2,428 research outputs found
Morphological, Physicochemical and FTIR Spectroscopic Properties of Bee Pollen Loads from Different Botanical Origin
No full textBee pollen loads generally have a homogeneous and monospecific pollen content and assume a typical form and color, due to the typical bee foraging habits, thus having a typical composition related to the botanical origin. The present study aims to characterize bee pollen loads belonging to different botanical species using morphological, spectroscopic and color properties and to find relationships between these variables. IR spectra analysis allowed to have a reliable picture of the components present in the different samples; color and granulometry permits a visual identification of pollen load belonging to different species. Multivariate analysis enabled differentiation among the botanical origin of most of the bee pollen samples, grouping them according to the family and the genus and confirming the possibility to use IR and color measurements for the evaluative analysis and classification of bee pollen samples, to promote the consumption of this bee product as functional food
A particle model analysing the behavioural rules underlying the collective flight of a bee swarm towards the new nest
No full textThe swarming of a bee colony is guided by a small group of scout individuals, which are informed of the target destination (the new nest). However, little is known on the underlying mechanisms, i.e. on how the information is passed within the population. In this respect, we here present a discrete mathematical model to investigate these aspects. In particular, each bee, represented by a material point, is assigned its status within the colony and set to move according to individual strategies and social interactions. More specifically, we propose alternative assumptions on the flight synchronization mechanism of uninformed individuals and on the characteristic dynamics of the scout insects. Numerical realizations then point out the combinations of behavioural hypotheses resulting in collective productive movement. An analysis of the role of the scout bee percentage and of the phenomenology of the swarm in domains with structural elements is finally performed
A Work Bee
No full textPhotograph - Seven teams of horses and men at a work bee for Tom Black, putting his crops in, Athabasca, Albert
Effect of feeds in developing the hypopharyngeal gland of nosema-free nurse bees for escorting queen honey bees (Apis mellifera) during export
No full textIn 2006, Japan was one of the markets that contributed to the 4 million dollars live bee sales in Australia. In 2007, the export of queen honey bee from Australia was suspended when Nosema apis was detected in the nurse bees that were escorting the queens during a quarantine inspection off the Japanese ports. Nosemosis or nosema is a worldwide endemic disease caused by N. apis. Infected bees have reduced life span, energy, productivity, and develop deformed glands. As a result of this suspension, many Japanese fruit farmers had to hand pollinate many of their crops while Australian beekeepers suffered financial losses from the loss of trade. Thus, it will be extremely beneficial for both Japanese and Australian farmers if nosema-free nurse bees could be produced and used as escort nurse bees.
Two novel approaches of producing nosema-free bees are proposed: (1) treating infected nurse bees with heat therapy and (2) raising newly hatched nurse bees (HNB) in isolation of infected hives. These approaches may produce nosema-free escort nurse bees. Escort nurse bees feed royal jelly to queen bees in cages during the export journey, thus it is essential that HNB can synthesize and secrete royal jelly. This means that HNB need to develop functional hypopharyngeal glands (HG) in order to secrete royal jelly. Proteins found in pollen are said to be 100 % effective in stimulating full development of the HG. When bees have fully developed and functional HG, they should be able to feed and keep queens alive for the duration of the exporting journey (more than 8 days).
This project investigated whether nosema-free escort nurse bees could be produced by raising them in cages; whether feeding pollen and artificial feed could stimulate full development of the HG; whether there is a relationship between how much bees ate and the extent the HG development; whether the cage-raised escort bees are able to feed and keep 100 % of the queen bees alive during export for at least 8 days; and whether applying heat therapy could cure infection caused by N. apis without killing the bees.
Bees fed nutritionally balanced artificial feeds designated as Sub2, FB, Sub1 had significantly higher head weights (>10 mg) than those fed pollen feeds used in this experiment. Only Sub2 maintained a consistently higher head weight compared to hive-raised mature nurse bees that were fed icing sugar. Bees that consumed PrSub and Sub1 showed a significant (P <0.05) positive correlation between feed consumption and the head weight of individual bees.
Despite carefully isolating combs from hives, newly emerged bees became contaminated with N. apis so nosema-free nurse bees could not be produced. The cage-raised nurse bees fed 16 different pollen and artificial feeds were not able to keep 100 % of the queen bees alive during export for 8 days. Bees that were fed pollen and artificial feed had median survival time of 4 days or less. Queens caged with nurse bees that fed on icing sugar survived much longer than queens caged with nurse bees that fed on pollen and artificial feed. In general, mated queens had significantly longer median survival time than virgin queens.
These findings suggest that protein consumption is not the key factor which regulates the development of the HG. Cage-raised nurse bees suffer abnormal behavioural and physiological developments because of possible lack of appropriate stimulations, hence their inability to properly nurture and feed queen bees. It is clear that cage-raised bees are fundamentally different from hive-raised bees, and so far, the only way to ensure bees develop properly is by raising them in hives. However N. apis spores are in virtually all hives, that means to truly produce nosema-free bees, research should focus on breeding naturally resistant nurse bees or genetically modify bees to become resistant to N. apis.
For decades, beekeepers and researchers have tried to formulate artificial feeds which can substitute pollen. Bees need pollen for protein to build and strengthen hives but pollen is expensive to buy and its availability is unpredictable. To prove that a nutritionally balanced artificial feed such as Sub2 can replace pollen, further research should be conducted in larger cage experiments measuring nutrition composition, longevity and brood rearing
Using inbound marketing strategy for raising brand awareness on the Finnish market; case: bee smart city
No full textThis thesis covers inbound marketing strategy developed to raise brand awareness about the German smart solution platform on the Finnish market. This thesis accommodates information about inbound marketing, social media marketing, and brand awareness. Product development methods used in the thesis helped to gather a better customer understanding, find effective approaches in reaching probable customers, create a long-list of potential customers and develop an inbound marketing strategy for raising brand awareness among Finnish hypothetical customers.
The theoretical part of the study combines research completed in an inbound marketing sphere, books based on the thesis’ topic, and successful cases of inbound marketing strategies, that have been applied to social media campaigns and gained incredible results. Moreover, the theoretical part includes marketing trends and best practices, which were partly applied in the inbound marketing strategy for the case company.
The chosen methods for product development were interviews, long-list and inbound marketing strategy, which were applied during May 2020. Interviews were made with existing customers online and long-list was created based on the internet search. The inbound marketing strategy was created based on the results of the interviews with using long-list data. The results of the thesis include tested inbound marketing strategy for raising brand awareness on the Finnish market and suggestions based on implementation results.
Results of interviews, long-list, and planned actions were designed into tables for most convenient perception and analysis. Results of strategy testing, and its analysis presented partly in tables. After the analysis was made, conclusions and suggestions were made. Suggestions were made by the author and can be implemented by the case company to increase possible brand awareness on the Finnish market.
Suggestions were designed on basis of tested strategy. Suggestions include ideas, that can be implemented in future inbound marketing activities. Aim of new suggestions given to increase bee smart city’s brand awareness in Finland, make it more recognizable and get new customers and new smart solutions
Chasing the honey bee: enhancing leadership for sustainability
No full textThis paper explores the ways in which different conceptions of leadership can contribute to the sustainability of economic productivity, social equity and, of course, the natural systems and resources upon which all social and economic development depend. It begins by briefly defining leadership and outlining the major approaches to leadership studies in terms of trait and social theories of leadership. In particular, the paper argues that transformational leadership and what Western (2013) calls “eco-leadership” are most consistent with the systemic, ethical and learning dimensions of sustainability. This involves contrasting what Avery and Bergsteiner (2011, 2013) call the “honey bee” and the “locust” approaches to leadership. With these authors, the chapter argues that the “honey bee” approach of critical, transformational leadership is most consistent with sustainability. The paper concludes with an example of how capacities for “honey bee” leadership and eco-leadership can be developed and enhanced through a university programme
Strategic plan for keeping Oregon's bee pollinators healthy
No full textBegan with 2018-2020.Logos: Oregon Department of Agriculture; Oregon State University, Extension Service; Oregon Department of ForestryThis archived document is maintained by the State Library of Oregon as part of the Oregon Documents Depository Program. It is for informational purposes and may not be suitable for legal purposes.Mode of access: Internet from the Oregon Government Publications Collection.Text in English
Quantifying the food requirements and effects of food stress on bumble bee colony development
No full textThis is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Taylor & Francis via the DOI in this recordThere is another ORE record for this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/10871/33285Agricultural intensification has led to a reduction in semi-natural areas and in the abundance of wild flowering plants, reducing the availability of floral resources upon which pollinating insects depend. This is widely accepted as one of the major drivers of pollinator declines, but few studies have directly addressed the effects of dietary restrictions on pollinator fitness. Here, we investigated the effects of restricting pollen and nectar supply on bumble bee (Bombus terrestris) colony growth, adult size and number. Colonies required up to 6 g pollen/1 g protein and 50 g sugar to establish a colony of 5 workers, and consumed in excess of 176 g pollen/31 g protein and 1,186 g sugar in their lifetime. Regardless of restrictions on pollen or nectar availability, colonies consumed a ratio of 1 g protein to ~43 g sugar, though free-flying colonies require proportionally more sugar to fuel foraging. Food-limited colonies from an early stage grew little with anything less than ad-lib nectar, while more-established colonies increased in weight even with low levels of nectar suggesting a shortage of resources in early spring may be most damaging to bumble bee colonies. Dietary restriction reduced the number of reproductives produced, but had variable effects on the size of workers and males. Nosema ceranae infection was included as a covariate in analyses and had a significant negative effect on colony growth. This study provides a base line for the developmental requirements of bumble bee colonies, and indicates the effects a resource deficit may have on their development and reproduction.This research was funded as part of a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (GB) project [grant numbers BB/J014753/1, BB/J014915/1]
Urban gardens promote bee foraging over natural habitats and plantations
No full textIncreasing human land use for agriculture and housing leads to the loss of natural habitat and to widespread declines in wild bees. Bee foraging dynamics and fitness depend on the availability of resources in the surrounding landscape, but how precisely landscape related resource differences affect bee foraging patterns remains unclear. To investigate how landscape and its interaction with season and weather drive foraging and resource intake in social bees, we experimentally compared foraging activity, the allocation of foragers to different resources (pollen, nectar, and resin) and overall resource intake in the Australian stingless bee Tetragonula carbonaria (Apidae, Meliponini). Bee colonies were monitored in different seasons over two years. We compared foraging patterns and resource intake between the bees' natural habitat (forests) and two landscapes differently altered by humans (suburban gardens and agricultural macadamia plantations). We found foraging activity as well as pollen and nectar forager numbers to be highest in suburban gardens, intermediate in forests and low in plantations. Foraging patterns further differed between seasons, but seasonal variations strongly differed between landscapes. Sugar and pollen intake was low in plantations, but contrary with our predictions, it was even higher in gardens than in forests. In contrast, resin intake was similar across landscapes. Consequently, differences in resource availability between natural and altered landscapes strongly affect foraging patterns and thus resource intake in social bees. While agricultural monocultures largely reduce foraging success, suburban gardens can increase resource intake well above rates found in natural habitats of bees, indicating that human activities can both decrease and increase the availability of resources in a landscape and thus reduce or enhance bee fitness
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