, an incredible hope for visionaries, the wax moth is an insect that intrigues all those interested in its evolution and its perfect adaptation to the hive and its superorganism. There are therefore three ways of viewing the wax moth: the beekeeper fears the damage it causes in hives; the entomologist marvels at the undertaker role played by the insect; researchers, for their part, focus on its highly ecological ability to digest highly polluting plastic. So what is this curious moth?
The location of the apiary is undoubtedly the most important choice. It will determine, of course, the harvest, the amount of time you will spend with your bees, and the various savings you will be able to make.
nymph | Hatching bee | hatch | be hatching | bee | honey | outdoor | pollinator | agriculture | beeswax | farm | sting | frame | rural | country | honeybee | wax | comb | hive | pollination | fear | beekeeping | insect | beekeeper | apis | nature | animal
The drone is the male of the honeybee. Its caste depends on the type of egg, the larval diet, and the type of cell. It develops from an unfertilized egg laid in a drone cell. It is the largest insect in the colony, recognizable by its stocky body, hairy thorax, very large eyes, and noisy flight. Its primary role is to transmit its mother’s genetic material during fertilization.
Professor Martin Giufra works at the Center for Research on Animal Cognition in Toulouse, France. He is a specialist in neurobiology, with a particular focus on neurocognition in invertebrates. The research team he leads has investigated the remarkable learning abilities of the honey bee’s small brain.
Gilbert Duruz is a beekeeper in Switzerland, in the upper Rhône Valley. He is a beekeeping trainer, queen breeder, tester for the Swiss Romand selection programme of the Carnica bee, and president of the Association Suisse Romande des Éleveurs de Reines (ARAE). He presents his breeding and renewal method under continental and mountain conditions.
► Read for you
A colony may replace its queen for several reasons: advanced age, insufficient egg-laying, poor fertilization, injury, or general weakness. But a recent study suggests that another factor may sometimes be at play: a severe viral infection in the queen could impair her reproductive function and alter her pheromonal signal, to the point of triggering supersedure.
Planning the beekeeping season makes it possible to prepare optimally for upcoming activities with our bees. Thanks to the operating concept developed by apiservice, this is easy to implement for all beekeepers. It is an indispensable tool for effective apiary management. The operating concept can be personalised and allows for a clear visualisation of beekeeping activities and the planning of the appropriate work.
Numerous articles available on the internet provide valuable advice on how to manage our bee colonies. It can sometimes be useful to return to more basic notions, grounded in common sense. The “ten mistakes to avoid” are intended as a way to spark the curiosity of beginner beekeepers or to encourage reflection among more experienced colleagues.
Fortunately, there are not only ten mistakes to avoid… otherwise beekeeping would be tedious or even wearisome!