A b s t r a c t Production of honey is the main determinant of profitability in the beekeeping sector. However, high production does not always imply higher profits. A major determinant of the profitability of an apiary is the ability to sell the acquired product. The aim of the study was to present the most important factors influencing consumer honey purchasing behavior. The results showed that honey can simultaneously satisfy a multitude of needs -nutritional, taste, prophylactic, and medicinal. Consumer decisions to buy honey are influenced by economic factors, indicating the financial situation of households. The decision is often habitual and dictated by knowledge of the value of honey. Psychological and social determinants are the main motives when choosing among the varieties of honey. Studies have shown that the average annual per capita consumption of honey was 1.32 kg. However, honey consumption rates differed strongly, ranging from 0.066 to 0.4 kg per person per month. More than 60% of respondents indicated the high or very high price of honey. Buying honey directly from the beekeeper was widespread among respondents (63.9%). Some respondents (7.2%) stated that they do not consume honey at all, but price cuts and the opportunity to taste test honey at the point of sale would be an incentive for them.

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Intense development of agriculture and animal production has caused exposure to substances with which bees have never before come into contact. The increasing demand for food has forced farmers to use more mineral fertilizers and pesticides to generate higher yields [1]. The residues of these substances in the form of contaminants are then transferred into grains, vegetables, and fruit [2]. They have also been discovered in herbs such as mint (Mentha) or lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) [3]. While working on flowers, bees are exposed to direct and indirect contact with pesticides which, depending on the mode of action and the concentration of active substance, can lead to sudden death of pollinating insects or cause death within a couple of hours following exposure [4]. It becomes dangerous when the level of pesticides or their residues in a beehive becomes

A b s t r a c t Research surveys were conducted from August through December 2011 and March through July 2012, in the regions of Lower Silesia, Opole, Silesia, and Wielkopolska, Poland. Respondents were chosen randomly and a sample of 540 respondents were surveyed. The first aim of this study was to investigate the quality and aesthetic factors expected of honey and its packaging in order to establish their influence on decisions related to the purchase of honey. The second aim was to determine the importance of the aesthetic factors of honey and its packaging in the process of influencing consumer behavior related to the purchase of honey. As many as 78% of respondents said that the honey from a beekeeper was better than that offered in the stores. A large number of respondents, 88.3%, choose honey produced domestically. However, our study showed that for 43.4% of the respondents, packaging and visual features did not affect the purchase of the product. Only for 23% of respondents, the origin of the honey and quality which was guaranteed with certificates were the most important factors taken into account when deciding on the place or form of a honey purchase. The varieties of honey most often indicated by the respondents were: multifloral honey 46.9%, linden honey 42.5%, rapeseed honey 16.2%, and acacia honey 12.8%. The selection of honey varieties was primarily determined by psychological factors, social factors, and only later by convenience of consumption or financial situation.

American foulbrood is one of the most serious and yet unsolved problems of beekeeping around the world, because it causes a disease leading to the weakening of the vitality of honey bee populations and huge economic losses both in agriculture and horticulture. The etiological agent of this dangerous disease is an extremely pathogenic spore-forming bacterium, Paenibacillus larvae , which makes treatment very difficult. What is more, the use of antibiotics in the European Union is forbidden due to restrictions related to the prevention of the presence of antibiotic residues in honey, as well as the global problem of spreading antibiotic resistance in case of bacterial strains. The only available solution is burning of entire bee colonies, which results in large economic losses. Therefore, bacteriophages and their lytic enzymes can be a real effective alternative in the treatment and prevention of this Apis mellifera disease. In this review, we summarize phage characteristics that make them a potentially useful tool in the fight against American foulbrood. In addition, we gathered data regarding phage application that have been described so far, and attempted to show practical implications and possible limitations of their usage.