• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.135-140
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• 2018

BACKGROUND: The Asian hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax), a wasp species, has attacked honey bee populations and affected the beekeeping industry in Korea over the past 15 years. However, little research has been done with this invasive species. In this study, we investigated the intestine bacterial microbiota of Asian hornets and honey bees to design an attractive trap for Asian hornets. METHODS AND RESULTS: Genomic DNAs isolated from the intestine microorganisms of Asian hornets and honey bees were utilized to amplify bacterial 16S rDNA for the comparative sequence analysis. The next generation sequencing analysis identified that the orders Flavobacteriales as the most abundant intestinal microorganisms in Asian hornets, showing a clear difference compared to honey bees in which Aeromonadales are dominant. We also report five newly identified 16S rDNA sequences of Asian hornet intestinal bacteria. According to the sequence blast search, these five bacteria belong to the genera Thalassomonas, Caedobacter, Vampirovibrio, Alkaliphilus and Calothrix. CONCLUSION: While Asian hornets and honey bees show similar intestine bacterial diversity, the relative ratio of bacterial populations is different. providing useful information to design pest control agents specifically targeting Asian hornets.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Near Infrared Spectroscopy Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.1530-1530
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• 2001

The objectives of this study were to develop models to predict quality parameters of Korean bee-honeys by visible and NIR spectroscopic technique. Two kinds of bee-honey fronl acacia and polyflower sources were tested in this study. The honeys were harvested in the spring of 2000 and stored in the storage facility at 20$^{\circ}C$ during experiments. Total of 394 samples of honey were analyzed. Reflectance spectra, moisture contents, ash, invert sugar, sucrose, F/G (fructose/glucose) ratio, HMF (hydroxymethyl furfural), and C12/C13 ratio of honeys were measured. The average values for the tested honeys were 19.9% of moisture contents, 0.12% of ash, 68.4% of invert sugar, 5.7% of sucrose, 1.27 of F/G(fructose/glucose) ratio, 14.4 mg/kg of HMF, and -19.1 of C12/C13 ratio. A spectrophotometer, equipped with a single-beam scanning monochromator (NIR Systems, Model 6500, USA) and a horizontal setup module, was used to collect reflectance data from honey. The reflectance spectra were measured in wavelength ranges of 400∼2,498 nm. with 2 nm of interval. Thirty-two repetitive scans were averaged, transformed to log(1/Reflectance), and then were stored in a microcomputer file, forming one spectrum per measurement. A sample cell and reflectance plate were made to hold honey samples constantly. Spectra of honey samples were divided into a calibration set and a validation set. The calibration set was used during model development, and the validation set was used to predict quality parameters from unknown spectra. The PLS(Partial Least Square) models were developed to predict the quality parameters of honeys. The first and the second derivatives of raw spectra were also used to develop the models with proper smoothing gap. The MSC (multiplicative scatter correction) and the SNV & Dtr.(standard normal variate and detranding) preprocessing were applied to all spectra to minimize sample-to-sample light scatter differences. The PLS models showed good relationships between predicted and measured quality parameters of honeys in the wavelength range of 1100∼2200 nm. However, the PLS analysis was not good enough to predict HMF of honeys.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.11-25
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• 1976

Studies on pathogenicities and developmental stages of Nosema apis (Zander, 1909) were carried out through artificial infection to Nosema free honey bees with various levels of spores isolated from local honey bee colony. The results obtained were summarized as follows: 1. The clinical symptoms were observed as dysentery, enteritis of mid-gut (enlargement and decoloration), crawling posture and shortening of the longevity of worker bees in the rearing honey bee colony inoculated with the spores. 2. Number of spores harvested from laboratory rearing honey bees were progresively increased to 4 weeks after inoculation. The regression equations and coefficients of correlations to various spore levels were as follows in each treatment colony. Colony 1. ($$1,000{\times}10^4spores/ml$$) $$y_{c1}=471{\times}10^{4}x+454{\times}10^4(r=0.65^*$$) Colony 2. ($$500{\times}10^4spores/ml$$) $$y_{c2}=340{\times}10^{4}x+207.8{\times}10^4(r=0.99^{**}$$) Colony 3. ($$100{\times}10^4spores/ml$$) $$y_{c3}=150{\times}10^{4}x+84.2{\times}10^4(r=0.99^{**}$$) Colony 4. ($$10{\times}10^4spores/ml$$) $$y_{c4}=13.8{\times}10^{4}x+13{\times}10^4(r=0.98^{**}$$) 3. Average longevity of worker bees artificially infected with Nosema apis was shortened as 21.7~43.8% compare to the control. (p<.05, p<.01) 4. The spores which were isolated from honey bee colony infected with Nosema disease were ovoid or spherical form, and measured, as a rule, from $4.7{\mu}m$ to $6.1{\mu}m$ (mean $5.3{\mu}m$) in length and from $2.4{\mu}m$ to $3.2{\mu}m$ (mean $2.9{\mu}m$) in width. 5. In the mid-gut of honey bees, the spore was progresively germinated and became trophozoite stage. The trophozoites were grown to meronts and their binary fission were begun. The divided two sporoblasts were developed to the spores which had elastic membrane. The new spores were shed in excreta of honey bees 10~15 day after inoculation at $25{\pm}2$ centigrade. 6. The ultrastructure of spore membrane consisted of three layers, such as, outer, middle and inner layer. The sporoplasm consisting lamellar structure occupied only anterior part of the spore and was often extended to posterior direction where definite vacuoles and a polar filament was able to detect.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.229-235
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• 2008

Lack of honey bee toxicity data for most pesticide products used for strawberry restricts to predict the adverse effects to foraging honey bee after treatment of pesticide in plastic house. This study was conducted to evaluate the actual risk of worker honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) through acute contact toxicity test, acute oral toxicity test and toxicity of residues on foliage test with 21 pesticide products. The mortality of honeybee sprayed with 6 pesticides including dichlofluanid WP showed significantly different from control at recommended application rate in acute contact toxicity test at 24 hours after treatment. Fenpropathrin EC and milbemectin EC treatment groups showed more than 25% mortalities at recommended application rate in acute oral toxicity test. In toxicity of residues on foliage test, only fenpropathrin EC treatment group showed more than 25% mortalities at 10 days after treatment at recommended application rate. It was concluded that the most toxic route to exposure for honey bee is direct contact exposure to sprayed pesticides. Safety interval for honey bee was established by concerning the results of these tests.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.279-285
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• 1975

The experiments were conducted to isolate the etiogical agent and to survey the distribution of Nosema disease in honey bees. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The etiological agent of the so-called "crawling disease" in honey bees characterized by the symptoms of crawling, diarrhea, and enteritis etc. was first isolated and identified with Nosema apis (Zander 1909) in Korea. 2. 455 colonies were randomely sampled and surveyed in 4,766 bee colonies out of 56 apiaries and 51 colonies (11.2%) out of 455 bee colonies were infected with N, apis. 3. Infection rates according to the period of honeyflow as follows: Brassica napus (Apr.): 25/130 colonies (18.4%) Rohinia pseudoacacia (May) : 8/55 colonies (14.%) Trifolium repels(Jun.): 15/99 colonies (13.6%) Castanea crenate (Jul.): 3/46 colonies (6.5%) Lespedeza bicolor(Aug.): 0/60 colonies (-) Fagopyrumesculentum(Sept.) & Perilla frutescens(Oct.) 0/65 colonies (-) 4. The typical clinical signs of Nosema disease were appeared on loth day after N. apis was orally administered with the level of $16{\times}10^4$ spores/ml to the healthy adult bees. Spores could be harvested with the level of $121{\sim}236{\times}10^4$ spores/ml on 10th day and $392{\sim}429{\times}10^4$ spores/ml on 15 days after infection. 5. In adult honey bees infected with N. apis artificially the 50% lethal day of life-span was 9 to 10 days and 100% lethal day was 16 to 19 days. However, in the control 50% lethal day was 19 to 23 days and 100% lethal day was 31 to 33 days.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.675-679
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• 1994

Minerals, hydroxymethyfufural (HMF) and vitamins in native bee-honey (NBH) harvested from four different areas of Kangwon, korea were analyzed . Ash content of NBH varied from 0.26 to 0.50 % with the mean and standard deviation values of 0.32$\pm$ 0.17% and those of FBH varied from 0.15 to 0.58%(0.32$\pm$0.37) . Among analyzed minerals, the concentration of K,Ca, Mg, Fe and P except Na in NBH were found to be higher than those in FBH. The amounts of K and NA in NBH were 1200-3200ppm(2000 $\pm$770ppm) and 35-50ppm(38$\pm$6ppm), and those in FBH were 1100-3300ppm(1900$\pm$ 1700ppm) and 32-72ppm(49$\pm$17ppm), respectively. The mean value of Na to K ratio expressed as Na/Kx10$^3$ was 20$\pm$4 for the NBH and 41$\pm$25 for the FBH. HMF levels in NBH were 0.50$\pm$0.22mg% which was twice as much as those in FBH. Ascorbic acid and riboflavin in NBH were present at the range of 2.2-4.0mg% and 0.17-0.24mg% , respectively, of which were not significantly different from those obtained from the FBH.

• Journal of Apiculture
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.305-313
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• 2019

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) forage in agricultural areas, and are exposed to diverse pesticide poisoning. Toxic effects on Apis mellifera of different groups of pesticides were tested in the laboratory; fungicide (Metconazole), herbicide (Glyphosate), acaricide (Amitraz), organophosphate insecticide(Fenitrothion) and neonicotinoid insecticides(Thiacloprid, Thiamethoxam, Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid, Dinotefuran and Clothianidin). Commercial formulations were serially diluted from the recommended concentration (RC) to 10-6 times to carry out feeding and contact tests. Toxicity was transformed into lethal dose (LD50) and hazard question (HQ). The acute toxicity of pesticides showed similar patterns between feeding and contact tests. But feeding tests showed greater toxic to honey bee than contact test. The organophosphate and nitro-neonicotinoid insecticides were highly toxic with HQ values ranging greater than 1. However, cyano-neonicotinoids of Thiacloprid and Acetamiprid showed low toxicity. Even at the RC, 24 hr mortalities were 18 and 30%. The acaricide (Amitraz) showed intermediate level of toxicity at RC but negligible at the concentration lower than 10-1 times. A fungicide(Metconazole) and herbicide(Glyphosate) showed minimal impacts. The results imply that the selective use of pesticides could help conservation of pollinators in agricultural production systems.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.315-320
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• 2015

Acarapis mites, including Acarapis woodi, Acarapis externus, and Acarapis dorsalis, are parasites of bees which can cause severe damage to the bee industry by destroying colonies and decreasing honey production. All 3 species are prevalent throughout many countries including UK, USA, Iran, Turkey, China, and Japan. Based on previous reports of Acarapis mites occurring in northeast Asia, including China and Japan, we investigated a survey of Acarapis mite infestations in honey bees in Korean apiaries. A total of 99 colonies of Apis mellifera were sampled from 5 provinces. The head and thorax of 20 bees from each colony were removed for DNA extraction. PCR assays were performed with 3 primer sets, including T, A, and K primers. Results indicated that 42.4% (42/99) of samples were Acarapis-positive by PCR assay which were sequenced to identify species. Each sequence showed 92.6-99.3% homology with reference sequences. Based on the homology, the number of colonies infected with A. dorsalis was 32 which showed the highest infection rate among the 3 species, while the number of colonies infected with A. externus and A. woodi was 9 and 1, respectively. However, none of the Acarapis mites were morphologically detected. This result could be explained that all apiaries in the survey used acaricides against bee mites such as Varroa destructor and Tropilaelaps clareae which also affect against Acarapis mites. Based on this study, it is highly probable that Acarapis mites as well as Varroa and Tropilaelaps could be prevalent in Korean apiaries.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 2009

This paper presents a newly developed optimization algorithm, the Bee Optimization Algorithm (BeeOA), to solve the economic power dispatch (EPD) problem. The authors have developed a derivative free and global optimization technique based on the working of the honey bee. The economic power dispatch problem is a nonlinear constrained optimization problem. Classical optimization techniques fail to provide a global solution and evolutionary algorithms provide only a good enough solution. The proposed approach has been examined and tested on two test systems with different objectives. A simple power dispatch problem is tested first on 6 generators and then the algorithm is demonstrated on 13 thermal unit systems whose incremental fuel cost function takes into account the value point loading effect. The results are promising and show the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed approach over recently reported methods.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.87-95
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• 2018

Nosema spp. (NS) causes severe problems to honey bee colonies including the death of the highly infected ones. Searching for effective materials to control this parasite is very important. The objectives of this study were to identify the calendar for the prevalence of NS and other bee diseases, and to test the efficacy of three materials: diluted honey mixed with lemon juice (M1), chamomile extract mixed with sugar syrup (M2) and sutrivet mixed with sugar syrup (M3) against Nosema. To realize these objectives, diseases of brood and adult honey bees were surveyed over one year. Also, the efficacy of M1, M2 and M3 against Nosema was evaluated under field and laboratory conditions. The results showed that few diseases for immature and mature stages of honey bees were recorded. NS was detected during winter and spring in link with low temperature and high relative humidity. Under field conditions, M2 reduced the infection by 36.66% while M3 by 23.33% and finally M1 by 13.33%. In the laboratory, the highest efficacy was to M2 followed by M1 and finally M3. The three materials impacted the percentage of survived bees significantly higher than infected bees without any treatments over the experimental period. The study suggests the potential role of chamomile as a natural material to control NS.