Research Hives

Research

Mission-driven research

We are committed to the mission of UC ANR to conduct basic and applied research resulting in solutions to contemporary problems facing California beekeepers and other agricultural industries. Read further to learn more about the ongoing research projects in our lab.

Queen Reproductive Health


Honey bee queens are the only reproductive female in a colony capable of producing fertilized eggs. As such, they are crucial for supporting survivorship and productivity of the entire colony. However, in the past decade beekeepers have been reporting queen failure as one of top causes of colony loss. Before we can provide long-term sound solutions to these issues we need to better understand the underlying mechanisms regulating queen mating and reproductive processes, as well as various factors modulating them. In the lab we are working towards revealing drone contributions that are driving behavioral, physiological and molecular changes after the queen mates and what might be long term consequences. Our research shows that changes in queen behavior (sexual receptivity), physiology (ovary activation, pheromone production), and transcriptional signatures are regulated by an intricate interplay of seminal fluid components, insemination volume and copulation itself. 

We are currently working towards elucidating which specific seminal fluid components are regulating which specific post-mating changes which will provide insights towards improving breeding pathogen and pest resistant/tolerant honey bee stocks. Additional goals are to understand how common colony stressors affect queen reproductive health. The lab is researching characterizing caste-specific expression of microRNA in the honey bee mandibular gland and produced functional evidence that microRNAs regulate pheromone biosynthesis. As well as the evolution of transcription regulation and the role microRNAs may play in the re-purposing of conserved pathways for novel purposes. 

Publications

 

Varroa Mite Management


Varroa destructor mites were first found in the USA in the late 1980s. They made their way from Asia, evolving to specifically reproduce on Apis mellifera and devastating the US beekeeping industry. Varroa mites are still considered to be the #1 ectoparasite of honey bees. Colonies that have high varroa mite numbers  late in the season are highly likely to die over the winter season. Beekeepers have a limited number of options for managing these mites and these include hygienic bee stock, host-parasite biology manipulation, and varroacides. Chemical treatments present a particular challenge as varroa mites can quickly develop resistance and some treatments can be harmful to bees if not properly applied. 

In the lab we are working with several entities and are supported by The IR-4 Project to evaluate and develop new soft chemical for managing varroa mites in a manner safe for the bees. Thus far we have evaluated several new products or new formulations of existing products and while we can't divulge details we can say that there are several promising prospects. 

 

Bee Landscapes in Agricultural and Urban Areas


 

 

Pollination of Self-Fertile Almond Varieties


For California, honey bee pollination and almonds go hand in hand. Since 1973, the California Almond community has supported research to improve farming practices while minimizing environmental impacts, identifying health benefits from almond consumption, ensuring food quality and safety, and identifying new uses of orchard biomass.  The E.L.Nino bee lab supports beekeepers and the almond industry by focusing research on analyzing information about the optimal hive stocking rates for almond orchards. We are evaluating the pollination needs of self-fertile almond varieties, determine the effect of different stocking rates and colony strengths on pollination efficiency and ultimately nut yield from conventional variety orchards. Concurrently, we are evaluating the potential pollination efficiency of colonies of different strengths in collaboration with BeeHero by using their proprietary technology to measure in-hive parameters (temperature, humidity, audio, etc.), as well as conducting forager flight numbers and times of flight during the day.