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PubMed2004

Field and semifield evaluation of impacts of transgenic canola pollen on survival and development of worker honey bees.

A 2-yr field trial (2001 and 2002) and 1-yr semifield trial (2002) were conducted to evaluate the effect of transgenic herbicide (glyphosate) -tolerant canola Brassica napus L. pollen on larval and adult honey bee, Apis mellifera L., workers. In the field trial, colonies of honey bees were moved to transgenic or nontransgenic canola fields (each at least 40 hectares) during bloom and then sampled for larval survival and adult recovery, pupal weight, and hemolymph protein concentrations. No differences in larval survival, adult recovery, and pupal weight were detected between colonies placed in nontransgenic canola fields and those in transgenic canola fields. Colonies placed in the transgenic canola fields in the 2002 field experiment showed significantly higher hemolymph protein in newly emerged bees compared with those placed in nontransgenic canola field; however, this difference was not detected in the 2001 field experiment. In the semifield trial, bee larvae were artificially fed with bee-collected transgenic and nontransgenic canola pollen and returned to their original colonies. Larval survival, pupal survival, pupal weight, and hemolymph protein concentration of newly emerged adults were measured. There were no significant differences in any of the parameters measured between larvae that were fed transgenic canola pollen and those fed nontransgenic corn pollen. Results from this study suggest that transgenic canola pollen does not have adverse effects on honey bee development and that the use of transgenic canola dose not pose any threat to honey bees.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Detection of nerve growth factor (NGF) in venoms from diverse source: isolation and characterization of NGF from the venom of honey bee (Apis melifera).

Pearce (1973) reported the absence of NGF in the venoms of bees, scorpions, spiders, and toads. Contrary to the negative findings in the past, results of this research prove the presence of NGF in bee and scorpion venoms. Venoms from various species of snake, bee, scorpion, and toad were screened by two methods: immunological test ELISA using antibodies versus mouse NGF and venom NGF and the biological test of neurite outgrowth, the characteristic of NGF on PC cells. The presence of NGF was detected in snake, bee, and scorpion venoms, but not in toad venom by these tests. NGF was isolated from bee venom by HPLC fractionation using ion exchange chromatography. The molecular weight of bee NGF was found to be 14.0 kDa resolving into a single band by PAGE. The biological activity of bee NGF on PC12 cells was found to be 1/10 of the venom NGF.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Evaluation of severe reactions to sweat bee stings.

Thirteen patients with severe reactions to sweat bee stings were evaluated. Eleven patients had had systemic reactions and two, large local reactions. Skin testing and RAST with venom of other Hymenoptera and whole body extract of sweat bees disclosed negative reactions to both skin tests and RAST of all other insects tested in eight, while three showed sensitivity to honey bee. Only one patient had a positive RAST reaction to whole body extract of sweat bee. Whole body extract of sweat bee causes some irritant reaction when skin testing controls and is not a reliable diagnostic agent even though patients were more reactive than controls. Hypersensitivity reactions to sweat bee stings are distinct and not associated with reactions to other stinging insects. Currently, no reliable antigen is commercially available for diagnosing or treating this condition. Sweat bee venom or other venom antigens might be beneficial.

Adult↗

PubMed1979

[Role of mildew and mildewed honey in summer-fall mortality in bee hives].

The high summer and autumn lethality of unknown etiology observed in bee families from the Vidin district in 1978 was studied. It was established that amid suffering bee families lethality ranges from 50 to 100%. Results of the microbiological investigations carried out proved negative--no pathogen bee microorganisms were isolated. Negative results were obtained from the parasitological investigations also. Analysis of honey produced by suffering families indicated that the samples are highly positive for mildew affected honey and negative for other poisons. Histological investigations of the mid intestine of live bees from the affected families showed changes characteristic for mildew toxicosis. Laboratory biotests carried out by feeding healthy bees with honey taken from suffering or dead bee families confirm the diagnosis. The experimental bees revealed the typical clinical picture and characteristic symptoms of mildew toxicosis and high lethality.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Floral resource utilization by solitary bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) and exploitation of their stored foods by natural enemies.

Bees are phytophagous insects that exhibit recurrent ecological specializations related to factors generally different from those discussed for other phytophagous insects. Pollen specialists have undergone extensive radiations, and specialization is not always a derived state. Floral host associations are conserved in some bee lineages. In others, various species specialize on different host plants that are phenotypically similar in presenting predictably abundant floral resources. The nesting of solitary bees in localized areas influences the intensity of interactions with enemies and competitors. Abiotic factors do not always explain the intraspecific variation in the spatial distribution of solitary bees. Foods stored by bees attract many natural enemies, which may shape diverse facets of nesting and foraging behavior. Parasitism has evolved repeatedly in some, but not all, bee lineages. Available evidence suggests that cleptoparasitic lineages are most speciose in temperate zones. Female parasites frequently have a suite of characters that can be described as a masculinized feminine form. The evolution of resource specialization (including parasitism) in bees presents excellent opportunities to investigate phenotypic mechanisms responsible for evolutionary change.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

From bioactive compounds to volatile profiles: a multidimensional characterization of Indonesian stingless bee honeys.

BACKGROUND: Stingless bee honeys are drawing increasing attention as ingredients for functional foods and health-oriented products because of their distinctive sensory characteristics and bioactive potential. In this study, honeys collected from nine stingless bee species reared in West Sumatra, Indonesia, were comprehensively characterized using physicochemical indices, antioxidant assays [DPPH (i.e. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ferric reducing antioxidant power], microbiological screening, volatile profiling [gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)] and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) fingerprinting. RESULTS: Marked between-sample variability was observed across key quality attributes, including pH (2.80-3.68), Brix (49.83-61.25), viscosity (23.36-175.22 cP) and color parameters. FTIR spectra were consistent with carbohydrate-rich matrices and exhibited carbonyl-related bands. GC-MS profiling identified linalool oxide isomers and junenol among the predominant volatiles. To the best of our knowledge, junenol has not previously been reported in stingless bee honey and may represent a potential regional chemical marker for Indonesian stingless bee honeys. Lactic acid bacteria were detected in selected samples, whereas yeast and mold were not detected. Antioxidant activities were comparatively low, which may reflect local environmental and ecosystem-related factors. CONCLUSION: The results provide a multi-parameter baseline for stingless bee honeys produced within a shared ecosystem in West Sumatra and demonstrate the value of integrating conventional chemical indices with FTIR and volatile fingerprints for quality assessment. This combined approach may also support future authentication and origin-tracing frameworks for Indonesian stingless bee honeys. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Inhibition of mammary carcinoma cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo by bee venom.

The possible tumor growth- and metastasis-inhibiting effects of bee venom in mice and in tumor cell cultures were studied. The tumor was a transplantable mammary carcinoma (MCa) of CBA mouse. Intravenous administration of bee venom to mice significantly reduced the number of metastases in the lung. However, subcutaneous administration of bee venom did not reduce the number of lung metastases, indicating that the antitumor effect of the venom could be highly dependent on the route of injection as well as close contact between the components of the venom and the tumor cells, as was shown by in vitro studies on MCa cells. We also observed variations in immunological parameter induced by bee venom. We proposed that bee venom has an indirect mechanism of tumor growth inhibition and promotion of tumor rejection that is based on stimulation of the local cellular immune responses in lymph nodes. Apoptosis, necrosis, and lysis of tumor cells are other possible mechanisms by which bee venom inhibits tumor growth.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Bee-venom allergy in children: long-term predictive value of standardized challenge tests.

Venom immunotherapy (VIT) is able to protect insect venom-allergic patients against life-threatening sting reactions. Standardized sting challenges can be used as a diagnostic tool to check whether VIT is required. No data are available on the long-term predictive value of sting challenge tests. The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term predictive value of sequential bee-sting challenges with respect to the ability to predict future sting reactions in bee-venom (BV) allergic children. Between 1988 and 1992, 92 BV-allergic children had been challenged with sequential bee stings at intervals of 2-6 weeks to determine the necessity of VIT. In 1996, all 92 families were followed-up using standardized telephone interviews. Until the follow-up, 61 children (66.3%) had experienced at least one natural bee sting. Based on the results of the initial challenge tests, 13 of the 61 patients had been started on VIT. Two of these 13 (15.4%) developed systemic reactions 1 year after VIT of 5 years, of which one was mild and one was severe. Among the 48 re-stung patients who were not treated with VIT, three children (6.3%) experienced mild systemic reactions, whereas 45 children reported no more than a local reaction. The long-term predictive value of sequential bee-sting challenge tests for systemic reactions in children not treated with VIT remained at a level of 93.8% (95% confidence interval: 82.8-98.7%) even over a period of more than 6 years. Based on this data, we conclude that sequential bee-sting challenges are a powerful tool to determine the necessity for VIT in BV-allergic children.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Bee venom allergy in beekeepers and their family members.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To analyze prevalence of allergic sting reactions, including the clinical and diagnostic features as well as management options in a population heavily exposed to honeybee stings such as beekeepers and their family members. RECENT FINDINGS: The higher sting frequency is associated with an increased prevalence of allergic sting reactions. Major risk factors for allergic sting reactions in beekeepers are: fewer than 10 annual stings, an atopic constitution and symptoms of upper respiratory allergy during work in the beehive. Bee venom allergic beekeepers have higher levels of bee venom-specific IgG but lower skin sensitivity and bee venom-specific IgE than normally exposed bee venom allergic patients. Safety of bee venom immunotherapy is higher in beekeepers than in allergic controls, while efficacy of this treatment is similar in both groups. SUMMARY: Beekeepers and their family members are at an increased risk of severe sting anaphylaxis and therefore need especially careful instruction with regard to avoidance of re-exposure, emergency treatment and specific immunotherapy with bee venom.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1986

Changes in IgG and IgE antibody levels to bee venom during immunotherapy.

IgE and IgG antibodies to bee venom were measured in sera of patients receiving bee venom immunotherapy. All patients selected for therapy had suffered severe reactions to bee stings. The results showed that within 2-3 months from the commencement of immunotherapy there was a marked rise in IgG antibodies and a slight but not significant rise in IgE antibodies. After this period, the IgE antibody level began to fall and was about one third of the pre-treatment level by the second to third year. The IgG antibody level began to decline from its increased level after 9-10 months but remained above the pre-treatment level even after 2 years. All of the patients who had subsequently been accidentally stung after reaching the maintenance dosage of bee venom allergen showed no severe reactions. A small group of non-treated patients of the same category as those receiving therapy did not show a rise but a decline in the level of IgG antibodies. However, like the treated group, they showed a significant decrease in IgE antibodies. Thus one of the main benefits of bee venom immunotherapy is the build-up of a high concentrations of IgG antibodies, and this may be the critical factor in the protection against bee venom allergy.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Limits on volume changes in the mushroom bodies of the honey bee brain.

The behavioral maturation of adult worker honey bees is influenced by a rising titer of juvenile hormone (JH), and is temporally correlated with an increase in the volume of the neuropil of the mushroom bodies, a brain region involved in learning and memory. We explored the stability of this neuropil expansion and its possible dependence on JH. We studied the volume of the mushroom bodies in adult bees deprived of JH by surgical removal of the source glands, the corpora allata. We also asked if the neuropil expansion detected in foragers persists when bees no longer engage in foraging, either because of the onset of winter or because colony social structure was experimentally manipulated to cause some bees to revert from foraging to tending brood (nursing). Results show that adult exposure to JH is not necessary for growth of the mushroom body neuropil, and that the volume of the mushroom body neuropil in adult bees is not reduced if foraging stops. These results are interpreted in the context of a qualitative model that posits that mushroom body neuropil volume enlargement in the honey bee has both experience-independent and experience-dependent components.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Physiological correlates of division of labor among similarly aged honey bees.

Hormone analyses and exocrine gland measurements were made to probe for physiological correlates of division of labor among similarly aged adult worker honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). Middle-age bees (ca. 2 weeks old) performing different tasks showed significant differences in both juvenile hormone (JH) biosynthesis rates and hemolymph titers; guards and undertakers had high JH, and wax producers and food storers, low JH. Guards and undertakers had similar hormone levels to foragers, even though they were 10 days younger than foragers. No differences in JH were detected among young bees (1-week-old queen attendants and nurses) or older bees (3-4 week-old pollen foragers, non-pollen foragers, and soldiers). Hypopharyngeal gland size was inversely correlated with worker age and rate of JH biosynthesis, but soldiers had significantly larger hypopharyngeal glands than did foragers, despite their similar age and JH level. Results from soldiers indicate that exocrine gland development is not always linked with age-related behavior and endocrine development; they also support the recent claim that soldiers constitute a group of older bees that are distinct from foragers. Hormonal analyses indicate that the current model of JH's role in honey bee division of labor needs to be expanded because high levels of JH are associated with several other tasks besides foraging. JH may be involved in the regulation of division of labor among similarly aged workers in addition to its role in age-related division of labor.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2003

Thorough warm-up before take-off in honey bee swarms.

In a bivouacked swarm of honey bees, most individuals are quiescent while a small minority (the scouts) are active in choosing the swarm's future nest site. This study explores the way in which the members of a swarm warm their flight muscles for take-off when the swarm eventually decamps. An infrared camera was used to measure the thoracic (flight muscle) temperatures of individual bees on the surface of a swarm cluster. These are generally the coolest bees in a swarm. The warming of the surface-layer bees occurred mainly in the last 10 min before take-off. By the time a take-off began, 100% of the bees had their flight muscles heated to at least 35 degrees C, which is sufficient to support rapid flight. Take-offs began only a few seconds after all the surface-layer bees had their flight muscles warmed to at least 35 degrees C, but exactly how take-offs are triggered remains a mystery.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

The effect of insecticides on learning in the Africanized honey bee (Apis mellifera L.).

The present study was designed to examine the effects of endosulfan, decis, baytroid, and sevin on the learning ability of Africanized honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). Although these insecticides were recommended by the government of Brazil to control the cotton boll weevil, the effects on bees have been unknown. Results of the present research show that: (1) bees readily consume each of the pesticides when placed in a sucrose solution; (2) the odors of the pesticides are not repellent to bees, and such odors can serve as conditioned stimuli; (3) learning occurs to various degrees when the insecticides are combined with the sucrose solution and used as an unconditioned stimulus; and (4) feeding the insecticides to the bees 1 h prior to conditioning leads to differing mortality. Because of the importance of bees for honey production, as well as pollination of cotton and other crops, recommendations are made for the use of decis and other measures for boll weevil control.http://link. springer-ny.com/link/service/journals/00244/bibs/37n4p529.++ +html</HEA

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Activity of protein kinase A and gustatory responsiveness in the honey bee ( Apis mellifera L.).

The cAMP-dependent protein kinase A is involved in the induction of long-term memory and habituation in the bee. Gustatory responsiveness correlates strongly with associative and non-associative learning in bees. We tested whether protein kinase A activity in the antennal lobes correlates with gustatory responsiveness. Thirty minutes after feeding, bees with high gustatory responsiveness had a significantly higher protein kinase A activity than bees with low responsiveness. Ninety minutues after feeding, when gustatory responsiveness had increased in initially unresponsive bees, no changes in protein kinase A activity were found. We also tested time-dependent effects of protein kinase A activator and protein kinase A inhibitor on gustatory responsiveness. Injection of the protein kinase A activator adenosine 3'5'-cyclic monophosphate 8-bromo-sodium salt or of the protein kinase A inhibitor KT 5720 did not affect gustatory responsiveness within the first 4 h after treatment. Feeding of adenosine 3'5'-cyclic monophosphate 8-bromo-sodium salt over 4 days increased gustatory responsiveness in newly emerged bees and adult foragers. These results enable us to distinguish between two different forms of gustatory responsiveness: basal and transient gustatory responsiveness. Basal gustatory responsiveness correlates with protein kinase A activity and can only be modulated in the range of several days. Transient gustatory responsiveness appears to be independent of protein kinase A activity and can be modulated in the range of minutes to hours.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

PKA and PKC content in the honey bee central brain differs in genotypic strains with distinct foraging behavior.

Selection of honey bees for pollen storage resulted in high and low pollen-hoarding strains differing in foraging behavior traits including resource choice and quality, load size, sucrose responsiveness, age of foraging initiation, and learning performance. To determine how these genotypic differences correlate with changes at the level of proteins involved in neuronal function, we measured the content of protein kinase A, protein kinase C, and synapsin in the brains of high- and low-strain bees. In the central brain protein kinase A and protein kinase C levels were greater in high-strain bees and increased from emergence to 5 days in both strains. By 15 days, high-strain bees retained significantly higher levels of protein kinase C than low-strain bees, but overall protein kinase C content decreased in both strains. Synapsin levels increased from emergence to 5 days but did not differ between the two strains. In contrast to the protein kinase A content in the central brain, the basal protein kinase A activity did not differ between the strains or between the two age groups. This provides first evidence that the two genetic strains of honey bees show characteristic differences in the regulation of protein expression that may contribute to the behavioral differences between them.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

The interplay between dancing and trophallactic behavior in the honey bee Apis mellifera.

The interplay between the recruitment dance and food-giving trophallactic contacts of returning Apis meellifera foragers was analyzed. Dancing and trophallactic events were recorded for bees returning from a rate feeder that provided 50% weight on weight sucrose solution at a constant flow rate of 5 microl min(-1). Bees that had danced immediately before their trophallactic contact had more recipients per trophallaxis compared with bees that did not dance before. Thus, besides information coded in dancing behavior, dance maneuvers could serve as a stimulus to increase attention of bees located on the dance floor to receive nectar. In addition, the number of bees receiving food during a trophallaxis showed a positive correlation with the probability of dancing immediately after contacting. The time from arrival at the hive to when the first or the subsequent contacts took place presented no correlation with the probability of dancing after trophallaxis. Also, the duration of a trophallaxis was positively correlated with the number of recipients per trophallaxis. These results suggest that returning foragers could receive information during a trophallactic contact with their hive mates that modify thresholds for dancing. Dance maneuvers and trophallactic contacts performed by foraging bees seem to be "mutually" affected.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Modulation of sucrose response thresholds in honey bees (Apis mellifera L.): influence of genotype, feeding, and foraging experience.

The perception of sugar is important to honey bees for making foraging decisions. We measured bees' perception by determining what concentration of sucrose touched to the antennae elicited the proboscis extension response (response threshold). A low response threshold (extension at low concentration) suggests a high perceptual value of sucrose. and vice versa. Perception of sucrose solutions differed between two artificially selected genotypic strains and was modulated by the bees' recent feeding experiences. Bees offered 10%, 30%, or 50% sucrose solutions in small cages overnight, and in large flight-cages or free-flying in the field for several days, had subsequent response thresholds positively correlated to the concentration offered. Empty bees, whether they were nectar, water or pollen foragers, dancers or non-dancers, had a significantly lower threshold than loaded bees. Crop volume affected response thresholds directly and independently of sucrose concentration. We interpret these findings as multiple mechanisms that operate in different time scales, modulating perception of sucrose. Changes occurred in the time scale of evolutionary processes as demonstrated by genotypic differences. Changes with foraging experience occur in hours or minutes while effects of crop filling are instantaneous.

Adaptation, Physiological↗