Apiculture Commons^™

Thriving Hives, Beekeeping Monthly Calendar, Sheriden M. Hansen, Andree Walker-Bravo, Jaydee Gunnell

All Current Publications

This calendar was created in an effort to simplify and make beekeeping easier to understand and learn for the beginning beekeeper. The calendar offers a broad understanding of what is happening in the hive in addition to guidelines for basic beekeeping tasks on a monthly basis. The calendar also provides users with lists of in-bloom plants to look for in the landscape as the beekeeping season progresses. This can help beekeepers assess resources available for the bees in the landscape. In addition to the monthly tasks, suggested recipes for some of the feeding supplements and treatments mentioned in the calendar …

High Tunnel Pollinators, Miranda L. Jones, Sheriden Hansen, Kelsey Graham, Robert Nelson Schaeffer, Brent Black

All Current Publications

High tunnels are used to extend the growing season. Unlike greenhouses, high tunnels are semi-permanent and not heated or cooled by a climate-control system. Instead, they use plastic sheeting to trap solar heat, allowing for season extension in temperate climates around spring and fall. Bee pollination can improve yields for several valuable crop species grown in high tunnels. Because high tunnels are largely enclosed, bees are typically released and managed within the structure. This fact sheet provides information on how to obtain and manage bee pollinators in high tunnels.

Creating Sustainable School And Home Gardens: Misconceptions About Bees, Kaitlin U. Campbell, Kathy Cabe Trundle, Rita Hagevik

All Current Publications

Bees are fascinating creatures that play a crucial role in pollination and ecosystem health. However, misconceptions about bees are widespread. Understanding the facts about bees helps us appreciate their significance and take appropriate action to protect them. This fact sheet dispels common myths about bees and explains the facts behind the misconceptions.

Thriving Hives: The Apiary - Beekeeping Essentials, Joseph Okoh, Andree' Walker Bravo

All Current Publications

This fact sheet is designed to help honey bee producers optimize their beekeeping practices and improve management systems. It offers essential guidance on selecting an ideal apiary location, choosing the right beehive, and ensuring efficient colony management. Additionally, this document serves as a valuable training resource for aspiring beekeepers.

Thriving Hives: Making Products With Honey - Skincare And Food Recipes, Brynn Meredith, Teresa Hunsaker, Andree' Walker Bravo

All Current Publications

While keeping bees is beneficial for many reasons, one of the most notable benefits is producing honey and wax, which have many practical uses. This fact sheet provides information on honey's properties and how to make creamed honey to control crystallization. It also provides instructions on how to make skincare and various food products using honey.

Lifecycle Of Greater Wax Moth Galleria Mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) And Its Control By Natural Products, Tahani A. Alzahrani, Hanan S. Alyahya, Shatha I. Alqurashi, Jazem A. Mahyoub

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture

The great wax moth (Galleria mellonella) is a major pest that affects honeybee colonies, causing serious damage to the honeycomb and disrupting beekeeping operations. This paper aims to review the life cycle of this insect and the natural control strategies used to manage its populations. This paper examines the different stages of growth of the great wax moth, including the stages of eggs, larva, pupae, and adults. The life cycle of this insect depends largely on environmental conditions, especially temperature, humidity and food quality, in addition, this paper focuses on natural control strategies, such as the use of plant extracts …

Productivity Of Lowland Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) As Affected By The Integration Of Nutrio® Biofertilizer, Emil John Cabrera, Cathrene Amante, Virginia Padilla

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Recent developments in rice cultivation in the Philippines are integrating sustainable methods in production systems to boost productivity and safeguard environmental integrity. An example of this is the use of biofertilizers such as Nutrio^®, a microbial-based foliar fertilizer that promotes nitrogen fixation and the production of plant growth-promoting hormones. Nutrio^® has been tested for sugarcane and is being explored for rice cultivation applications to maximize its utilization and benefits. This study aimed to assess the effects of Nutrio^® biofertilizer on rice production in selected farms during the 2019 wet season and the 2020 dry season in …

Floral Cues And Foraging Preferences In Various Species Of Wild Bumblebees, Olivia A. Dahl

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

There are costs and benefits for plants and their pollinators. Bumblebees play a crucial role in the dynamic plant-pollinator system. Flowers co-evolved with insects, birds, and mammals toward mechanisms that benefited, described from a human perspective, both host and forager. Characteristics such color, olfactory cues, and temperature attract pollinators, with bumblebees showing preferences for blue and yellow flowers, as well as flowers that are warmer. This study aims to answer three questions: 1) How does floral temperature at different times of day predict visit length in bumblebees? 2) Does bumblebee size affect visit length? 3) Is there an interaction between …

Contributions Of Biochar And Biofertilizer On Food Scraps Composting, Kabita Budthapa, I.P. Handayani Dr, Shova Shrestha Dr

Scholars Week

Food scraps have contributed significantly to environmental problems. Because of its substantial effects on the environment, the economy, and society, it has become a major global issue. This research was conducted at Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, Lalitpur, and was meant to find ways to shorten the composting period using biofertilizers and biochar and study their impacts on the compost nutrients. The experiment involved seven treatments with three replications: T1 (Control), T2 (EM-1), T3 (Prarhamva decomposer), T4 (Biofertilizer KM), T5 (Biochar 400 g + Biofertilizer KM), T6 (Biochar 800 g + Biofertilizer KM), T7 (Biochar 200 g) with 5 …

Assessing The One Health (Ecosystem, Animal And Human Health) Impacts Of Current Dietary Patterns Based On Farm-To-Fork Life Cycle Assessment In The Republic Of Ireland, Daniel Tymko Burke, Paul Hynds, Anushree Priyadarshini

Articles

Food production and dietary patterns play a central role in the myriad interactions among human, animal, and environmental health, emphasising the need for a One Health approach, and this study aims to evaluate dietary patterns within this framework. A cross-sectional dietary survey of adults was undertaken (2021) with a sample size of 957 respondents, representative of the population of Ireland. Subsequently, a farm-to-fork life cycle assessment (LCA) was employed to assess nine human health and environmental impacts (fine particulate matter formation, freshwater and marine ecotoxicity and eutrophication, human carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic toxicity and terrestrial acidification and ecotoxicity) across thirteen distinct …

Investigating The Mechanisms Of Freeze Tolerance In Lemna Minor, Tamara Bouchard

Honors Theses and Capstones

Freezing presents a significant abiotic stress to aquatic plants, yet little is known about the mechanisms by which species like Lemna minor (duckweed) survive subzero temperatures in nature. This study investigates whether L. minor employs freeze-avoidance or freeze-tolerance strategies and explores the potential role of its microbiome in enhancing cold resilience. Using both field-collected fronds from naturally frozen ponds and controlled freezing experiments in the lab, I assessed survival through viability staining and post-thaw survival. Results showed that L. minor can survive natural ice encasement and that prior cold acclimation significantly improves tissue survival under induced freezing. Trypan blue staining …

Skeleton Weed In Western Australia: 2025 Management Guide, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity bulletins

Skeleton weed can reduce crop yields by competing for moisture and nutrients (mainly nitrogen).

This guide helps you manage and eradicate skeleton weed infestations on your property, and helps to stop the spread across WA.

Without the coordinated program aimed at controlling the spread, skeleton weed would now be much more abundant and widely established throughout cereal growing areas.

If you find skeleton weed on your property, we can help you get rid of it.

Skeleton weed is unpredictable and can spread over long distances due to wind dispersal, but once identified it can be managed effectively and eradicated

Factors Impacting Germination, Emergence, And Establishment Of Direct Seeded And Transplanted Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.), Paul Cockson Dr.

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Industrial hemp (IH) establishment has many challenges including: poor emergence, low stand establishment, and variable plant development in direct seeded hemp. In floral hemp production, quality transplant production is a challenge with seedlings often becoming root bound and etiolated. In both direct seeded and transplant hemp, the relationship between root vigor and vegetative growth has not been studied and may prove insightful for managing emergence and establishment challenges. The goals of this study were three-fold: 1) to measure and describe root system architecture (RSA) and root phenotypes observed in selected IH cultivars especially in regard to identifying agronomically important RSA …

Bridging Prairie Restoration And Regenerative Agriculture With Compost Tea / The Rocket Incident: Post-Fire Soil Microbe Recovery On The Eastern Washington University Restoration Site, April Hersey

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Inland Pacific Northwest prairie is an endangered ecosystem that has been reduced by conversion to agriculture. There is growing interest in the role of soil microorganisms in prairie ecosystems, which may be crucial for restoration of the plant community through interspecies interactions within the rhizosphere. One method for improving soil microorganism community composition is compost tea: enriched liquid compost extract. Compost tea is used in regenerative agriculture to improve crop yields and protect against pathogens. While research has supported compost tea application in regenerative agriculture, it has not been widely studied in the context of ecosystem restoration. After beginning a …

Economic Analysis And Profitability Of Honey Production And Marketing In Cross River State, Nigeria, Joseph A. Ugbe, Tee T.N., Ancha P.U

Journal of Bioresource Management

The significance of honey in the socio-economic livelihoods of rural and semi-urban populations is paramount, as it tackles issues such as unemployment, income, and ecosystem preservation. The decrease in the timber industry has caused numerous individuals who rely on forests for their income to be without jobs, making it difficult to find other ways to make a living. This study examines the economic analysis and profitability of honey production and marketing in Cross River State, Nigeria, over 5 years (2017-2021) for sustainable forest management. Six hundred and eighty-four (684) respondents were selected from three ecological zones in the state using …

Induced Systemic Resistance Against Nematodes By Plant Growth-Promoting Microbes In Potatoes, Cole Grannan

Master's Theses

Biofertilizers consist of plant growth-promoting microorganisms that establish symbiotic relationships with plant roots and stems. These beneficial microbes play a crucial role in enhancing plant defenses against various threats including insects, nematodes, and microbial pathogens. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of two fungal biofertilizers (an endophytic strain of Beauveria bassiana (BA) and a mixture of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi), specifically their ability to induce systemic resistance against plant- parasitic nematodes (PPNs) in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum cv. Masquerade) under controlled greenhouse conditions. The study utilized soil collected from Colorado State University’s San Luis Valley (SLV) Research …

The Diverse Effects Of Continual Organic Inputs On Soil Biogeochemical Properties And Microbial Communities In Sandy Ultisols Under Organic Production, Zhine Wang

All Dissertations

The objectives of this study were to understand how continual organic amendment inputs improve Nitrogen (N) cycling, microbial diversity and functional traits. Fully crossed factorial experiments were designed to test four cover crop treatments (cereal rye, hairy vetch, mixture of the rye and vetch, and no cover crop fallow) and two levels of manure compost application (with manure application and blank control) in organic vegetable production from 2020 to 2023. Cover crop biomass, soil chemical and biological properties were analyzed for the distribution and availability of soil labile N (Chapter 2), the abundance of N-cycling genes (Chapter 3), the structure …

Enhancing Crop Resilience: Physiological And Omics Approaches For Drought And Heat Stress Tolerance In Soybean And Peanut, Jyoti Prasad Kakati

All Dissertations

Soybean and peanut are two major crops globally grown for oil and protein. Climate change-associated factors like drought and increased temperature (heat stress) challenge the global production of soybeans and peanuts. Though the United States is the second-largest producer of soybean and the fourth-largest producer of peanuts, it still faces production constraints associated with drought and heat stresses. In the present study, we have examined the responses of soybean and peanut plants to drought and heat stresses during germination and reproductive phases. We conducted field and controlled environmental studies to elucidate the impact of drought stress on germination and seedling …

Factors Affecting Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera L.) Health As Perceived By South Georgia Commercial Beekeepers, Kimberly Post

Journal of Extension

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are critical to the pollination of many crops. Bee-oriented organizations survey beekeepers annually to gather information about colony loss and contributing factors. Unfortunately, these surveys provide insufficient data from sideliner and commercial beekeepers in Georgia. Through a survey to better understand South Georgia beekeepers’ perceptions of honey bee health, this project engaged a previously underrepresented group of sideliner and commercial beekeepers.

Resource Allocation Of Ecosystem Services Of Cross Timbers Forests, Iryna Mcdonald

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Abstract

Forested ecosystems offer numerous goods and services, many of which are challenging to quantify directly. The productive potential of the Cross-Timber Forest region requires significant policy attention resulting from the economic contributions these services offer the locality – extending from southern Kansas to central Oklahoma and into Texas, including the metropolitan areas like Tulsa (Oklahoma), Oklahoma City (Oklahoma), and Dallas (Texas), providing ecosystem services to millions of residents along the Midwest-South continuum. Stand variety, in this transitional ecoregion, is largely comprised of post oak (Quercus stellata) and blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica) woodlands with varying tree densities interspersed with patches …

Field And Laboratory Evaluation Of The Interactions Between Pesticides And The Gut Microbiome In Honey Bees (Apis Mellifera), Macee R. Mitchell

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) are important pollinators yet are threatened by a combination of factors such as poor nutrition, pathogens, parasites, and pesticide use. Bees encounter numerous pesticides while foraging (e.g. imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide) or in the hive colony (e.g. Tau-fluvalinate, a miticide commonly used to treat Varroa mite parasites). Similar to most organisms, the gut microbiome is important for bee health, metabolism, and behavior, however it is not well known how environmental factors like pesticides impact their gut bacterial symbionts. I hypothesized that 1) pesticide concentrations in bees are correlated with gut bacterial community structure, and 2) …

Melittin: A Natural Component Of Honeybee Venom As A Potential Anti-Cancer Therapy, Niamh Donnellan, Anne M. Friel

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

Cancer is a major cause of death worldwide and while chemotherapy is the main approach there are many negative associations in current treatment procedures. These include lack of selectivity, side effects and drug resistance. The hallmarks of cancer are a fundamental concept which aids the development of new means to treat human cancers through the understanding of the acquisition of these hallmarks from cells.

Melittin is a major peptide component of bee venom which has shown to be efficacious as an anticancer agent in preclinical and animal models. Melittin has many biological functions including pore formation in the phospholipid bilayer …

Integrating Sensor Development, Risk Assessment, And Community Engagement To Support Environmental Justice In The Rural Community Of El Tiple, Colombia, David Bahamon Pinzon

All Dissertations

In Colombia, ethnic communities have traditionally been responsible stewards of natural resources. They recognize the importance of these resources for their livelihood, as well as their ancestral and cultural heritage. El Tiple, a rural Afro-Colombian community, has been affected by the incursion of private corporations that promoted the expansion of sugarcane monocrops in their territory. Since the introduction of the monoculture industry, local freshwater sources have been depleted due to intensive water use for irrigation of the sugarcane crops. Additionally, the intensive usage of agrochemicals has been linked with loss of native flora, damages to family farms, and pollution of …

Laser Inscribed Graphene Aptasensor For Detection Of Apple Stem Pitting Virus, Yifan Tang

All Theses

Apple stem pitting virus (ASPV) is a latent RNA virus that could cause significant loss to apple production; early-stage field diagnosis could reduce the economic loss caused by ASPV infection. Biosensor is a promising user-friendly detection tool that could transduce biological or chemical interactions into electric signals. Among various types of biosensors, aptasensor, which use aptamers as recognition elements show potential as a high throughput, in-field test. The goal of this thesis is to develop an electrochemical aptasensor testing system for ASPV detection. The quality control study of laser inscribed graphene (LIG) based working electrode of the biosensor was conducted …

The Next-Gen Crop Nutrient Stress Identification With High-Precision Sensing Technology In Digital Agriculture, Zhihang Song, Ziling Chen, Xing Wei, Jian Jin

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

Crop yields are facing significant losses from nutrient deficiencies. Over-fertilizing also has negative economic and environmental impacts. It is challenging to optimize fertilizing without an accurate diagnosis. Recently, plant phenotyping has demonstrated outstanding capabilities in estimating crop traits. As one of the leading technologies, LeafSpec, provides high-quality crop image data for improving phenotyping quality. In this study, novel algorithms are developed for LeafSpec to identify crop nutrient deficiencies more accurately. Combined with UAV system, this technology will bring growers a robust solution for fertilizing diagnosis and scientific crop management.

Sustainable And Organic Beekeeping In Chester County, John Pisciotta

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Professor John Pisciotta, Biology - Sustainable and Organic Beekeeping in Chester County

Effect Od Different Sources And Application Rates Of Sulfur On Corn And Soybean Production Systems In Louisiana, Diego Mayorga Valladares

LSU Master's Theses

Sulfur (S) is a structural component of amino acids such as cysteine and methionine and is involved in important functions within the plant like photosynthesis, carbon and nitrogen metabolism, protein synthesis of oils, and detoxification mechanisms. Sulfur deficiency in crops has intensified around the world. Some of the reasons are improvement in controlling SO₂ emissions from industries, growing usage of high analysis S-free fertilizers and augmented cropping intensity. Sulfur fertilization has become an important factor in crop production systems and fertilization guidelines for S need to be up-to-date to improve use efficiency and compensate for rising prices of fertilizers. …

Characterization Of Antiviral Immunity, Host Virus Interactions, And Toxicity Of Agrochemical Residues In The Western Honey Bee, Christopher Fellows

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Honey bee colonies have perished at an alarming rate for over 15 years. Among the multitude of threats to bee health, virus infections and agrochemical exposure appear to be major drivers of colony loss. As virus infection is among the most damaging influences on bee health, we first investigated a putative target for antiviral immunity, termed K_ATP channels. We previously demonstrated that pharmacologically activating K_ATP channels induces the production of reactive oxygen species and increases survival during infection with Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus. Here, we demonstrate that K_ATP modulation and ROS induction reduce virus replication and enhance …

Data For "Linking Previous Experiences To Behavior And Health In The Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera)"", Rebecca R. Westwick, Clare C. Rittschof, Gavin P. Brackett, Cameron E. Brown, Bethany J. Ison, Zainulabbeudin Syed, Anna M. Foose

Entomology Research Data

An organism’s ability to respond to changing conditions can be vital to its success. Indeed, plasticity is a common feature of living organisms. Much of the research in this area, though, has focused on effects caused by environmental conditions. What has received relatively less attention is how social experiences and broader features of an organism’s social environment can lead to long-lasting changes in health and behavior. This knowledge gap exists despite the well-documented existence of health and behavioral effects after social interactions in certain taxa such as humans.

Social insects such as honey bees provide an excellent opportunity to better …

Palatability, Consumption, And Physiological Effects Of The Green Microalgae Chlorella Sp. As A Feed Substitute For The Western Honey Bee Apis Mellifera In A Laboratory Setting, Benjamin J. Nichols

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Western honey bees Apis mellifera are vital pollinators which play a significant role in global food security. Honey bees are faced by numerous environmental pressures including lack of forage which lead to large losses annually of managed honeybee colonies. To offset these pressures, many beekeepers manage colonies with the addition of artificial diets, many of which contain products that do not meet the nutritional requirements needed by honey bees or require large amounts of resources to grow. Recent literature has indicated that algae may be a viable nutritional resource for honey bees, meeting the nutritional requirements needed, requiring less resources, …