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Effects of used brood comb and propolis on honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) and their associated bacterium, Melissococcus plutonius

Murray, Stephanie K
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1574848132491672

Abstract Details

2019, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Entomology.
Wax brood comb is the place where larval honey bees are reared, making it the physical heart of a honey bee colony. Generations of larval rearing darken the color of the wax and leave behind layers of excrement, silken cocoons and sometimes bacterial or fungal spores that are harmful to developing or adult honey bees. Additionally, the chemical nature of beeswax creates a sink for many compounds to be absorbed—these include pesticides and beekeeper-applied acaricides, as well as pheromones produced by larval honey bees. Finally, propolis—a dark brown antimicrobial substance collected by bees from plant buds—can also become concentrated around the rims of wax comb cells. As beekeepers become more aware of the risks caused by potential pesticide and microbe build-up, a practice known as brood comb replacement is becoming more popular in the United States. With this practice, beekeepers are systematically removing and replacing old brood combs after several years in use. However, there is little research on the effects of old brood comb on honey bee survival or the frequency with which beekeepers should replace brood comb. Additionally, some beekeepers prefer to save old brood combs, as they are preferred by honey bee swarms that are settling into a new nest space. This thesis aims to elucidate some of the potential benefits of old darkened brood comb by recording differences in colony preference for, larval survival on, and antimicrobial activity of wax combs that have or have not been used for larval rearing. Overall, we observed no differences in colony preference for or larval survival on comb treatments that were or were not previously used for larval rearing. However, there were antimicrobial effects of extracts made from both darkened brood comb and light honey comb against a honey bee pathogen, Melisococcus plutonius—the bacterial agent responsible for a larval bee disease called European Foulbrood. Extracts of propolis were also found to inhibit M. plutonius growth, suggesting that the antimicrobial effects of wax may derive from the propolis incorporated into wax. However, the antibacterial components of wax combs are still unknown and should be studied further.
Reed Johnson, Dr. (Advisor)
Larry Phelan, Dr. (Committee Member)
Rachelle Adams, Dr. (Committee Member)
69 p.
Entomology
beeswax; wax comb; honey comb; antimicrobial; European Foulbrood; EFB

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Murray, S. K. (2019). Effects of used brood comb and propolis on honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) and their associated bacterium, Melissococcus plutonius [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1574848132491672

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Murray, Stephanie. Effects of used brood comb and propolis on honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) and their associated bacterium, Melissococcus plutonius. 2019. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1574848132491672.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Murray, Stephanie. "Effects of used brood comb and propolis on honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) and their associated bacterium, Melissococcus plutonius." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1574848132491672

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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