Internal hive temperature as a means of monitoring honey bee colony health in a migratory beekeeping operation before and during winter

Internal temperatures of honey bee hives kept at different sites in North Dakota were monitored before and during winter to evaluate the effects of treatment, in the form of exposure to commercial pollination, and location on colony health. In October, hives exposed to commercial pollination during...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Apidologie 2017-09, Vol.48 (5), p.666-680
Main Authors: Meikle, William G., Weiss, Milagra, Maes, Patrick W., Fitz, William, Snyder, Lucy A., Sheehan, Tim, Mott, Brendon M., Anderson, Kirk E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agrochemicals
Annual variations
Apiculture
Apis mellifera
Bee bread
Beekeeping
Bees
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Chlorpyrifos
Climate
Colonies
Entomology
Exposure
Forage
Fungicides
Honey
Insecticides
Life Sciences
Nosema ceranae
Original Article
Pesticides
Phenology
Pollination
Temperature
Temperature control
Temperature effects
Variability
Varroa destructor
Winter
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Summary:Internal temperatures of honey bee hives kept at different sites in North Dakota were monitored before and during winter to evaluate the effects of treatment, in the form of exposure to commercial pollination, and location on colony health. In October, hives exposed to commercial pollination during the summer had fewer adult bees and less brood than hives kept near natural forage, as well as lower average temperatures throughout winter. Within-day temperature variability was higher among hives exposed to commercial agriculture than for those kept near natural forage, indicating reduced temperature control. Fungicides, insecticides, varroacides, and an herbicide were detected in bee bread and wax samples; no major differences were observed either in the diversity or in the concentrations of agrochemicals with the exception of chlorpyrifos at one site. Varroa and Nosema densities were low overall. Data from the same site used in successive years showed significantly more brood the first year, as well as lower temperature variability; high levels of chlorpyrifos were detected in bee bread of colonies in the second year. Colony average temperature and temperature variability were informative with respect to colony phenology and post-winter status.
ISSN:0044-8435
1297-9678
DOI:10.1007/s13592-017-0512-8