Michael Burgett

Tropilaelaps Clareae: a Parasite of Honeybees in South-East Asia

The first report on Varroa jacobsoni in Bee World was published in 1967 (pages 119–121), and an article by P. Akratanakul and M. Burgett appeared in 1975 entitled ‘Varroa jacobsoni: a prospective pest of honeybees in many parts of the world’. The spread of Varroa into a number of countries occurred from 1977 onwards.As early as 1962 (pages 81–82) A. S. Michael reported on another mite Tropilaelaps clarea, found in collections of dead honeybees from an apiary in the Philippines. Much has been published since, but it still does not seem to be sufficiently realized that this mite could become as serious a pest of honeybees in the world at large as Varroa. Some believe that it could be more serious. This article brings the information up to date.

Physicochemical profiles of stingless bee (Apidae: Meliponini) honey from South East Asia (Thailand)

This study examines the physicochemical properties of stingless bee honey from SE Asia (Thailand). Twenty-eight stingless bee honey samples, from 11 stingless bee species, were examined. Results reveal an average color (67 ± 19 mm Pfund), moisture (31 ± 5.4 g/100g), ash (0.531 ± 0.632 g/100g), electrical conductivity (1.1 ± 0.780 ms/cm), pH of (3.6 ± 0.198), total acidity (164 ± 162 meq/kg), diastase activity (1.5 ± 1.6 °Gothe) and hydroxymethylfurfural (8.7 ± 12 mg/kg). The carbohydrate profile is: total sugar (51 ± 21 g/100g), fructose (17 ± 9.7 g/100g), glucose (14 ± 8.6g/100g), maltose (41 ± 15 g/100g) and sucrose (1.2 ± 2.7 g/100g). These findings are not dissimilar to those reported for stingless bee honeys from the neo-tropics. When compared with the Apis mellifera standard, stingless bee honey is characterized as possessing higher moisture content, acidity, ash and HMF but a lower level of total sugars.

Sampling Honeybee Colonies for Brood Production: A Double Sampling Technique

SummaryA procedure is described for estimating numbers of capped brood cells by double sampling combined with linear regression. A complete census of capped brood cells is better than an estimate, provided it is possible to count all brood cells directly or from photographs of brood frames. The double sampling technique, however, has the advantage of enabling data to be collected more quickly and at a lower cost than for a complete count. It also provides an estimate of the approximate variability associated with brood estimates and a mechanism for correcting biases associated with different investigators or with estimates by the same individual at different times or under different conditions. The technique is easy to apply in the field and involves minimal disturbance to the colony. A disadvantage is that the calculations associated with estimates of brood area are more arduous, estimates of variability are approximate, and brood estimates may be biased if the data are too few. All calculations can be e...

Euvarroa Sinhai Delfinado and Baker (Acarina: Mesostigmata): A Parasitic Mite of Apis Florea

SummaryThe biology of the mite Euvarroa sinhai Delfinado and Baker was investigated. It is a parasite of drone brood of Apis florea. The developmental stages are egg, protonymph, deutonymph and sexual adult. The mite is reported for the first time from Thailand.

Pollination of Parsley (Petroselinum Crispum) Grown for Seed

SummarySyrphids (order Diptera, family Syrphidae) were numerically the dominant visitors on umbels of flowering parsley. Honeybees were the next most numerous, and their numbers increased throughout the bloom period, while the syrphids showed a large population decline prior to mid-bloom. Seed yields were nearly 3 times as great with open pollination as when pollinators were excluded from the flowers. Seed set, an expression of pollinating activity, was maximum during weeks 2, 3, 4 of a 5-week bloom period.

Tropilaelaps mercedesae: does this honey bee brood mite parasite exhibit a sex preference when infesting brood of the adapted host Apis dorsata?

Acarine brood parasites associated with the honey bee genus Apis are found in two families; Varroidae and Laelapidae. When infesting their indigenous honey bee host species, varroid mites (Varroa spp. and Euvarroa spp.) are essentially restricted to parasitizing drone (male) brood. When infesting the European honey bee species Apis mellifera, a non-adapted, alternate host, Varroa is known to exhibit a preference for drone brood over worker (female) brood (Issa and Goncalves, 1984), presumably because the parasite would have an augmented intrinsic rate of increase (“r”) due to the longer pupal period of the A. mellifera male host (Martin, 1995). Curiously, Euvarroa spp. brood parasites of the dwarf honey bee species A. florea and A. andreniformis, have only rarely been shown to parasitize A. mellifera (Mossadegh, 1990). The laelapid mite Tropilaelaps mercedesae utilizes the Asian giant honey bee Apis dorsata as its adapted host. T. mercedesae is also able to exploit the European honey bee as an alternate, non-adapted host, to such a degree that it has become the most serious acarine parasite wherever A. mellifera has been introduced into Southeast Asia (Oldroyd and Wongsiri, 2006; Anderson and Morgan, 2007). When infesting either its indigenous host, A. dorsata or the alternate host, A. mellifera, T. mercedesae is known to parasitize both worker and drone brood (Burgett and Kitprasert, 1990; Burgett et al., 1990). The egg to adult developmental time of A. dorsata males (23.7 d) is markedly longer than the development period for A. dorsata workers (19.7 d) (Tan, 2007). This would suggest that when parasitizing its adapted honey bee host, T. mercedesae may have evolved a host preference based on brood sex. Our objective was to test this hypothesis. Three mature A. dorsata colonies were obtained for this study; one in mid-January and two in early March, 2012. The three colonies were located in the Chiang Mai metropolitan region in northern Thailand (18058’ N). All three colonies had an abundance of worker and drone brood. For each colony a series of contiguous capped brood cells (10 drones and 10 workers) were examined for mite prevalence and reproductive success. When an infested honey bee host was encountered, the total mite population on the host was determined. All observations were confined to pupal hosts solely. Tropilaelaps species identification was confirmed morphometrically as per Anderson and Morgan (2007) and by rDNA fingerprinting. Table 1 summarizes our findings. The results clearly demonstrate that T. mercedesae did not preferentially infest A. dorsata male brood over female brood (2.0% vs. 4.8% infestation prevalence, male vs. female). Additionally, the number of offspring per foundress female mite parasitizing drone brood was less than that for mites parasitizing worker brood (2.8 vs. 3.2, male vs. female hosts respectively).

Meliponiculture: Stingless Bee Beekeeping In Thailand

South East Asia, and Thailand in particular, is seeing the emergence of a new kind of beekeeping industry. More than five hundred species of stingless bees are to be found throughout the tropics. In Thailand stingless bees are collectively known in the vernacular as “channarong”, which is etymologically derived from “the factory that makes cerumen.” A new industry is developing based on the products made by these industrious creatures.South East Asia, and Thailand in particular, is seeing the emergence of a new kind of beekeeping industry. More than five hundred species of stingless bees are to be found throughout the tropics. In Thailand stingless bees are collectively known in the vernacular as “channarong”, which is etymologically derived from “the factory that makes cerumen.” A new industry is developing based on the products made by these industrious creatures.

Effects of long term storage on stingless bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) honey

The long term storage effects on stingless bee (Tetragonula laeviceps-pagdeni) honey from SE Asia (Thailand) were examined using physicochemical parameters. Fresh stingless bee honey was stored at 4, 30, and 45 °C for 6 and 12 months. The results show that the moisture, ash, and electrical conductivity change little over time and temperature storage. The total acidity increased when stored for 6 and 12 months. pH, diastase, and HMF demonstrated statistically significant changes for both time and temperature storage. The carbohydrates (fructose, glucose, and maltose) decreased during time and temperature storage, but the changes were not statistically significant. Storage for the longest time period (12 months) and highest temperature (45 °C) resulted in the greatest changes. Storage at 4 °C for 12 months resulted in the least change and the honey was, by and large, unchanged from fresh honey.

Nutritional Composition of Pot-Pollen from Four Species of Stingless Bees (Meliponini) in Southeast Asia

Pot-pollen from four species of indigenous Thai stingless bees (Lepidotrigona flavibasis, Lepidotrigona terminata, Tetragonula laeviceps species complex, and Tetragonula testaceitarsis) was examined for nutritional composition including macronutrients, mineral content, fatty acids, and amino acids. The results for macronutrients are similar to previous pollen analyses done on pollen stored by the western honey bee Apis mellifera, a species which has dominated research in nutritional studies of pollen. A caveat is that total protein of pot-pollen is somewhat lower than that reported for A. mellifera. Our results for mineral content exhibit interspecific similarities and are within the parameters of known pollen mineral content. For fatty acid and amino acid analyses, we utilized only the stingless bee species T. laeviceps species complex. Total unsaturated fatty acids were more prevalent (3.66 ± 0.18 g/100 g) than total saturated (2.30 ± 0.59 g/100 g). Twenty amino acids were identified, of which 9 are essential and 11 classified as nonessential. Lysine was the most prevalent individual amino acid. The botanical sources were heterofloral and dominated by four pollen types of the genera Cocos, Acacia, Trema, and Tapirira.

Biometric Studies of the Stingless Bee Tetragonula laeviceps Complex (Apidae: Meliponini) from Northern Thailand

Considering the number of described stingless bee species in the Indo-Malayan/Australasian region to be 89 (Rasmussen 2008), the colony bionomics of only a relatively few species have been investigated. The number of meliponine species in Thailand is stated to be 32 (Rasmussen 2008). An early report of nest architecture and colony composition of Tetragonula laeviceps is that of Sakagami et al. (1983) who examined colonies in Sumatra (Indonesia). A more recent report is that of Chinh et al. (2004) from a study of T. laeviceps in Vietnam. Tetragonula laeviceps is one of the most widely distributed and most commonly used stingless bee species in Thai meliponiculture (Chuttong et al., 2014). Tetragonula laeviceps is opportunistic in nest site selection often utilizing anthropogenic cavity structures which is a primary factor for its incorporation into stingless bee beekeeping. The taxonomic placement of T. laeviceps is in question and is considered to be a cryptic species complex (Michener 2007, Khamyotchai et al., 2015). The first taxonomic description of T. laeviceps is from Singapore (Smith, 1859). Due to the geographical breadth of the species and varying architectural features of nests, it can be assumed, as stated by Rasmussen (2008), species limits are uncertain. The purpose of the work we report is to elucidate T. laeviceps complex colony bionomics as observed in northern Thailand with managed colonies.