Robbing Behavior in Honey Bees

Willingham, Ryan; Klopchin, Jeanette; Ellis, James D.

doi:10.32473/edis-in1064-2015

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…In San Diego, these fall months correspond to a time in which the number of native and non-native flowering plants decreases by over 50% in comparison with earlier spring and summer months 65 . At times of resource scarcity, bees may engage in robbing, which initiates a complex behavioral cascade in honey bee colonies-notably an increase in defensiveness by nest guards 39,40,66 . Brain gene expression profiles suggest that guards become unusually aggressive when their colony is robbing another or when they are being robbed 39 .…”

Section: Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Brain gene expression profiles suggest that guards become unusually aggressive when their colony is robbing another or when they are being robbed 39 . Once robbing begins in an apiary, it may set off a cascade of robbing and aggression among multiple colonies 66 . Unlike pEHB colonies, which were fed during months of floral dearth, the scutellata-hybrids were never fed and were thus more likely to rob each other.…”

Section: Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

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Seasonal variation in defense behavior in European and scutellata-hybrid honey bees (Apis mellifera) in Southern California

Zarate,

Mukogawa,

Kohn

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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Nest defense in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) is a complex collective behavior modulated by various interacting social, environmental, and genetic factors. Scutellata-hybrid (“Africanized”) honey bees are usually considered to be far more defensive than European honey bees which are therefore preferred for commercial and hobbyist beekeeping. In the most recent zone of scutellata hybridization, the southern USA, the degree to which this defensiveness differs among current strains, and the extent to which defensiveness varies across a season has not been measured. We quantified the levels of A. m. scutellata ancestry in colonies and conducted a seasonal assessment (May through November) of colony nest defensiveness in feral scutellata-hybrid and a popular lineage of European honey bee commonly used in managed environments (sold as A. mellifera ligustica) hives at two apiaries in Southern California. Standard measures of defensiveness were low in both scutellata-hybrid and European colonies during May. Defensiveness increased during the later months of the study in scutellata-hybrid colonies. Most measures of defensiveness did not increase in managed colonies. Defensiveness in the scutellata-hybrids appears lower than what has been previously documented in Brazil and Mexico, possibly due to their lower proportion of A. m. scutellata ancestry.

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Section: Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal variation in defense behavior in European and scutellata-hybrid honey bees (Apis mellifera) in Southern California

Zarate,

Mukogawa,

Kohn

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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show abstract

“…It also happens that beekeepers enter other people's apiaries, and steal honey/nectar or sugar food for bees from feeders. According to these authors, stealing from the apiary means taking nectar and honey, but not pollen and brood (Willingham, et. al., 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Specifics of crime scene investigation of thefts at apiaries and damage to beehives

Bjelovuk,

Ljuština,

Kesić

2024

Bezbednost, Beograd

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All over the world, including Serbia, honey bees (Lat. Apis mellifera) are considered very useful insects, partly because of pollination, and partly because of the bee products that people use in their diet. To justify the research, the paper presents the number of thefts at apiaries in the Republic of Serbia and in California, USA. Also, due to the existence of various specificities in comparison with other types of criminal offences of theft, the paper proposed a model of conducting investigations in situations where the theft was committed at the apiary. When conducting an investigation, there is a whole series of specificities. A proposal for the organization of the investigation was given, and the need for the engagement of various subjects was pointed out, as well as a proposal for the education of individual team members, due to the need for specific knowledge of the investigation team. The paper also presents a case from court practice in the USA, which resulted in the proclamation of the bee as an endangered species, and which could serve as a positive example of legislation for bees. Given that in the Republic of Serbia, criminal destruction and damage of other's property is prosecuted by private lawsuit, the engagement of the police is evident only in cases of theft at the apiary. If the bee is an endangered species, this would imply the involvement of the police in all criminal acts related to bees. The paper also provides an example of a verdict from the USA that declared bees a protected asset. Also, the possibilities of applying modern technologies during the investigation of beehive thefts, the search of suspects to find the object of a criminal offence, as well as the proposals of preventive action aimed at preventing these crimes in the apiary were considered.

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“…Measurements such as brood area (cm 2 ), percentage of capped brood cells, total bee weight (kg), honey weight, and disease prevalence and presence have been examined by various researchers to determine colony strength [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. All parameters, including the robbing [ 22 , 23 ], hygienic behavior [ 24 , 25 ], and swarming tendency [ 26 , 27 ] of the colonies, depend on the genetic structure of the queen and the drones that she mates with. Climatic and environmental factors, also including beekeeper applications, are among the elements that directly affect colony performance [ 1 , 20 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation of Local Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) in Southeastern Turkey: A Preliminary Study for Morphological Characterization and Determination of Colony Performance

Oztokmak,

Ozmen Ozbakir,

Çaglar

2023

Animals

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The aim of this study was to investigate the morphological traits and colony performance parameters of local honeybees of the Adıyaman province for future breeding programs. The study was carried out in 2019–2020; a total of 39 colonies were obtained from 13 apiaries in 5 districts, which represented local honeybees, and they were placed in an isolated area. At the same time, 835 worker bees representing local honeybees were assessed for 21 morphological features. There was a difference between the district groups according to the morphological traits (p < 0.05). In terms of the morphological characteristics of honeybees, the correct classification rate to their original groups was determined to be 65.1%. The difference between the district groups was statistically significant regarding the number of frames covered with bees, brood area, and hygienic behavior (p < 0.05). The average weight at the emergence of queens according to district groups and flight activity was found to be significant according to the periods (p < 0.01). As a result, homogeneous honeybees can be found in provinces when considering morphological characteristics. Although colony performance values are low, it is essential to protect the bees’ genetic material given their ability to adapt to arid climates and insufficient flora.

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Robbing Behavior in Honey Bees

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

Seasonal variation in defense behavior in European and scutellata-hybrid honey bees (Apis mellifera) in Southern California

Seasonal variation in defense behavior in European and scutellata-hybrid honey bees (Apis mellifera) in Southern California

Specifics of crime scene investigation of thefts at apiaries and damage to beehives

Conservation of Local Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) in Southeastern Turkey: A Preliminary Study for Morphological Characterization and Determination of Colony Performance

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