Shift in distribution of division of labour in chronically stressed honeybee colonies after perturbation.

Division of labour (DOL) in eusocial insects plays an important role in colony fitness. Honeybees face a variety of stressors that compromise the homeostasis of the colony and reduce survival and reproduction. Considering the significance of DOL in colony homeostasis, it is important to understand whether and how DOL may be altered as a result of chronic stress.

Allele Frequencies of Genetic Variants Associated with Varroa Drone Brood Resistance (DBR) in Subspecies across the European Continent.

Implementation of marker-assisted selection (MAS) in modern beekeeping would improve sustainability, especially in breeding programs aiming for resilience against the parasitic mite . Selecting honey bee colonies for natural resistance traits, such as brood-intrinsic suppression of varroa mite reproduction, reduces the use of chemical acaricides while respecting local adaptation. In 2019, eight genomic variants associated with varroa non-reproduction in drone brood were discovered in a single colony from the Amsterdam Water Dune population in the Netherlands.

Stress-induced loss of social resilience in honeybee colonies and its implications on fitness.

Stressors may lead to a shift in the timing of life-history events of species, causing a mismatch with optimal environmental conditions, potentially reducing fitness. In honeybees, the timing of brood rearing and nest emergence in late winter/early spring is critical as colonies need to grow fast after winter to prepare for reproduction. However, the effects of stress on these life-history events in late winter/early spring and the possible consequences are not well understood.

Biosensing Chlorpyrifos in Environmental Water Samples by a Newly Developed Carbon Nanoparticle-Based Indirect Lateral Flow Assay.

Pesticides are used in agriculture to prevent pests. Chlorpyrifos (CHLP) is an insecticide with potentially detrimental effects on humans, bees, and the aquatic environment. Its effects have led to a total ban by the European Union (EU), but outside the EU, CHLP is still produced and used.