Managed honey bee colony losses are of concern in the USA and globally. This survey, which documents the rate of colony loss in the USA during the 2015-2016 season, is the tenth report of winter losses, and the fifth of summer and annual losses. Our results summarize the responses of 5725 valid survey respondents, who collectively managed 427,652 colonies on 1 October 2015, an estimated 16.1% of all managed colonies in the USA. Responding beekeepers reported a total annual colony loss of 40.5% [95% CI 39.8-41.1%] between 1 April 2015 and 1 April 2016. Total winter colony loss was 26.9% [95% CI 26.4-27.4%] while total summer colony loss was 23.6% [95% CI 23.0-24.1%], making this the third consecutive year when summer losses have approximated to winter losses. Across all operation types, 32.3% of responding beekeepers reported no winter losses. Whilst the loss rate in the winter of 2015-2016 was amongst the lowest winter losses recorded over the ten years this survey has been conducted, 59.0% (n = 3378) of responding beekeepers had higher losses than they deemed acceptable. Encuesta nacional 2015-2016 sobre pé rdidas anuales de colonias de la abeja de la miel manejada en los EE.UU Las pérdidas de colonias de abejas manejadas son preocupantes en los Estados Unidos y en el mundo. Esta encuesta, que documenta la tasa de pérdida de colonias en los EE.UU. durante la temporada 2015-2016, es el décimo informe de las pérdidas de invierno, y el quinto de las pérdidas de verano y anuales. Nuestros resultados resumen las respuestas de 5.725 encuestados válidos, quienes colectivamente manejaron 427.652 colonias el 1 de octubre de 2015, un 16.1% de todas las colonias manejadas en los Estados Unidos. Los apicultores respondieron con una pérdida total de colonias anual del 40.5% [IC del 95%: 39.8-41.1%] entre el 1 de abril de 2015 y el 1 de abril de 2016. La pérdida total de colonias de invierno fue del 26.9% [IC del 95%: 26.4-27.4%], y las de verano del 23.6% [IC del 95%: 23.0-24.1%], lo que lo convierte en el tercer año consecutivo en que las pérdidas del verano se han aproximado a las pérdidas de invierno. En todos los tipos de operaciones, el 32.3% de los apicultores que respondieron no reportaron pérdidas de invierno. Mientras que la tasa de pérdidas en el invierno de 2015-2016 fue una de las pérdidas de invierno más bajas registradas durante los diez años que se han realizado esta encuesta, el 59.0% (n = 3.378) de los apicultores que respondieron tuvieron mayores pérdidas de las que consideraban aceptables.

-Honey bee colony losses are a major concern in the USA and across the globe. Long-term data on losses are critical for putting yearly losses in context. for the whole year. While total winter loss was one of the lowest reported in 8 years, 66 % of all beekeepers had higher losses than they deemed acceptable.honey bee / survey / mortality / colony losses / USA

Managed honey bee colony losses are of concern in the USA and globally. This survey, which documents the rate of colony loss in the USA during the 2015-2016 season, is the tenth report of winter losses, and the fifth of summer and annual losses. Our results summarize the responses of 5725 valid survey respondents, who collectively managed 427,652 colonies on 1 October 2015, an estimated 16.1% of all managed colonies in the USA. Responding beekeepers reported a total annual colony loss of 40.5% [95% CI 39.8-41.1%] between 1 April 2015 and 1 April 2016. Total winter colony loss was 26.9% [95% CI 26.4-27.4%] while total summer colony loss was 23.6% [95% CI 23.0-24.1%], making this the third consecutive year when summer losses have approximated to winter losses. Across all operation types, 32.3% of responding beekeepers reported no winter losses. Whilst the loss rate in the winter of 2015-2016 was amongst the lowest winter losses recorded over the ten years this survey has been conducted, 59.0% (n = 3378) of responding beekeepers had higher losses than they deemed acceptable. Encuesta nacional 2015-2016 sobre pé rdidas anuales de colonias de la abeja de la miel manejada en los EE.UU Las pérdidas de colonias de abejas manejadas son preocupantes en los Estados Unidos y en el mundo. Esta encuesta, que documenta la tasa de pérdida de colonias en los EE.UU. durante la temporada 2015-2016, es el décimo informe de las pérdidas de invierno, y el quinto de las pérdidas de verano y anuales. Nuestros resultados resumen las respuestas de 5.725 encuestados válidos, quienes colectivamente manejaron 427.652 colonias el 1 de octubre de 2015, un 16.1% de todas las colonias manejadas en los Estados Unidos. Los apicultores respondieron con una pérdida total de colonias anual del 40.5% [IC del 95%: 39.8-41.1%] entre el 1 de abril de 2015 y el 1 de abril de 2016. La pérdida total de colonias de invierno fue del 26.9% [IC del 95%: 26.4-27.4%], y las de verano del 23.6% [IC del 95%: 23.0-24.1%], lo que lo convierte en el tercer año consecutivo en que las pérdidas del verano se han aproximado a las pérdidas de invierno. En todos los tipos de operaciones, el 32.3% de los apicultores que respondieron no reportaron pérdidas de invierno. Mientras que la tasa de pérdidas en el invierno de 2015-2016 fue una de las pérdidas de invierno más bajas registradas durante los diez años que se han realizado esta encuesta, el 59.0% (n = 3.378) de los apicultores que respondieron tuvieron mayores pérdidas de las que consideraban aceptables.

Multiple stressors are currently threatening honey bee health, including pests and pathogens. Among honey bee pathogens, Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian found parasitizing the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) relatively recently. Honey bee colonies are fed pollen or protein substitute during pollen dearth to boost colony growth and immunity against pests and pathogens. Here we hypothesize that N. ceranae intensity and prevalence will be low in bees receiving high pollen diets, and that honey bees on high pollen diets will have higher survival and/or increased longevity. To test this hypothesis we examined the effects of different quantities of pollen on (a) the intensity and prevalence of N. ceranae and (b) longevity and nutritional physiology of bees inoculated with N. ceranae. Significantly higher spore intensities were observed in treatments that received higher pollen quantities (1:0 and 1:1 pollen:cellulose) when compared to treatments that received relatively lower pollen quantities. There were no significant differences in N. ceranae prevalence among different pollen diet treatments. Interestingly, the bees in higher pollen quantity treatments also had significantly higher survival despite higher intensities of N. ceranae. Significantly higher hypopharyngeal gland protein was observed in the control (no Nosema infection, and receiving a diet of 1:0 pollen:cellulose), followed by 1:0 pollen:cellulose treatment that was inoculated with N. ceranae. Here we demonstrate that diet with higher pollen quantity increases N. ceranae intensity, but also enhances the survival or longevity of honey bees. The information from this study could potentially help beekeepers formulate appropriate protein feeding regimens for their colonies to mitigate N. ceranae problems.

The success of a species depends on its ability to assess its environment and to decide accordingly which behaviors are most appropriate. Many animal species, from bacteria to mammals, are able to communicate using interspecies chemicals called pheromones. In addition to exerting physiological effects on individuals, for social species, pheromones communicate group social structure. Communication of social structure is important to social insects for the allocation of its working members into coordinated suites of behaviors. We tested effects of long-term treatment with brood pheromone on suites of honey bee brood rearing and foraging behaviors. Pheromone-treated colonies reared significantly greater brood areas and more adults than controls, while amounts of stored pollen and honey remained statistically similar. Brood pheromone increased the number of pollen foragers and the pollen load weights they returned. It appeared that the pheromone-induced increase in pollen intake was directly canalized into more brood rearing. A two-way pheromone priming effect was observed, such that some workers from the same age cohorts showed an increased and extended capacity to rear larvae, while others were recruited at significantly younger ages into pollen-specific foraging. Brood pheromone affected suites of nursing and foraging behaviors allocating worker and pollen resources associated with an important fitness trait, colony growth.