Search

Keeping honey bee colonies in isolated areas can cause inbreeding. The inbreeding over a long period is good for the purity of bee subspecies but also has some negative effects including the low performance of colonies. This study was performed on hybrid honey bee colonies placed in an isolated location for about five years to check the effects of inbreeding on them. The bees were able to mate with each other during this period of time without introducing new bee queens or bee packages. Some morphological characteristics and parameters were studied to test the purity of the bees and the presence of any negative effects due to inbreeding. The results showed the presence of variations between studied colonies without any negative effects on bee morphology, hygienic behavior, bee larvae development, brood rearing activity, and food storing activity. The study highlighted the absence of deleterious effects on honey bees due to inbreeding under isolation conditions. Bal arısı kolonilerinin izole alanlarda tutulması akrabalı üremeye neden olabilir. Akrabalı yetiştirmenin uzun bir süre boyunca yapılması, arı alt türlerinin saflığı için iyidir ancak aynı zamanda kolonilerin düşük performansı da dahil olmak üzere bazı olumsuz etkileri de vardır. Bu çalışma, akrabalı yetiştirmenin etkilerini kontrol etmek için yaklaşık beş yıl boyunca izole bir yere yerleştirilen hibrit bal arısı kolonileri üzerinde yapıldı. Arılar, bu süre zarfında yeni ana arılar veya arı paketleri sunmadan birbirleriyle çiftleşebildiler. Arıların saflığını ve akrabalı yetiştirmeden kaynaklanan olumsuz etkilerin varlığını test etmek için bazı morfolojik özellikler ve parametreler incelenmiştir. Sonuçlar, arı morfolojisi, hijyenik davranış, arı larva gelişimi, yavru yetiştirme aktivitesi ve gıda depolama aktivitesi üzerinde herhangi bir olumsuz etki olmaksızın çalışılan koloniler arasında varyasyonların varlığını göstermiştir. Çalışma, izolasyon koşulları altında akrabalı yetiştirme nedeniyle bal arıları üzerinde zararlı etkilerin olmadığını vurguladı.

Deformed wing virus (DWV) is considered among the most common pathogens in bee colonies worldwide. This virus is anticipated to contribute in causing the mass collapse of bee colonies and winter colony losses. The sequences and amino acids of proteins for some strains are currently available. So, tools of bioinformatics can be applied to investigate these sequences. The objective of this study was to investigate the genetic relationships between 21 strains of this virus isolated from honey bees in Europe, Asia, USA, New Zealand and Chile based on amino acids and protein sequences. Phylogenetic relationships were studied in combination with genetic network to understand mutations in the common ancestors. The results showed low number of mutations between strains of Asia and those of the USA, New Zealand, Chile and some European countries while high number of mutations was detected between those of Asia and Western European countries. The results showed the occurrence of mutations rapidly in the sequences of this virus with suggestion to its ability to adapt with different environments. Also, sequence and statistical analyses were used to shade more lights on the variations between strains. Additionally, some specific primers were deigned based on the protein sequences of these strains. These primers were tested against the full sequences of all strains and their ability to identify DWV strains was discussed. The current investigation extends the knowledge about this dangerous virus especially the obtained results were based on protein sequences of DWV strains.

The effects of future climate changes on the prevalence of Palarus latifrons Kohl. and Philanthus triangulum Fab that attacking honey bee colonies in Africa have not been studied before. Ecological modeling using Maxent and geographical information system (GIS) was used to achieve the study objective. The highest contribution in the model was to the annual mean temperature followed by mean temperature of the coldest quarter. The model performance was high and perfect in light of the used evaluation parameters. Some areas in southern and northern parts of Africa were suitable for the prevalence of P. latifrons Kohl. and P. triangulum Fab under current conditions.The study maps for future conditions during 2050 and 2070 highlighted the negative effects of climate change on the prevalence of these pests in specific parts in Africa. The consequences of such prevalence/limitation of P. latifrons and P. triangulum on beekeeping in Africa were discussed.

Objectives This study aimed to analyze the genetic relationships between honey bee subspecies using reference specimens and recently collected specimens from different parts of the world. The purity of these specimens was discussed in light of the obtained results. Methods The genetic networks were constructed between 21 subspecies of honey bees, Apis mellifera L.: 9 in Africa, 7 in Europe and 5 in Asia. The analysis was performed using the mtDNA of these subspecies and the Population Analysis with Reticulate Trees software. Some subspecies were represented by more than two specimens based on the available online sequences. Results and conclusions The subspecies A. m. sahariensis from Africa showed unique characteristics and is genetically isolated than all other studied bee subspecies. Specimens collected from Saudi Arabia showed genetic relatedness to A. m. jemenitica, A. m. lamarckii, and some European subspecies, suggesting high degree of hybridization. The close genetic relationship between the Egyptian bees, A. m. lamarckii, and the Syrian bees, A. m. syriaca, were emphasized. The overall genetic network showed the presence of three distinct branches in relation to geographical locations. The high accurateness of the used analysis was confirmed by previous phylogenetic studies as well as the genetic relationships between hybrid bees of A. m. capensis and A. m. scutellata. The genetic networks showed the presence of bee subspecies from Africa in all branches including Europe and Asia. The study suggests the impurity of some specimens mostly due to the hybridization between subspecies. Specific recommendations for future conservation efforts of bees were presented in light of this study.

The biological invasion with new pests and pest status are highly impacted by future climate change conditions. There are a number of parasitic flies that can infect honey bees causing some economic damages. The information related to the geographical distribution of such parasitic pests is very limited under current and future climate conditions. The facultative parasitoid Megaselia scalaris is the focus of this study. Ecological modeling approach was used to model current and potential future distribution of this fly in Africa and the Mediterranean region. Occurrence records from five countries, six temperature variables, future models for 2050 and 2070, and maximum entropy algorithm in Maxent were used during the analysis. The highest contribution in the model was to annual mean temperature, mean diurnal range, minimum temperature of the coldest month, and the mean temperature of the warmest quarter representing 92.4% of the total percentage. The performance of the model was perfect according to the evaluation analysis. The study maps showed the suitability of current conditions for the prevalence of this fly in various regions in Africa and Europe. Maps for all time points confirmed the occurrence of this pest in North Africa especially Northern parts from Egypt to Morocco, Sub-Saharan Africa, and countries in South Europe. The implications of such prevalence of M. scalaris on beekeeping were discussed.

Various viruses can infect honey bees, but deformed wing virus (DWV) is considered the most dangerous virus to them and has role in the sudden decline of bee colonies. This virus has different strains; however, there are no available studies to compare the characteristics of these strains utilizing bioinformatics. In this study, 27 strains of deformed wing virus were analyzed based on their sequences and their genetic relationships. Also, some primers were designed and tested to identify their ability to separate DWV strains. The percentages range from 28.99% to 29.63%, 22.28% to 22.78%, 15.73% to 16.28%, and 31.71% to 32.86% for nucleotides A, G, C, and T, respectively in all strains. The numbers of polymorphic sites as well as nucleotide diversity were highly similar in all strains. Statistical analyses generally showed the absence of high variations between sequences. Also, the phylogenetic tree classified strains into three groups. The network between strains of each group was established and discussed based on their geographical locations. Two groups contained strains from USA and Europe while one group contained strains from Asia. Rapid variations and mutations in the sequences of DWV were suggested. Notably, genetic studies on DWV are lacking in some geographical regions. The variations between strains detected in honey bees and other organisms were discussed. Four primers were designed and tested beside two reference primers. One of the designed primers showed the best results in binding with all DWV strains except one.

Sugar feeding is crucial to bee colonies during periods without natural nectar resources. The health and the development of bee colonies are affected by the sugar feeding type. Also, some materials can be added to the sugar feeding to boost the ability of bee colonies to withstand parasites. Three materials (mint, cinnamon, and chamomile) are used commonly to control bee parasites (e.g. Varroa mites). In the present study, the effects of these materials on the development and health of bee colonies were assessed. Sugar candy supplemented with these materials plus sugar candy only as a control group were tested. Bee colonies were fed with these feeding types weekly. Then, some parameters were evaluated. The results showed the suitability of the tested feeding types to bee colonies. Building of wax foundations was accelerated in cinnamon group. This group had also the lowest infestation rates with Varroa mites, suggesting a specific role of cinnamon in Varroa control. The colony development was significantly better in chamomile group than the other groups. Mint group showed no variations than the control group in most parameters. All feeding types showed safety to bees based on morphological characteristics and bee survival results. Practically, cinnamon is advised when building of wax combs is required while chamomile is recommended when increasing strength of colonies is needed. The role of cinnamon in controlling Varroa is recommended for further investigations.

The sequence of the DNA contains coding and non-coding regions. The role of the non-coding regions is not known and is hypothesized to maintain the structure of the DNA. This study aimed to investigate the structure of the non-coding sequences in honey bees utilizing bioinformatics. The non-coding sequences of the mtDNA of three honey bee species Apis dorosata, Apis florea, Apis cerana, and ten subspecies of Apis mellifera were investigated. Different techniques were utilized to explore the non-coding regions of these bees including sequence analysis, phylogenetic relationships, enzymatic digestion, and statistical tests. Variations in size and sequences of nucleotides were detected in the studied species and subspecies, but with the same nucleotide abundance (i.e. nucleotides A were more than T and nucleotides G were less than C). The phylogenetic tree based on the non-coding regions was partially similar to the known phylogenetic relationships between these bees. The enzymatic digestion using four restriction enzymes confirmed the results of the phylogenetic relationships. The statistical analysis based on numerical codes for nucleotides showed the absence of significant variations between the studied bees in their sequences in a similar way to results of neutrality tests. This study suggests that the non-coding regions have the same functional role in all the studied bees regardless of the number of nucleotides, and not just to maintain the structure of the DNA. This is approximately the first study to shade lights on the non-coding regions of the mtDNA of honey bees.

The harshest period for honey bee colonies in most countries is the winter season. During this period high percentages of colonies are lost due to low air temperature. Searching for the suitable areas to place bee colonies during winter (wintering) is very essential to reduce colony losses. In this study, several datasets (temperature, precipitation, solar radiation, wind speed, slope, distance from roads, and distance from plants) were analysed to identify suitable areas for wintering of bee colonies in Egypt with a focus on deserts. Indeed, deserts represent the highest percentage of the Egyptian land. The study classified Egypt into three suitability degrees: more suitable, suitable and less suitable. The south and some western areas contained the more suitable areas while some governorates had only either suitable or less suitable areas. The more suitable areas for bee wintering in deserts concentrated mainly at Matrouh and Red Sea governorates, and some areas in South Sinai and Al Wadi Al Gadid governorates. The equal contribution of datasets in the suitability map was tested and confirmed by creating a modified suitability map. It is better for beekeepers to keep their colonies in dry and warm areas during winter. The method presented in this study can be employed by other researchers to boost survival of bee colonies during winter in their countries.

Propolis is produced by honey bees utilizing resins from different plants especially trees. Propolis is incorporated in many industries and has many medicinal uses, and is also considered a...

Geographical Information System (GIS) is a computer-based system that can perform analysis for various datasets in relation to specific geographical locations and has been widely applied in agriculture. So far, GIS has been used in relatively few studies related to honey bees and beekeeping, but this article aims to review those previously performed and to present trends to apply GIS in beekeeping and then to help and guide researchers to perform more studies utilizing it. GIS can clearly be utilized to select suitable locations for apiaries, to map bee plants, to study bee behavior, diseases and pests, and to predict the effects of climate change on honey bees beside other benefits for beekeeping. Many obstacles and problems facing beekeeping can be mapped and analyzed using GIS, and other techniques can be used with it to perform the required tasks as presented in this review.

Honey bee, Apis mellifera L., is considered as an essential organism to the agricultural sector due to its role in pollination and alleviation of poverty in rural areas. Many pests attack honey bee colonies causing severe damages and economic losses. These pests include Varroa mites, Vespa hornets, wax moths, small hive beetles, and parasitic flies. Using chemical methods to control these pests causes some negative effects on honey bees and contaminates their products, while using biological control agents is promising and has no serious hazards. This article aimed to review available studies on the role of biological control agents mainly predators, parasitoids, and pathogens in controlling bee’s pests and to present new perspectives. Also, obstacles of using biocontrol agents inside and outside the hives were presented. This article is essential for planning integrated management programs for honey bee pests.

Introduction: Honey bees are used intensively to boost the agricultural and economic sectors worldwide. Many viruses attack honey bees and cause severe problems to the bee colonies, and constitute a real challenge for beekeeping development. Hence, understanding the genetic characteristics of bee viruses is necessary to highlight the phylogenetic relationships between them, and to find out similarity aspects based on sequences. Materials and Methods: Some public resources and free genetic analysis programs were utilized to perform this study. The complete sequences for some viruses were downloaded and analyzed using various programs and methods. Results: Some viruses shared the same base composition pattern in regards to percentage of A, T, C, and G. The phylogenetic relationships among the investigated viruses were presented and discussed. The phylogenetic trees constructed using three bioinformatics programs based on different methods emphasized the relationship between Kashmir bee virus (KBV) and Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), and between deformed wing virus (DWV) and Kakugo virus (KV). These genetic relationships were also confirmed using enzymatic digestion to the sequences, gene cluster families, and open reading frames (ORFs). Conclusions: This study has presented new trends to analyze genetic similarities between organisms utilizing sequences. Different results for the phylogenetic relationships could be obtained when performing the analysis using various methods without impacting the relationships between closely related organisms. This study encourages the performance of additional studies to figure out functional components of these viruses.

Simple Summary Large Hive Beetles (LHBs) are common pests of honeybee colonies, especially in the African continent. The ability of this pest to invade new regions in North Africa and Europe is highlighted in the present study using a species distribution modeling technique in current and future climate change scenarios in 2050 and 2070. In brief, this pest will be a new burden on the beekeeping sector outside Africa, and therefore the development of early monitoring strategies is recommended. Abstract Some beetle species can attack honeybee colonies, causing severe damage to beekeeping. These pests include Oplostomus fuligineus, which is also known as the Large Hive Beetle (LHB). This beetle is native to Sub-Saharan Africa and has recently also been recorded in some parts of North Africa. It feeds mainly on young bee larvae and stored food within the colonies, causing severe damage to weak colonies. The present work sheds light on the current and future distribution (from 2050 to 2070) of this beetle in Africa and South Europe using species distribution modeling. Maxent was used to model the invasion of LHB. The Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) 126 and 585 were used to model the future distribution of LHB. The Maxent models showed satisfactory results with a high Area Under Curve (AUC) value (0.85 ± 0.02). Furthermore, the True Skill Statistics (TSS) value was equal to 0.87. The current and future maps showed a high risk of invasion because of temperature variation in most of the parts of North Africa and South Europe. The maps also predicted the future invasion of LHB into other countries, mainly through southern Europe. These predictive risk maps will help quarantine authorities in highly relevant countries to prevent the expansion of this pest outside of its natural range.

Identifying vegetation from satellite images is very necessary for studies related to agricultural sector. Enhancing the quality and classification of satellite images is a challenge especially when study areas contain complex vegetation. The study aimed to enhance the image classification based on using extraction tool of the ArcGIS. In the present study, the classification of Landsat satellite images before and after extracting specific areas covering vegetation using the ArcGIS was compared. Two regions in Egypt, one with complex vegetation located at Siwa Oasis and the other one with simple vegetation located at Abu Simbel region, were used in this study. Then, several polygons were used to extract specific areas covering vegetation from the satellite images. Images were subsequently classified using Iso cluster unsupervised classification tool. The classification outcomes were compared between the original images before extraction with images after extraction. The results showed that extraction tool greatly enhanced the quality and classification of the image and it was possible to identify different types of vegetation.

Honey bees are used in intensive way in agriculture due to their vital role in pollination of crops. Moreover, there are many valuable products from the bee colonies. Unfortunately, there are many enemies to honey bees. These enemies belong to various taxonomic ranks, including birds, insects and mites. Serious damages can be caused to honey bee colonies by these enemies. The sophisticated evolutionary relationships between honey bees and their enemies are not well investigated. In this study, phylogenetic trees between honey bees and their enemies were constructed based on the mtDNA and the COX1. The constructed trees reflected the evolutionary relationships according to behavior and taxonomical characters based on mtDNA and COX1, respectively. Predators, cavity-nesting bees, and parasites were separated than each other based on the first 1000 bases of the mtDNA. Insects were separated than mites and birds, in line with the classification of each organism based on the COX1.

The importance of pollination services by honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) and their products is well-known. However, honey bee colonies currently face many challenges. These challenges include both biotic and abiotic factors. In this article, the impacts of abiotic factors (mainly temperature and relative humidity) on honey bee activities are reviewed. The suitable ranges of these two factors and the potential impacts of atypical minimal or maximal limits are presented. Social homeostasis of honey bees, and activities inside and outside the colony that are influenced by these two factors are included, followed by a suggestion of additional studies.

The liquid form of honey is relatively undesirable because honey could be crystallized and then spoilage under certain conditions. In this study, producing honey jelly from liquid citrus, clover and cotton honey using gelatin was investigated. Only gelatin and water were used to produce the honey jelly without other additives. Some chemical components were then determined in produced honey jelly of each type, in comparison with components of liquid honey. The results showed that solid honey jelly can be obtained using 10 g gelatin dissolved in 50 ml per 200 g honey. Using different amounts of gelatin and water did not show significant impact on measured components of produced jelly. Liquid honey had significantly higher percentage of sugars than jelly honey. The variations between the two types of honey were about 9.9, 9.7, and 9.75% for fructose, 13.5, 19.86 and 19.15% for glucose, 2.44, 1.85, and 1.7% for sucrose, for citrus, clover and cotton, in respect. The viscosity of honey jelly was significantly higher (from 82 to 90.66 poise) than liquid honey (from 31.63 to 63.86 poise) for each honey type. The moisture ranged insignificantly (P> 0.05) from 36.03 to 38.36% for honey jelly, and insignificantly (P> 0.05) from 17.35 to 20.00% for liquid honey of all honey types; pH values showed insignificant variations between liquid honey and honey jelly. Fructose and moisture of liquid honey showed insignificant weak correlation with components of honey jelly. Glucose, sucrose and pH of liquid honey are correlated significantly by 88%, 86%, and 84% with percentages of glucose and sucrose, and pH of honey jelly, respectively. Producing honey jelly using gelatin could be considered as a promising product from liquid honey to encourage bee honey marketing.

Wax moth larvae (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) are serious pests on wax combs outside and inside of beehives. Management of wax moths is particularly difficult inside hive bodies housing weak colonies. In this study, five traps were designed and evaluated for their efficacy to attract mature larvae inside beehives. These traps were: (1) mesh envelope trap (MET), (2) cup trap (CT), (3) corrugated sheet (CS), (4) wooden sheet trap (WST), and (5) frame trap (FT). The traps were designed to take advantage of the behavior of mature larvae seeking protected locations for pupation. The numbers of larvae fluctuated during the study with a major peak at the end of June. MET attracted the greatest numbers of larvae, followed by CS, CT and FT, whereas WST did not attract any larvae. The internal traps, particularly MET, may reduce the damage from wax moth larvae by reducing existing moth populations inside the beehives, and therefore, prevent additional infestation.

Oriental hornets, Vespa orientalis, are dangerous enemy to bee colonies in some countries of the world. There are more than one subspecies of V. orientalis. Few studies have investigated the morphological characteristics of these subspecies. Morphological characterization can help in confirming and discriminating between the subspecies, and to follow any changes in their morphology over time. In this study, some body characteristics of V. orientalis orientalis queens from Egypt were measured including head width, fore wing length and width, hind wing length and width, femur length, tibia length and approximate stinger length. Also, fore wing characteristics using wing coordinates for 20 landmarks were studied. Computer based techniques were applied to take these measurements. The data of the current study can be utilized for comparisons with other subspecies.

Varroa mite,Varroa destructor, is the most destructive factor to western honey bee colonies worldwide. In 1904, Varroa was firstly recorded on honey bees, at the beginning it was hypothesized that Varroa is one species but recently this hypothesis has been considered to be incorrect. In 1983, Varroa mite was recorded in Egypt for first time. So far, a single study was done in Egypt to confirm Varroa species to beV. destructorand notVarroa jacobsonias it was previously thought. Still the exact haplotype of Varroa in Egypt is unknown. This study is a step towards the identification of Varroa in Egypt. Here, morphological investigations were performed on Varroa specimens belong to northwest Egypt (El-Behera governorate). Three characteristics only showed significant differences among districts, namely body width, genital shield width, and genital shield length/genital shield width (ratio II), while the rest of characteristics did not present any significant differences. The correlations among the characteristics were very weak, except body length which correlated significantly (PV. destructoris the current species infesting honey bee colonies in Egypt. Also, Varroa haplotype was identified to be the Korean one. A list of some morphological traits of Varroa mite was provided to enable further comparisons. A morphometry map for Varroa mites was also done using a geographical information system (GIS) to correlate between geographical locations and morphological characteristics. The morphometry map clearly classified studied districts, according to measured characteristics, into three classes as low, moderate and high. This study has a significant importance towards the fully understanding of Varroa populations in Egypt.

Various honey bees, especially subspecies

Objectives The small hive beetles (SHBs) cause dangerous damages to bee colonies in several countries. Some African countries represent the native land to these beetles. The SHBs are not well established in North Africa and South Europe (the closest land to the native countries). Therefore, this study aimed to model the current and future distribution of SHBs in Africa and South Europe utilizing temperature datasets. Methods A total of 250 occurrence data was incorporated in the study. Six temperature variables were used in the Maxent analysis to model the suitability of the study countries for the SHBs. Three climate models were used to estimate the future distribution of SHBs in 2050 and 2070, considering the lowest and the highest limits of the Shared Socio-economic Pathways (126 and 585). Results and conclusions The high performance of the used model was confirmed by analyzing omission/commission rates as well as the area under curve. All future maps showed the potential expansion of SHBs towards the Northern parts of Africa and some parts in Europe. Such potential expansion was discussed in light of current distribution of SHBs. The study concluded that the SHBs can cause damages to bee colonies in new regions in Africa and Europe during the near future.

Measuring morphological characteristics of honey bee, Apis mellifera, at different times is important to assess the degree of race purity, to predict colony productivity, and to understand environmental impacts on honey bees. The study aims to characterise current honey bees of Northwest Egypt, namely El-Behera governorate, and to track occurred changes to their morphological characteristics since 2007. Samples of honey bee workers were collected from four districts in El- Behera governorate. Nine body and six wing characteristics were measured. Morphological characteristics of honey bees belonging to these districts were previously measured during 2007. To track changes, a comparison between new (2014) and previous (2007) measurements of morphological characteristics was done. The current bees of El-Behera are slightly larger than those of 2007, emphasising no reduction in colonies productivity. There is evidence that environmental factors have not caused much stress on the colonies since 2007. The results of this study are useful in providing understanding of the current state of bees in Egypt, and the likely improvement of future beekeeping.

Autumn is a critical period for honey bee colonies and the weak colonies during autumn are likely to be lost during winter. The colonies need good pollen sources during this period to be able to foster enough brood, to boost colonies survival ability during winter. The situation is worse in desert areas where few pollen sources are expected to be existed. Identifying the availability of pollen sources for honey bees at desert areas is very essential to present appropriate recommendations regarding colonies feeding and suitable plants to be cultivated in such areas. Thus, the study objective is to identify pollen sources for honey bee colonies during the autumn at El-Bostan region (a region with desert nature). Samples of bee bread were collected at different times during autumn. The samples were microscopically analyzed and pollen sources were then identified. Nine plants belong to six plant families (Pedaliaceae, Malvaceae, Poaceae, Asteraceae, Myrtaceae, Resedaceae, and Casuarinaceae) were classified as major pollen sources. The most abundant plants were casuarina and eucalyptus during autumn. Beekeepers are advised to supply their colonies regularly (each two weeks) with pollen substitutes or supplements during autumn at El-Bostan region. Honey bee workers tend to mix different pollen types together in bee bread when different pollen sources are available. The number of pollen sources in the bee bread can be used to assess the richness degree of any region with suitable pollen sources to honey bees. The identified pollen sources in this study are recommended to be cultivated in lands with similar desert nature, to provide honey bee colonies with protein feeding during this critical period of the year.

1 Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, Damanhour, Egypt ABSTRACT. There are various plants with potential feeding importance to honey bee, Apis mellifera, colonies as source of pollen, nectar or both. Selection of suitable regions for apiaries mainly depends on the availability of honey bee plants in the apiary region. Identifying honey bee plants in specific region is very essential for honey and pollen production from honey bee colonies. Lacking the information about the beneficial plants for honey bees including; plant name, flowering time and potential benefit to honey bee colonies could be considered as a limitation for beekeeping development. So far honey bee plants are not well studied in Egypt. This review paper presents potential honey bee plants in Egypt using the available publications. The studies on honey bee plants in Egypt were also reviewed. This work can be considered as a guide for beekeepers and researchers. Moreover, the presented plants here can be used in comparing honey bee plants of Egypt with other countries to get a better understanding of honey bee flora. More detailed investigations on honey bee plants are strongly required to be done at all Egyptian Governorates.

Under elevated temperature conditions, Yemeni honey bees exhibited better thermal tolerance than hybrid Carniolan honey bees. Variations between body characteristics, cuticular lipids, cuticle thickness, and total body water content of the two races were investigated. Yemeni bees were smaller than Carniolan bees in all measured body characteristics. The cuticle thickness of Carniolan bees was significantly higher than that of Yemeni honey bees. The cuticular lipid profiles of the two races were similar, and there were no significant differences in the total body water content between them. The results of this study highlight that body size plays a central role in the high thermal tolerance of Yemeni bees over that of Carniolan bees. However, further investigations are required to understand the variations between the two races.

Beekeepers usually supply their colonies with alternatives to nectar (i.e. sugar feeding) during dearth periods of the year, especially cold times of winter. The objective of the study was to determine the best substances to feed bees to enhance the tolerance and survival of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) to low temperatures. Seven feeding choices were compared under laboratory conditions. These feeding choices were: sugar syrup, liquid honey, creamed honey, honey candy, sugar candy, honey jelly, and honey/sugarcane juice jelly. The results showed that the number of bees attracted to each feeding choice was influenced significantly by feeding type. Worker bees were attracted to all feeding choices and showed a high preference to creamed honey, honey jelly or honey/juice jelly. The tolerance of honey bees to low temperature was enhanced when bees were fed on creamed honey, sugar syrup or honey candy. The mean time at which 50% of bees were able to survive ranged from 3 days (unfed bees) to 15.8 days (honey candy group). The survival rate of worker bees was highest when they fed on honey candy, creamed honey or sugar candy. In light of this study, creamed honey or honey candy can be considered the best feeding choices for bee colonies during winter to enhance their survival and tolerance to low temperatures.

Foraging behaviour is one of the distinctive behaviours of honey bees, Apis mellifera. This behaviour is the link between the honey bee colony and the ambient environment. Therefore, various in-colony and out-colony factors have an impact on this behaviour, and many studies have been employed to investigate these factors. Foraging behaviour is not advantageous only for the colony and for plant pollination but also has other benefits. In contrast, some disadvantages have also been discovered to be linked with foraging activity. Practically speaking, the control over this behaviour is very important to maximize colony products as well as to increase other agricultural benefits. This paper presents a review on foraging activity including; the regulation of foraging tasks, factors impacting this behaviour, foraging preference, variations between subspecies, monitoring methods as well as the possible methods for controlling this behaviour. As concluded from this review, more work needs to be performed in order to elucidate certain aspects of foraging behaviour.

The detailed structure of caps of sealed brood was previously studied for workers and drones but not for queen cells (Abou-Shaara, 2015). In addition, the behaviour of queens during the emergence f...

Honey bees have good thermoregulation and rapidly respond to any changes in the microclimatic conditions of their colonies. However, colony losses can occur during very cold or hot months. Honey bee colonies are often kept in modified beehives during such times to save the honey bees lives. In the present study, the abilities of four beehive types to enhance the performance of two honey bee races (Carniolan and Yemeni honey bees) were compared under hot and arid environmental conditions. The results indicated performance differences between the two races and between the selected beehive types. For the Carniolan honey bees, better results were obtained in colonies provided with insulated cover boxes (ICB) than in thermoregulatory beehives (TBH), insulated beehives with a back drawer (IBD), and normal beehives (NB) in that order. In contrast, better Yemeni honey bee results were obtained in the TBH, followed by ICB, NB, and finally IBD. Maintaining honey bees in a suitable beehive type is a promising method for saving honey bees lives and enhancing their performance under harsh environmental conditions.