Biomonitoring of particulate matter and volatile organic compounds using honey bees and their products. A contemporary overview.

Airborne pollutants like particulate matter and volatile organic compounds can negatively impact microbial, plant, and animal life as well as human health. Traditional environmental monitoring, while crucial, often relies on expensive equipment at limited locations, leading to gaps in geographical coverage. To obtain a low-cost, easily deployed environmental monitoring grid, the use of European honey bees (Apis mellifera) as biomonitor can offer a promising alternative.

Integrated Pest Management Strategies to Control Varroa Mites and Their Effect on Viral Loads in Honey Bee Colonies.

Honey bee viruses in combination with varroa mite are very damaging for honey bee colonies worldwide. There are no effective methods to control the viral load in honey bee colonies except regular and effective control of mites. Integrated Pest Management strategies are required to effectively control mites with veterinary medicines based on organic compounds.

IPM Strategy to Control EFB in : Oxytetracycline Treatment Combined with Partial Shook Swarm and Queen Caging.

We tested an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy to control European foulbrood (EFB) in honey bees. Colonies affected by EFB were assigned to two homogenous groups: an oxytetracycline-treated group (1.5 g OTC/hive) that underwent partial shook swarm (PSS) in combination with queen caging (QC) and an untreated group where only two beekeeping techniques, PSS and QC, were applied.

Honey vs. Mite-A Trade-Off Strategy by Applying Summer Brood Interruption for Control in the Mediterranean Region.

In this study, we investigated the effect of queen caging on honey bee colonies' post-treatment development and the optimal timing of method application on honey production during the main summer nectar flow. We conducted the study in nine apiaries (N = 9) across six Mediterranean countries, with a total of 178 colonies. The colonies were divided into three test groups: QC1, QC2, and C.

Emotions at diagnosis in patients with bullous diseases.

Background: Diagnosis of a severe condition may have a strong emotional impact on patients. Specific emotions experienced when receiving the diagnosis of a bullous disease have not been investigated.

Methods: Adult patients diagnosed with a bullous condition were recruited through the Italian Association of patients with pemphigus and pemphigoid (ANPPI).