Limited impacts of truck-based ultra-low-volume applications of mosquito adulticides on mortality in honey bees (Apis mellifera).

Adulticides applied against mosquitoes can reduce vector populations during times of high arbovirus transmission. However, impacts of these insecticides on pollinators and other non-target organisms are of concern to mosquito control professionals, beekeepers and others. We evaluated mortality of Culex quinquefasciatus and Apis mellifera when caged insects were exposed to low and high label rates of four common adulticides (Aqua-Pursuit™ [permethrin], Duet® [prallethrin + sumithrin], Fyfanon® [malathion] and Scourge® [resmethrin]) at six distances up to 91.4 m from a truck-mounted ultra-low-volume sprayer. Honey bee mortality was both absolutely low (61 m had limited impacts on honey bee mortality while providing effective mosquito control.

Genotype × environment interaction, environmental heterogeneity and the lek paradox.

Substantial additive genetic variance (V(A)) often exists for male signalling traits in spite of the directional selection that female choice imposes. One solution to this problem, a conundrum generally termed the 'lek paradox', is that genotype × environment interaction (GEI) occurs and generates a 'crossover' of reaction norms in which no one genotype performs in a superior manner in all environments. Theoretical work indicates that such crossover can sustain genetic variance provided that either (i) spatial heterogeneity in environmental conditions combined with limited migration among populations or (ii) temporal heterogeneity in environmental conditions combined with occasional generation overlap is present. Whereas some recent studies have revealed the intersection of reaction norms for sexually selected traits in laboratory and in natural populations, associated information on environmental heterogeneity, migration and generation overlap has not been investigated. We studied this question in an acoustic pyralid moth, Achroia grisella, in which previous work indicated GEI and crossover of reaction norms for several parameters of the male song evaluated by females. We measured reaction norms for male song as expressed when development was completed under different environmental conditions in four neighbouring, yet isolated, populations during 1 year and in one of these populations during consecutive years. Crossover occurred for the various song parameters in the several populations, but we did not observe a higher incidence of crossover between genotypes taken from two different populations than from the same population. However, for several key song parameters, crossover between genotypes taken from two different years was higher than that between genotypes from the same year. We suggest that temporal heterogeneity in the form of varying selection could potentially conserve V(A) in A. grisella, but we also note other factors that might contribute.

Inheritance of resistance to Acarapis woodi (Acari: Tarsonemidae) in first-generation crosses of honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae).

The tendency of honey bees, Apis mellifera L, to become infested with tracheal mites, Acarapis woodi (Rennie), was measured in six different types of F1 colonies. The colonies were produced by mating a stock (Buckfast) known to resist mite infestation to each of five commercially available stocks and to a stock known to be susceptible to mites. Young uninfested bees from progeny and parent colonies were simultaneously exposed to mites in infested colonies, then retrieved and dissected to determine resultant mite infestations. Reduced infestations similar to but numerically greater than those of the resistant parent bees occurred in each of the six crosses made with resistant bees regardless of the relative susceptibility of the other parental stock. Reciprocal crosses between resistant and susceptible queens and drones proved equally effective in improving resistance. Therefore, allowing resistant stock queens to mate naturally with unselected drones, or nonresistant queens to mate with drones produced by pure or outcrossed resistant queens, can be used for improving resistance of production queens.

Field tests of an acephate baiting system designed for eradicating undesirable honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae).

Field evaluations were made of a baiting system designed for use by regulatory agencies in suppressing populations of undesirable feral honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (e.g., bees posing hazards [especially Africanized bees] and colonies infested with parasitic mites). Bees from feral or simulated feral (hived) colonies were lured with honey and Nasonov pheromone components to feeders dispensing sucrose-honey syrup. After 1-3 wk of passive training to feeders, colonies were treated during active foraging by replacing untreated syrup with syrup containing 500 ppm (mg/liter) acephate (Orthene 75 S). In four trials using hived colonies on Grant Terre Island, LA., 21 of 29 colonies foraged actively enough at baits to be treated, and 20 of the 22 treated were destroyed. In the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas (two trials at each of two trials), treatments killed 11 of 16 colonies (6 of 10 hived; 50 of 6 feral). Overall results showed that all 11 colonies that collected greater than 25 mg acephate died, whereas 3 of 10 colonies receiving less than 25 mg survived. Delivering adequate doses required a minimum of approximately 100 bees per target colony simultaneously collecting treated syrup. The system destroyed target colonies located up to nearly 700 m away from baits. Major factors limiting efficacy were conditions inhibiting foraging at baits (e.g., competing natural nectar sources and temperatures and winds that restricted bee flight).

Nest plundering allomones of the fire beeTrigona (Oxytrigona) mellicolor.

Ten volatile compounds derived from the cephalic glands of the fire beeTrigona (Oxytrigona)mellicolor were bioassayed for possible allomonal activities facilitating nest plundering. Two diketones, (E)-3-heptene-2,5-dione and (E)-3-nonene-2,5-dione, caused the honeybeeApis mellifera to display avoidance behavior and reduced defensive behavior. These diketones are produced in relatively large quantities in fire-bee cephalic glands.

Male reproductive parasitism: a factor in the africanization of European honey-bee populations.

Africanized drone honey bees (Apis mellifera) migrate into European honey-bee colonies in large numbers, but Africanized colonies only rarely host drones from other colonies. This migration leads to a strong mating advantage for Africanized bees since it both inhibits European drone production and enhances Africanized drone production.

An evaluation of permethrin, carbaryl, and amitraz for the control of northern fowl mites on caged chickens.

In two trials at the University poultry farm, two formulations of the synthetic pyrethroid permethrin (Ectiban 5.0% EC and Ectiban .25% Livestock Dust) were compared against carbaryl and amitraz sprays for the control of northern fowl mite, Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Canestrini and Fanzago), on caged birds. Under continuous reinfestation pressure, birds treated with dust did not support live mites in the vent region until 7 weeks posttreatment in comparison to 4 weeks with the permethrin 0.5% spray. Initially, both carbaryl (.5%) and amitraz (0.5%) sprays were as effective in controlling mites as the permethrin spray but did not provide protection for as long a period. Individual birds were either had dusted or treated with low pressure sprays.