Türkiye'deki hijyenik bal arısı islah çalışması süresince nosema enfeksiyon düzeyinin takibi]

The objective of this study was to follow Nosema infection levels and species under hygienic bee breeding program for resistance to American foulbrood (Paenibacillus larvae). The incidence of Nosema parasite infection levels and detection of the species of Nosema were evaluated in 5 periods during 2012-2014 for Mugla honey bees known as an ecotype of Apis mellifera anatoliaca in the hygienic bee breeding program. During the hygienic breeding program, no organic or synthetic chemical treatments were applied against nosemosis in the colonies. The incidences of Nosema spores were followed in 123 colonies at five time periods. Although the correlations were negative for between spores-temperature ( r = - 0.115; P> 0.01) and positive for spores-humidity ( r = 0.013; P> 0.01) but not significant statistically. Molecular diagnosis showed that only N. ceranae spores were detected from samples during 5 seasons. In conclusion, nosema infection levels decreased under hygienic bee breeding programme but further monitoring studies should be performed in order to decide whether the nosema spores decrease due to hygienic behavior. To our knowledge, this is the first long-term and unique study for observation of Nosema during breeding program in Turkey so far

Gentle Africanized bees on an oceanic island

Oceanic islands have reduced resources and natural enemies and potentially affect life history traits of arriving organisms. Among the most spectacular invasions in the Western hemisphere is that of the Africanized honeybee. We hypothesized that in the oceanic island Puerto Rico, Africanized bees will exhibit differences from the mainland population such as for defensiveness and other linked traits. We evaluated the extent of Africanization through three typical Africanized traits: wing size, defensive behavior, and resistance to Varroa destructor mites. All sampled colonies were Africanized by maternal descent, with over 65% presence of European alleles at the S-3 nuclear locus. In two assays evaluating defense, Puerto Rican bees showed low defensiveness similar to European bees. In morphology and resistance to mites, Africanized bees from Puerto Rico are similar to other Africanized bees. In behavioral assays on mechanisms of resistance to Varroa, we directly observed that Puerto Rican Africanized bees groomed-off and bit the mites as been observed in other studies. In no other location, Africanized bees have reduced defensiveness while retaining typical traits such as wing size and mite resistance. This mosaic of traits that has resulted during the invasion of an oceanic island has implications for behavior, evolution, and agriculture.National Institutes of Health-Support of Continuous Research Excellence; Center for Research Excellence in Science and Technology Program; Center for Applied Tropical Ecology and Conservation-National Science Foundation; National Institute of Food and AgricultureUnited States Department of Agriculture (USDA)National Institute of Food and Agriculture; NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCESUnited States Department of Health & Human ServicesNational Institutes of Health (NIH) - USANIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) [S06GM008102] Funding Source: NIH RePORTERWe thank members, family and friends of Giray and Rivera-Marchand laboratories for their help in the field; M. Spivak for advice on the methods; R. Dominguez for help with the filming; D. Roubik, G. Robinson, E. Guzman-Novoa, O. McMillan, R. Thomas, E. Santiago, and two anonymous reviewers for advice on the manuscript; and the Department of Agriculture of Puerto Rico for the use of their facilities. This work was partially supported by the National Institutes of Health-Support of Continuous Research Excellence and the Center for Research Excellence in Science and Technology Program; Center for Applied Tropical Ecology and Conservation-National Science Foundation, and National Institute of Food and Agriculture grants to TG

Morphometric and Genetic Characterization of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.) From Thrace Region of Turkey

A detailed morphological and genetic characterization of honey bees from the Thrace and west Anatolian regions of Turkey was surveyed. A total of 1650 worker bee samples (110 colonies) were evaluated with the forty-one morphological characters and 217 honey bee samples were analyzed via DNA sequencing of the tRNA(leu)-cox2 region. In this study, three different populations, Thrace (Tekirdag, Kirklareli and Edirne provinces), Island Gokceada, and western Anatolia were formed based on morphometrics, since the Marmara Sea has taken a very strong barrier role in this formation. The morphological similarity of the Thrace population was supported by the genetic analysis. The sequencing of the tRNA(leu)-cox2 region revealed twenty-two different haplotypes, sixteen of which are novel. The C2d, macedonica-like haplotype, was the most widely found haplotype (48%) all around the Thrace region. Along with the C2d haplotype, previously published C2s, C2v, C2i, C2j, and C2h haplotypes, and the newly found haplotypes were also observed but less frequently. In this study, Thrace honey bees were found to more similar to A. m. macedonica through the mtDNA sequence analysis, whereas carnica-like honey bees were only found near the Istranca mountain ridges, Kirklareli province and macedonica-like honey bees all around the Thrace region. According to our results, some of the Thrace honey bee populations may be both A. m. carnica and A. m. macedonica but the assignment to the latter subspecies seems more likely due to its geographic range.Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey-TUBITAK [3001-TOVAG 114O883]The authors are deeply indebted to numerous people that have contributed to this study for providing honey bee reference samples; Ljubia Z. Stanisavljevi for providing A. m. carnica samples from Serbia and Leonidas Charistos for providing A. m. macedonica samples from Greece. Financial support for this research was provided by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey-TUBITAK through the Project 3001-TOVAG 114O883, Project Coordinator Fulya ozdil

The Relationship Between Nutrition and Diseases and Pests in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.)

Son yıllarda yaşanan yoğun bal arısı (Apis mellifera L.) ölümleri arıcılıkta birçok konunun sorgulanmasınaneden olmaktadır. Arı sağlığına yönelik kimyasalların kullanımının beklenen sonuçları tam olarak vermemesi ve arı ürünlerindekalıntı sorunu gibi yeni sorunları ortaya çıkarması nedeniyle yeni çıkış yolları aranmaktadır. Yapılan çalışmalarda arılarınbirçok stres faktörleri ile baş edememesinin nedenlerinden birisi olarak arıların yeterli ve kaliteli besin kaynakları ilebeslenememesi olduğu düşünülmektedir. Yetersiz beslenme neticesinde, bal arısı immün sisteminin zayıflamasıyla yaygıngörülen arı hastalık ve zararlılarına hedef olmaktadırlar. Arıların besin durumunun iyileştirilmesinin, arı sağlığına yönelikzorluklarla mücadelede temel amaç olması gerektiğinin arıcılar tarafından iyi anlaşılması sürdürülebilir arıcılık açısındanönemlidir. Bu derleme ile mevcut araştırmalar ve yeni bilgiler ışığında bal arılarında beslemenin önemi ortaya konarak, arıcılartarafından iyi anlaşılması hedeflenmiştir.In recent years, intensive honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) deaths have caused many questions in beekeeping. As the use of chemicals for bee health does not give the expected results and new problems such as residue problems in bee products are emerging, new ways of exit are being sought. In the studies, it is foreseen that the bees cannot cope with many stress factors and that the bees are not fed with sufficient and high-quality food sources. As a result of malnutrition, honey bee is the target of common bee diseases and pests due to decreased the immune system, It is important in terms of sustainable beekeepers to be well understood by beekeepers that improving the nutritional status of bees should be the main objective in fighting against bee health challenges. With this review, in the light of current researches and new information, the importance of feeding honey bees is revealed and it is aimed to be well understood by beekeepers

The Effect of Supplementary Feeding with Different Pollens in Autumn on Colony Development under Natural Environment and In Vitro Lifespan of Honey Bees

Simple Summary In the present study, the effect of feeding with pollen sources with different protein content on colony performance, wintering ability and in-vitro longevity of colonies that weakened after feeding with pine honey in autumn or that needed to enter the winter period were investigated. The experiment was carried out in 48 colonies divided into six groups as follows: control, syrup, mixed pollen, Cistus creticus pollen (Pink rock-rose), Papaver somniferum pollen (Opium poppy), and commercial bee cake group. The effect of nutritional differences on survival was found to be statistically significant in vitro and this supports the colony results in the natural environment. As a result, P. somniferum pollen is a good preference to be used in feeding colonies in beekeeping, due to its rich nutritional content. Honey bees need pollen and nectar sources to survive in nature. Particularly, having young bees in colonies is vital before wintering, and proper feeding is necessary to achieve this. In the present study, the effect of feeding with pollen sources of different protein content on colony performance, wintering ability and in-vitro longevity of colonies that weakened after feeding with pine honey in autumn, or that needed to enter the winter period, was investigated. The experiment was carried out in 48 colonies divided into six groups as follows: control, syrup, mixed pollen, Cistus creticus pollen (Pink rock-rose), Papaver somniferum pollen (Opium poppy), and commercial bee cake groups. In particular, the P. somniferum pollen group was different (p < 0.01) from the other experiment groups with the number of bee frames (3.44), the area with brood (1184.14 cm(2)) and the wintering ability of 92.19%. The effect of nutritional differences on survival was found to be statistically significant in vitro and this supports the colony results in the natural environment (p < 0.001). The P. somniferum group has the longest longevity with 23 days. Pollen preferences of honey bees were P. somniferum, C. creticus, and mixed pollen, respectively.Pollen Preferences of Honey bees [TAGEM/HAYSUD/B/20/A4/P5/1890]; Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (TAGEM)This article was produced from the project The Pollen Preferences of Honey bees and the Effects of Pollen Use inWinter on Colony Dynamic (TAGEM/HAYSUD/B/20/A4/P5/1890) supported by The Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (TAGEM)

Arıcılıkta Bazı Biyoteknolojik Gelişmelere Bakış

Arıcılıktaki araştırmalar birçok bilim dalının ışığında yapılmakta olup biyoteknoloji bunlardan biridir. İklimde yaşanan değişimler, arıların beslenme ve besin kaynaklarını etkilerken, son yıllarda hastalık ve zararlıların giderek artması ve kimyasal ilaçlara karşı gerek arının gerekse de parazit ve patojenlerin direnç geliştirmeleri sebebiyle hastalık etmenlerine bu kimyasalların çare olamaması arıcılıkta biyoteknolojik çalışmalara yönelimi hızlandırmıştır. Hastalıklara dirençli / verimli arı ırklarının ve mevcut katkı maddelerinin geliştirilmesiyle birlikte, yeni yem kaynakları oluşturulmasına yönelik biyoteknolojik araştırmalar yapılmaktadır. Özellikle dünyadaki gelişmelere uyum sağlamak sürdürülebilir arıcılık faaliyetleri açısından da oldukça önem taşımaktadır. Bu çalışmada bal arısı ve arıcılık sektöründe yapılmış bazı biyoteknolojik araştırmalar incelenerek bu alandaki gelişmelerin ortaya konulması ve yakın gelecekte yapılacak çalışmalara ışık tutulması amaçlanmıştır

Protecting diversity of native honey bee subspecies, developing a model on colony management and breeding

Koloni yönetimi ve genetik geliştirme (ıslah) çalışmaları arıcılığın önemli konularındandır. Genetik geliştirme yöntemleri kullanılarak bal arılarının ekonomik açıdan önemli olan genetik özellikleri geliştirilebilir. Bu konu özellikle kendi yerli ırklarına sahip olan ülkelerin gen kaynaklarını koruyup geliştirmeleri için çok önemlidir. Avrupa ve Amerika ülkelerinde kışı iyi geçiren, Avrupa, Amerikan yavru çürüklüğü, kireç, nosema hastalığına, Varroa zararlısına dayanıklı yüksek bal verimli ve oğul verme eğilimi düşük olan ırklar ve hatlar oluşturulmuştur. Bu genetik geliştirme kriterlerinin oluşturulmasında koloni yönetiminin, ana arı yetiştirme ve yapay tohumlama tekniklerinin kullanımı arıcılık sektöründe genetik geliştirme programlarının başarıya ulaşmasında en etkili yollar olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Bu yazımda ülkemizde yaşayan arı ırklarımızın korunmasının önemi, arıcılık işletmelerinde uygulanan koloni yönetim sistemleri, kapalı toplum genetik geliştirme programı, bu programında kullanılan genetik geliştirme kriterlerinin kolonilerde hangi tekniklerle sınandığı ve bütün bunları bir araya getirerek oluşturulan arıcılık modeli sunulacaktır.Colony management and stock improvement are very important issues of beekeeping. We can improve important economic genetic characters of honey bees by using breeding techniques. This subject is especially important for the countries that have their own honey bee subspecies for keeping their genetic resources and stock improvement. Programs for honey bee breeding in other countries such as United States of America and members of the European Union have targeted resistance to American and European foul brood, chalk brood, Nosema diseases, Varroa, tracheal mite, and increase in high honey production, decrease in swarm tendency in bee stocks and lines. Colony management, queen bee rearing and instrumental insemination techniques are the core tools for genetic improvement in beekeeping sector. Turkey has a special position in the world because of colony numbers and honey bee genetic diversity. Turkey has over 4 million colonies, making it the second country with the highest number of colonies in the world. Diverse and differentially adapted honey bee genetic sources in Turkey has been of interest for scientists and beekeepers from other countries. A famous example is the use of Apis mellifera bees from Sinop province by Brother Adam in production of the commercial line of bees known as Buckfast. Brother Adam, in his book of 1987 recognizes this bee as Anatolian bee (Apis mellifera anatolica) and tells to be better in many characteristics than other bees. However, Anatolian bee is only one of at least 5 subspecies present in Turkey, each with particular habits that are important for local adaptation. In this article I discuss importance of protecting diversity of native honey bee subspecies, colony management system and closed population breeding techniques. Lastly a model (See Figure 1) is proposed where an expert team provides the link between a conservation population for a local race (Yerli Irk I in Figure 1) and a closed breeding population of the same race (Yerli Irk II in Figure 1). The conservation population is maintained with the aim of preserving the genetic diversity and traits of the particular race or subspecies. The breeding population is maintained with the aim of producing breeder queen bees with improved commercial traits for the benefit of the beekeepers

Effects of diet composition on consumption, live body weight and life span of worker honey bees (Apis mellifera L.)

Due to current threats such as climate change, emerging diseases, and agricultural chemical use, honey bees are struggling to obtain adequate uncontaminated nectar and pollen for survival. Under these conditions, beekeepers feed their colonies with pollen and honey substitutes. In this study, several experimental diets were examined and compared with pollen and honey substitutes used by the beekeepers. The effects of the diets on consumption, live body weight and lifespan of groups of adult worker honey bees were investigated under laboratory conditions. "Natural-like" diet was used as control. Solid food with different amounts of protein and enzymatically prepared liquid food, enzymatically prepared liquid food with added caffeine, colored non-enzymatically prepared liquid food were tested. Pollen substitute protein levels were 0.4 to 10%. Solid food with low protein diet was consumed less, and resulted in low live body weight and low survival in comparison to control and higher protein amounts. Bees fed with enzymatically prepared liquid food with added caffeine group showed more activity but did not attain significantly higher survival ratio than bees fed only enzymatically prepared liquid food. This study discusses role of protein content and food preparation in the management of honey bee colonies. © 2021, ALÖKI Kft., Budapest, Hungary.The author would like to thank Y?lmaz Berk Koru, Gizem S?nmez Oskay, and Mustafa Degermenci for their assistance in gathering the data

Combless over wintering of honey bees

Bal arılarının kışlamasının teknik arıcılık içinde önemli bir yeri vardır. Bu araştırmanın amacı bal arısı kolonilerinin sağlıklı ve ekonomik olarak kışı geçirmelerini sağlamaktır. Çalışmada, kışa girerken kolonilerde bütün petekler çıkarılıp arıların peteksiz bir şekilde kış salkımı oluşturmaları sağlanmıştır. Kovanın altına sinek teli gerilmiş ve koloniler şeker şurubu ve kek ile beslenmiştir. Bu teknik ile kışlayan koloniler sağlıklı bir şekilde bahar dönemine girmişlerdir.Healthy and economical overwintering of honey bee colonies is one of the main goals of beekeepers. In this project I used a new technique. I took out combs from the hive and replaced the bottom board with screen. The winter cluster of honey bees was fed sugar syrup and pollen substitute. The pilot study gave promising results, all 3 colonies overwintered with no problem