No abstract

In this short note we present comparable loss rates of honey bee colonies during winter 2015/16 from 29 countries, obtained with the COLOSS questionnaire. Altogether, we received valid answers from 19,952 beekeepers. These beekeepers collectively wintered 421,238 colonies, and reported 18,587 colonies with unsolvable queen problems and 32,048 dead colonies after winter. This gives an overall loss rate of 12.0% (95% confidence interval 11.8%-12.2%) during winter 2015/16, with marked differences among countries. Beekeepers in the present study assessed 7.6% (95% CI 7.4%-7.8%) of their colonies as dead or empty, and 4.4% (95% CI 4.3%-4.5%) as having unsolvable queen problems after winter. The overall analysis showed that small operations suffered higher losses than larger ones. A table with detailed results and a map showing response and relative risks at regional level are presented

The aim of this study was to improve cage systems for maintaining adult honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) workers under in vitro laboratory conditions. To achieve this goal, we experimentally evaluated the impact of different cages, developed by scientists of the international research network COLOSS (Prevention of honey bee COlony LOSSes), on the physiology and survival of honey bees. We identified three cages that promoted good survival of honey bees. The bees from cages that exhibited greater survival had relatively lower titers of deformed wing virus, suggesting that deformed wing virus is a significant marker reflecting stress level and health status of the host. We also determined that a leak- and drip-proof feeder was an integral part of a cage system and a feeder modified from a 20-ml plastic syringe displayed the best result in providing steady food supply to bees. Finally, we also demonstrated that the addition of protein to the bees' diet could significantly increase the level ofvitellogenin gene expression and improve bees' survival. This international collaborative study represents a critical step toward improvement of cage designs and feeding regimes for honey bee laboratory experiments.

SummaryPropolis has a long history of use in traditional medicine dating back to at least 300 BC, and has been reported to have a broad spectrum of biological activities. Since most studies have to date focused on medical uses of propolis, its antimicrobial activity against honey bee diseases has been little studied. One of the aims of this study was therefore to investigate the potential use of propolis in honey bee health, especially against American foulbrood, which causes much damage in the beekeeping industry. The second aim was to reveal the different antimicrobial activities of propolis collected from different geographical areas from the neighbouring countries of Greece and Turkey. Propolis samples collected from several regions of Greece and Turkey were investigated for their in vitro antimicrobial activities against Paenibacillus larvae.Eighteen ethanol extracts of propolis (EEP), (nine from Greece and nine from Turkey) were tested for antimicrobial activities against ten P. larvae isolates. The results showed that all P. larvae strains were susceptible to propolis extracts from both Greece and Turkey Furthermore 50 % concentrations of EEP caused significantly wider inhibition zones (P≤0.05) around the discs. Comparisons of the content, and locations and botanical origins of EEPs from Greece and Turkey showed that the kind of vegetation is more important factor than geographic location for their antimicrobial activity. This is the first comprehensive study concerning the antimicrobial activity of propolis samples collected from a wide area around the Aegean Sea. Comparación de la actividad de propóleos de Turquía y Grecia frente a Paenibacillus larvae ResumenEl propóleos tiene una larga historia de uso en la medicina tradicional que se remonta por lo menos a 300 años antes de Cristo, y se ha descrito que tienen un amplio espectro de actividades biológicas. Como la mayoría de los estudios hasta la fecha se han centrado en los usos médicos de los propóleos, su actividad antimicrobiana frente a enfermedades de las abejas de la miel ha sido poco estudiada. Por lo tanto, uno de los objetivos de este estudio fue investigar el posible uso de los propóleos en la salud de la abeja de la miel, especialmente contra la loque americana, que causa mucho daño en la industria de la apicultura. El segundo objetivo era revelar las diferentes actividades antimicrobianas de propóleos recolectados de diferentes áreas geográficas de los países vecinos de Grecia y Turquía. Se investigó la actividad antimicrobiana in vitro de muestras de propóleos recolectados en varias regiones de Grecia y Turquía contra Paenibacillus larvae. Se probó la actividad antimicrobiana de dieciocho extractos de propóleos en etanol (EEP), (nueve de Grecia y nueve de Turquía) contra diez aislamientos de P. larvae. Los resultados mostraron que todas las cepas de P. larvae fueron susceptibles a los extractos de propóleos tanto de Grecia como de Turquía. Además concentraciones al 50% de EEP causaron zonas de inhibición significativamente más amplias (p ...

We aimed to determine the differences and similarities between Greek and Turkish propolis with respect to their chemical composition given that the two countries have many similarities in floral biodiversity. We observed that: a) Greek propolis is different from the European-type propolis, having a high terpene content; therefore we can definitely characterize it as a Mediterranean type; b) the Turkish propolis collected along the coast line of the Aegean Sea is similiar to the examined Greek propolis; c) the remaining Turkish samples, originating from the European part of Turkey, were found to be similiar to the European-type propolis, having a high flavonoid content. Finally, especially two compounds, beta-elemene and totarol, were found in Greek samples in quite high amounts that are thought to have important biological properties.