On the Effects of Artificial Feeding on Bee Colony Dynamics: A Mathematical Model

This paper proposes a new mathematical model to evaluate the effects of artificial feeding on bee colony population dynamics. The proposed model is based on a classical framework and contains differential equations that describe the changes in the number of hive bees, forager bees, and brood cells, as a function of amounts of natural and artificial food. The model includes the following elements to characterize the artificial feeding scenario: a function to model the preference of the bees for natural food over artificial foodparameters to quantify the quality and palatability of artificial dietsa function to account for the efficiency of the foragers in gathering food under different environmental conditionsand a function to represent different approaches used by the beekeeper to feed the hive with artificial food. Simulated results are presented to illustrate the main characteristics of the model and its behavior under different scenarios. The model results are validated with experimental data from the literature involving four different artificial diets. A good match between simulated and experimental results was achieved.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Ministry of Education, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)Univ Fed Sao Paulo, UNIFESP, Rua Talim 330, BR-12231280 Sao Jose Dos Campos, BrazilAeronaut Inst Technol, ITA, Praca Marechal Eduardo Gomes 50, BR-12228900 Sao Jose Dos Campos, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, UNIFESP, Rua Conceicao 329, BR-09920000 Diadema, BrazilUNIFESP - Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Talim, 330, Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil, 12231-280UNIFESP - Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Conceicao, 329, Diadema, Brazil, 09920-000Web of Scienc

A Short Note on an Artisanal Incubator for Fermentation of Apis mellifera Artificial Diets

Considering the importance of offering food supplementation to the swarms during dearth periods, we developed in this project an artisanal incubator for fermentation of supplementary protein diets for Apis mellifera bees, obtaining a fresh, nutritious and palatable product, made on the property, thus facilitating access to the beekeeper to this resource

Comparison between simulated and experimental results (Test Set).

<p>Comparison between simulated and experimental results (Test Set).</p

Comparison between simulated and experimental results (Training Set).

<p>Comparison between simulated and experimental results (Training Set).</p

Dynamic results for Scenario 3.

<p>Dynamic results for Scenario 3.</p

Function <i>U</i>(<i>f</i>, <i>f</i>_<i>a</i>) behavior as a function of <i>f</i>_<i>a</i>, for fixed values of <i>f</i>.

<p>Function <i>U</i>(<i>f</i>, <i>f</i>_<i>a</i>) behavior as a function of <i>f</i>_<i>a</i>, for fixed values of <i>f</i>.</p

Dynamic results for the simulations representing the experimental scenario.

<p>Dynamic results for the simulations representing the experimental scenario.</p

Function <i>U</i>(<i>f</i>, <i>f</i>_<i>a</i>) behavior as a function of <i>f</i>, for fixed values of <i>f</i>_<i>a</i>.

<p>Function <i>U</i>(<i>f</i>, <i>f</i>_<i>a</i>) behavior as a function of <i>f</i>, for fixed values of <i>f</i>_<i>a</i>.</p

Model overview (extended from [17]).

<p>Model overview (extended from [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0167054#pone.0167054.ref017" target="_blank">17</a>]).</p