Practical Beekeeping (Feeding

Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) is the major challenge for beekeeping worldwide. Therefore, various methods and
materials for Varroa control have been suggested and tested including; plant extracts, essential oils, biological agents, mechanical methods and some chemicals. This paper aims to present the available options for Varroa control and to survey the performed comparative studies among these options. This paper can be considered as a good guide for researchers during their studies on Varroa control. The presented review highlights that still more comparative studies among Varroa control options under different ecological conditions are strongly required. Basically the performed researches have been concentrated on testing chemical materials and essential oils while relatively few studies have been done on the other control options. It is concluded that the Varroa mite should be continuously (monthly) managed within honey bee colonies using mechanical methods or treatment with essential oils (mainly thymol). In severe cases, and especially during the fall and not during honey seasons, the use of chemical materials
can be done with preference to oxalic or formic acid.

How I converted my Flow Hive from vertical configuration to horizontal configuration (one box on top of another to two boxes side by side) to avoid having to lift off the honey super in order to do the monthly maintenance of the brood box. This is now updated with notes from my second convert in September 2018.

Gluschenko-Nikodim V.P., Fursov V.N. Effective technology of Mother of God’s beekeeping, with high productivity of honeybee rearing. – Abstracts of 44-th International Beekeeping Congress “Apimondia”, Korea, 15-20. September, 2015. – 2015, p.263. (in English)

Priyatelenko V.Ya., Fursov V.N., Ilienko E.V. Effective Vasyl Priyatelenko's three-storey beehive with unique frames. – Abstracts of 44-thInternational Beekeeping Congress “Apimondia”, Daewon, South Korea, 15-20. September, 2015. – 2015, p.253-254

Background: Breast feeding is having great importance for children, their mental and physical growth, if mothers are not aware about WHO standard, so definitely they will not practice these standards. It is very important that mother should know about IYCF (infant and young child feeding) practice. Knowledge and practice (KP) of mothers / caregivers on infant and young child feeding (IYCF) are main factors for optimal nutritional status, health and growth of the children. Hence, this study aims to assess the knowledge and practice (KP) of the mothers/caregivers on infant and young child feeding.
Objective:
General Objectives: The main objective of this study is to determine knowledge and practice of infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices of mothers at Village Ibrahimzai district Hangu of KP province.
Specific Objectives: To obtain quantitative data, on infant and young child feeding IYCF practices using the WHO IYCF indicators at village Ibrahimzai Hangu.
To assess the consumption of the different types of food for children aged from 6 to 24 months and mother hygiene practice.
To assess the factors related to IYCF (infant and young child feeding) practices.
To make recommendations based on findings.
Methods: A community based cross-sectional study, was conducted to identify Knowledge and Practice of 205 mothers regarding infant and young-child (0-24 months) feeding practices (IYCF) at Village Ibrahimzai, District Hangu: September 2017 to December 2017.

Beekeeping is a dynamic activity and is impacted by many factors. A comprehensive survey was done from September 2013 to April 2015 to understand the current status of beekeeping in the Arabian countries, and to identify the urgent needs for beekeeping development. Modern social communication means were utilized to perform the survey. Total of 138 respondents had participated in the study from 14 Arabian countries. Most of the respondents were with age from 31 to 45 years old (42.8% of the total). The most of them were also with high educational level with B.Sc. or higher degree (81.2% of the total), and 58.7% of them were with experience less than 10 years in beekeeping. The majority of the respondents preferred the indigenous bee races over the imported ones, and 51.4% of them were only honey producers. The incorrect management of bee colonies was considered by the majority of the respondents as the most important factor behind death of the bee colonies. It could be concluded that planned training programs on beekeeping are highly required. The role of the extension agencies is very essential to prepare suitable training programs for beekeepers. The use of the indigenous bee races in beekeeping should be supported. Effective laws and legislations to prevent honey adulteration and organize honey marketing issues are recommended to be done. Information about beekeeping in many Arabian countries are not available. Therefore, the results of this study can be considered as a baseline for any future investigations.

Кровожадный Клещ Варроа Под Микроскопом: Varroa destructor (in RUSSIAN LANGUAGE).
VIDEO LINK = http://youtu.be/rV8zWek3lTU 
Энтомолог кандидат биологических наук Фурсов Виктор рассказывает о жизненном цикле, особенностях биологии и строении клеща варроа - Varroa destructor - наружного паразита медоносных пчел - Apis cerana и Apis mellifera, питающегося гемолимфой пчел, на личинках, куколках и имаго медоносных пчел, - вызывающего опасное заболевание пчел - варроатоз. Клещи вызывают ослабление и гибель пчелиного расплода, ослабление выводящихся имаго пчел и их гибель, и переносят смертельно опасные 18 типов вирусов медоносных пчел.
Клещ варроа - Varroa destructor - имеет всесветное распространение, за исключением Австралии (в настоящее время).
Entomologist, PhD, Dr Victor Fursov is talking about mite varroa destructor - external parasite of Apis cerana and Apis mellifera, and being the source of deadly dangerous disease of honeybees - varroosis.(LECTURE in RUSSIAN LANGUAGE)

Under Microscope: Varroa destructor under X400 Parasite of Honeybees (ENGLISH STORY) (in ENGLISH).
VIDEO LINK = http://youtu.be/pHEiH3Cpi4o 
Entomologist, PhD, Dr Victor Fursov is talking about mite Varroa destructor - external parasite of honeybees, Apis cerana and Apis mellifera, and being the source of deadly dangerous disease of honeybees - varroosis. (STORY in ENGLISH LANGUAGE). Энтомолог кандидат биологических наук Фурсов Виктор рассказывает о жизненном цикле, особенностях биологии и строении клеща варроа - Varroa destructor - наружного паразита медоносных пчел - Apis cerana и Apis mellifera, питающегося гемолимфой пчел, на личинках, куколках и имаго медоносных пчел, - вызывающего опасное заболевание пчел - варроатоз. Клещи вызывают ослабление и гибель пчелиного расплода, ослабление выводящихся имаго пчел и их гибель, и переносят смертельно опасные 18 типов вирусов медоносных пчел.
Клещ варроа - Varroa destructor - имеет всесветное распространение, за исключением Австралии (в настоящее время).

This research was carried out to evaluate the effect of proteic supplement on royal jelly production in honeybee colonies and its correlation with environmental variables. The treatments were: colonies that had received a diet formulated with 35% crude protein, colonies that had received a commercial supplement with 35% crude protein, and colonies that did not receive protein diet. There was no difference (p > 0.05) among the treatments for parameters of production. The average for each variable was: amount accepted larvae, 8.56 ± 6.76; acceptance percentage, 29.20 ± 22.03%; amount of royal jelly produced per colony, 1.83 ± 0.82 g; and amount of royal jelly produced per cup, 213.58 ± 108.36 mg. Rainfall did not affect (p > 0.05) royal jelly production. The selected models point to a negative correlation among larvae accepted with the maximum temperature and low relative humidity. Larvae acceptance and royal jelly production per cup had a positive correlation with the maximum relative humidity and negative correlation with the minimum relative humidity. It can be concluded that the addition of proteic supplement (35%) did not increase royal jelly production of Africanized honeybee colonies, and its use for this purpose was unprofitable.

Целта на ова истражување беше да се спореди квалитетот на зимската прихрана (погачи), преку одредување на процентот на консумација и влијанието врз преживувањето на пчелите работнички во лабораториски услови. За таа цел беа тестирани 6 различни погачи за зимска прихрана, од кои 5 потекнуваат од комерцијални производители, а како контрола беше користена погача за зимска прихрана приготвена во домашни услови.
Истражувањето се спроведе во Лабораторијата за пчеларство при Факултетот за земјоделски науки и храна во Скопје, при што консумацијата и преживувањето на пчелите работнички беа следени во посебно дизајнирани кафези (Williams et al., 2013).
Бројот на пчели-работнички (78 ± 4,9) и количеството на зимска храна (20,9 ± 0,9 g), во секој од кафезите, беше стандардизиран. Параметрите беа следени во период од 9 дена.
Од добиените резултати може да се заклучи дека постојат значајни разлики во однос на квалитетот помеѓу тестираните погачи за зимска прихрана. Резултатите наведуваат на заклучок дека одгледувачите на пчели треба изборот на зимска прихрана (погачи) да го вршат со претходно тестирање.

This research was carried out to evaluate the nutritional quality of five supplements elaborated with linseed oil, palm oil, isolated soy protein and beer yeast. The study was performed about the life span of Africanized honey bees, confined into experimental cages maintained in incubator, at 32°C and relative humidity of 70% for 76 days. The supplements containing a mixture of polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids with linseed oil, palm oil and/or isolated soy protein and beer yeast were frequently used, resulting in a larger life span and smaller mortality rate than supplements elaborated only with sources of polyunsaturated or saturated fatty acids. Variations of fatty acid sources are expected and desirable in supplements to Africanized honey bees.

Many different methods are used by beekeepers for feeding sugar to honey bee colonies. Some use external feeders while others place feeders inside the hive. Each feeding method has its own advantages. In external methods, the sugar syrup is exposed to environmental factors and other insects, for example ants. With internal feeding there is the problem of the
beekeeper having to open each hive - this is time consuming and extra work if there are many colonies. Some beekeepers used to spray empty combs with sugar syrup and then add these combs to the hives: this method takes too much time and effort. In this article, I present a simple method to feed honey bee colonies.

Priyatelenko V.Ya., Fursov V.N., Ilienko E.V. Efficiency of application of three-storey beehive of Vasyl Priyatelenko constructed on the base of study of honeybee biology and the structure of natural honeybee nest. – Proceedings of All-Ukrainian Scientific-Practical Conference for the memory of famous researcher-entomologist, Professor M.P.Dyadechko, 10-12 December 2014. – Kiev National University of Bio-resources and Nature Use of Ukraine, Kiev, 2014. – P.109-111. (In Russian)

Analysis of colony losses in Republic of Macedonia in winter period 2012/2013
Pavlova Jana1, Hristovski Kristijan1, Golubovski Miroljub2
Mentor: Prof. Kiprijanovska, PhD
1Student at the Faculty ofAgricultural Sciencesand Food, Skopje, Quality and Food Safety
2 Student at the Faculty ofAgricultural Sciencesand Food, Skopje, Animal Biotechnology
Abstract
In order to determine the causes and extent of honey bee colonies losses, between September 2012 and March 2013, respondents were 140 beekeepers from 6 regions in Macedonia. The questionnaire contained of 12 questions related to the apiary location, management techniques and personal perception of the beekeepers for responsible factors for colony losses. The lowest colony losses have been recorded in the Vardar region (1.2%), while the highest losses in the Eastern region (16.2%). Possible reasons and factors for the colony losses are discussed in the paper.

Chitosan has shown promising results in improving bee health. The experiments of this study investigated the effects of using chitosan nanoparticles (CHNPs) on honey bee colonies. CHNPs were added into the bee feed at three concentrations: 10, 30, and 60 ppm (i.e. CHNPs 10, CHNPs 30, and CHNPs 60). The effects of these treatments on activities and performance of bee colonies were compared during early spring in addition to a control group without CHNPs. The survival experiment supported the safety of these concentrations of CHNPs to bees. The data from the apiary showed the superior results of CHNPs 30 and CHNPs 60 on comb building, hygienic behavior, stored food, and colony strength significantly than CHNPs 10 and the control group. No significant variations generally were found between CHNPs 30 and CHNPs 60 as well as between CHNPs 10 and the control group in the measured parameters. The mean numbers of dead bees in front of beehive entrances supported the absence of negative effects of CHNPs on bee colonies. The study emphasized the role of chitosan nanoparticles in enhancing performance and activities of bee colonies especially with CHNPs 30 and CHNPs 60 after winter season.

During the last years, a great number of swarms of Africanized honey bees migrated to the urban zone of Maringá, Paraná State, Brazil, causing a great concern, mainly in those who live at home with children, elderly and allergic people. This study aimed to record and remove the colonies and swarms reported to the Animal Science Department at Universidade Estadual de Maringá from 1997 to 1999, in order to avoid possible problems caused by honey bees (Apis mellifera) to the community and use them for research and teaching purposes. 283 reports were recorded, being 226 (79.9%) colonies and 57 (20.1%) swarms. 191 (67.5%) of the total reports were collected, being 169 (88.5%) colonies and 22 (11.5%) swarms. The honeybees were generally located in roofs (123; 43.5%), boxes (64; 22.6%), floors (59; 20.8%) and trees (37; 13.1%).

Pakistan is an important country located in South Asia and ranks the world's sixth most populous country. It has diverse landscapes with their own specific vegetation. The country specific vegetative diversity has a great ecological and economic impact on the conservation of local fauna. It has huge potential for sustainable beekeeping industry if properly exploited. Beekeeping in Pakistan is mainly focused in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and central and north regions of Punjab provinces but nowadays it is growing rapidly across the country. Honey produced in Pakistan enjoys good repute in the Middle East due to its unique taste and quality. Pakistan exports around 4000 tons of the honey with the worth of about $ 23.00 million to Arab countries every year.

The invention relates to a device and a method for collecting bee venom which comprises a housing with an entrance opening for bees, a set of electrical conductors being arranged in the housing, the set of electrical conductors comprising at least one secondary conductor electrically isolated from the primary conductor, the at least one primary and the at least one secondary conductors being spaced apart from each other, wherein the device further comprises means for applying an electric voltage between the at least one primary and the at least one secondary conductors, wherein the housing further has a net separating an exterior from an interior thereof. The invention (the trap) enables the collection of bee venom from honey bee workers without disturbing the colonies, and enables the collection of the bee venom form honey bee workers at any age by trapping the bees or by adding the bees to the trap. Moreover, the trap enables the collection of the bee venom at any time of the year including winter season. The collected venom by the trap has high degree of purity. Also, the trap enables the venom collection from wild bees.

This study was carried out to evaluate the financial viability of five supplements made with different sources of oil and protein, to be given to Africanized honeybees for royal jelly production. The study verified whether the investments with colony supplementation give financial returns to beekeepers, increasing profits for the diversification of bee products. In order to evaluate the five supplements, two experimental assays were performed. In each, 20 colonies were distributed randomly in four treatments, with 15 replications per colony. In assay I, the treatments were: linseed oil plus palm oil supplement, linseed oil, palm oil, and control without supplementation. In assay II, isolated soy protein plus brewer’s yeast, isolated soy protein, brewer’s yeast, and control without supplementation were evaluated. The following production financial indicators were determined: net operating income, total cost, profit and benefit-cost ratio. Supplements made with mixtures of linseed oil plus palm oil and isolated soy protein plus beer yeast showed ratios between the obtained profit and the calculated values for indirect production costs of 2.58 and 2.50, respectively, differing from the control (p < 0.05), which indicates it is economically viable to supplement Africanized honey bees in royal jelly production when compared to other treatments and control without supplementation.

The Yemeni honeybees (Apis mellifera jementica) are very small in size and have small wax combs. These bees are reared in traditional wooden tube hives, same as mud tube hives. Beekeepers of Saudi Arabia and Yemen have used them to transport these bees from traditional tube hives to modern Langstroth hives.

This research was carried out to characterize the microbial flora of the organic honey produced in Paraná River islands. The honey was directly collected in the evaluated colonies, in three apiaries distributed at Floresta and Laranjeira Islands. The collection period was from November 2005 to February 2006. It was evaluated 24 organic honey samples produced by Africanized honeybees. Following the international standard Compendium method for the Microbiology Examination of Foods, the analyzed parameters used were: presence of coliforms at 35oC and 45oC, and molds and yeasts quantification. All samples were in conformity with the MERCOSUL Technical Regulation Identity and Quality for Honey (MERCOSUL/GMC/RES no. 15/94. The analyzed samples indicated excellent microbiologic honey quality.