Vet Med - Czech, 2014, 59(1):1-10 | DOI: 10.17221/7240-VETMED

The foraging behaviour of honey bees, Apis mellifera: a reviewReview

H.F. Abou-Shaara
Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, Damanhour, Egypt

Foraging behaviour is one of the distinctive behaviours of honey bees, Apis mellifera. This behaviour is the link between the honey bee colony and the ambient environment. Therefore, various in-colony and out-colony factors have an impact on this behaviour, and many studies have been employed to investigate these factors. Foraging behaviour is not advantageous only for the colony and for plant pollination but also has other benefits. In contrast, some disadvantages have also been discovered to be linked with foraging activity. Practically speaking, the control over this behaviour is very important to maximize colony products as well as to increase other agricultural benefits. This paper presents a review on foraging activity including; the regulation of foraging tasks, factors impacting this behaviour, foraging preference, variations between subspecies, monitoring methods as well as the possible methods for controlling this behaviour. As concluded from this review, more work needs to be performed in order to elucidate certain aspects of foraging behaviour.

Keywords: colonies; Apis mellifera; flying; workers; ethology

Published: January 31, 2014  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Abou-Shaara HF. The foraging behaviour of honey bees, Apis mellifera: a review. Vet Med-Czech. 2014;59(1):1-10. doi: 10.17221/7240-VETMED.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Abou-Shaara HF (2012): Notes on water collection by honey bees. Bee World 89, 50-51. Go to original source...
    2. Abou-Shaara HF, Al-Ghamdi AA, Mohamed AA (2012): Tolerance of two honey bee races to various temperature and relative humidity gradients. Environmental and Experimental Biology 10, 133-138.
    3. Abou-Shaara HF, Al-Ghamdi AA, Mohamed AA (2013): Honey bee colonies performance enhance by newly modified beehives. Journal of Apicultural Science 57, 45-57. Go to original source...
    4. Akinwande KL, Badejo MA (2009): Effect of artificial modification of the feeding activity of non-foraging and foraging worker bees (Apis mellifera Adansoni L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) on honey and comb production. Journal of Applied Sciences Research 5, 780-784.
    5. Ali MAM (2011): Comparative study for evaluating two honey bee races, Apis mellifera jementica (indigenous race) and Apis mellifera carnica (carniolan race) in brood production, population development and foraging activity under the environmental conditions of the central region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Annals of Agricultural Sciences 56, 127-134. Go to original source...
    6. Ali MAM, Taha EA (2012): Bee-Eating birds (Coraciiformes: Meropidae) reduce virgin honey bee queen survival during mating flights and foraging activity of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research 3, 1-8.
    7. Alqarni AS (2006): Tolerance of summer temperature in imported and indigenous honeybee Apis mellifera L. Races in central Saudi Arabia. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences 13, 123-127.
    8. Amdam GV, Rueppell O, Fondrk MK, Page RE, Nelson CM (2009): The nurseʼs load: early-life exposure to broodrearing affects behavior and lifespan in honey bees (Apis mellifera). Experimental Gerontology 44, 447-452. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    9. Baig AR, Rashid M (2007): Honey bee foraging algorithm for multimodal and dynamic optimization problems. Proceedings of the 9th Annual Conference on Genetic and Evolutionary Computation, July 7-11, United Kingdom. Go to original source...
    10. Balayiannis G, Balayiannis P (2008): Bee honey as an environmental bioindicator of pesticides' occurrence in six agricultural areas of Greece. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 55, 462- 470. DOI: 10.1007/s00244-007-9126-x Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    11. Beekman M, Sumpter DJT, Seraphides N, Ratnieks FLW (2004): Comparing foraging behaviour of small and large honey-bee colonies by decoding waggle dances made by foragers. Functional Ecology 18, 829-835. Go to original source...
    12. Ben-Shahar Y, Leung H-T, Pak WL, Sokolowski MB, Robinson GE (2003): cGMP-dependent changes in phototaxis: a possible role for the foraging gene in honey bee division of labor. Journal of Experimental Biology 206, 2507-2515. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    13. Beyaert L, Greggers U, Menzel R (2012): Honeybees consolidate navigation memory during sleep. Journal of Experimental Biology 215, 3981-3988. DOI:10.1242/ jeb.075499 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    14. Bilu A, Dag A, Elad Y, Shafir S (2004): Honey bee dispersal of biocontrol agents: an evaluation of dispensing devices. Biocontrol Science and Technology 14, 607-617. Go to original source...
    15. Blazyte-Cereskiene L, Vaitkeviciene G, Venskutonyte S, Buda V (2010): Honey bee foraging in spring oilseed rape crops under high ambient temperature conditions. Zemdirbyste-Agriculture 97, 61-70.
    16. Boylan-Pett W, Ramsdell DC, Hoopingarner RA, Hancock JF (1991): Honeybee foraging behavior, in-hive survival of infectious, pollen-borne blueberry leaf mottle virus and transmission of the virus in highbush blueberry. Phytopathology 81, 1407-1412. Go to original source...
    17. Brittain C, Williams N, Kremen C, Klein A-M (2013): Synergistic effects of non-Apis bees and honey bees for pollination services. Proceedings of the Roal Society B 280, 20122767. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.2767 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    18. Butler CG (1940): The choice of drinking water by the honeybee. Journal of Experimental Biology 17, 253-261. Go to original source...
    19. Chamberlain K, Briens M, Jacobs JH, Clark SJ, Pickett JA (2012): Use of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) to detect the presence of Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann) larvae in Valencia oranges. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 92, 2050-2054. DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.5742 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    20. Colin ME, Bonmatin JM, Moineau I, Gaimon C, Brun S, Vermandere JP (2004): A method to quantify and analyze the foraging activity of honey bees: relevance to the sublethal effects induced by systemic insecticides. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 47, 387-395. DOI: 10.1007/s00244-004-3052-y Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    21. Collins SA, Conner JK, Robinson GE (1997): Foraging behavior of honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) on Brassica nigra and B. rapa grown under simulated ambient and enhanced UV-B radiation. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 90, 102-106. Go to original source...
    22. Cooper PD, Schaffer WM (1985): Temperature regulation of honey bees (Apis mellifera) foraging in the Sonoran desert. Journal of Experimental Biology 114, 1-15. Go to original source...
    23. Cornish DA, Voyle MD, Haine HM, Goodwin RM, Vanneste JL (1998): Distribution of beneficial bacteria on nashi and apple flowers using honey bees. Proceedings of 51st New Zealand Plant Protection Conference, 107-111. Go to original source...
    24. Danka RG, Sylvester HA, Boykin D (2006): Environmental influences on flight activity of USDA-ARS Russian and Italian stocks of honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) during almond pollination. Journal of Economic Entomology 99, 1565-1570. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    25. Delaplane KS, Dag A, Danka RG, Freitas BM, Garibaldi LA, Goodwin RM, Hormaza JI (2013): Standard methods for pollination research with Apis mellifera. Journal of Apicultural Research 52. DOI: 10.3896/IBRA.1.52.4.12 Go to original source...
    26. Dimou M, Thrasyvoulou A (2007): Collection of wax scale (Ceroplastes sp.) by the honey bee Apis mellifera. Journal of Apicultural Research 46, 129. Go to original source...
    27. Dukas R, Visscher PK (1994): Lifetime learning by foraging honey bees. Animal Behaviour 48, 1007-1012. Go to original source...
    28. Elekonich MM, Schulz DJ, Bloch G, Robinson GE (2001): Juvenile hormone levels in honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) foragers: foraging experience and diurnal variation. Journal of Insect Physiology 47, 1119-1125. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    29. Esch HE, Burns JE (1996): Distance estimation by foraging honeybees. Journal of Experimental Biology 199, 155-162. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    30. Fernandez PC, Farina WM (2005): Collective nectar foraging at low reward conditions in honeybees Apis mellifera. Apidologie 36, 301-311. Go to original source...
    31. Fohouo FT, Djonwangwe D, Bruckner D (2008): Foraging behavior of the African honey bee (Apis mellifera adansonii) on Annona senegalensis, Croton macrostachyus, Psorospermum febrifugum and Syzygium guineense var. guineense flowers at Ngaoundere (Cameroon). Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences 11, 719-725. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    32. Free JB, Pickett JA, Ferguson AW, Simpkins JR, Smith MC (1985a): Repelling foraging honeybees with alarm pheromones. Journal of Agricultural Science 105, 255-260. Go to original source...
    33. Free JB, Ferguson AW, Simpkins JR (1985b): Influence of virgin queen honeybees (Apis mellifera) on queen rearing and foraging. Physiological Entomology 10, 271-274. Go to original source...
    34. Fulop A, Menzel R (2000): Risk-indifferent foraging behaviour in honeybees. Animal Behaviour 60, 657-666. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    35. Girling RD, Lusebrink I, Farthing E, Newman TA, Poppy GM (2013): Diesel exhaust rapidly degrades floral odours used by honeybees. Scientific Reports 3, 2779. DOI:10.1038/srep02779. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    36. Hagler JR, Mueller S, Teuber LR, Machtley SA, Van Deynze A (2011): Foraging range of honey bees, Apis mellifera, in alfalfa seed production fields. Journal of Insect Science 11, 144; available online: insectscience. org/11.144. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    37. Higginson AD, Barnard CJ, Tofilski A, Medina L, Ratnieks F (2011): Experimental wing damage affects foraging effort and foraging distance in honeybees Apis mellifera. Psyche 2011. DOI:10.1155/2011/419793. Go to original source...
    38. Huang ZY, Robinson GE (1996): Regulation of honey bee division of labor by colony age demography. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 39, 147-158. Go to original source...
    39. Hunt GJ, Page RE, Fondrk MK, Dullum CJ (1995): Major quantitative trait loci affecting honey bee foraging behavior. Genetics 141, 1537-1545. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    40. Joshi NC, Joshi PC (2010): Foraging behaviour of Apis Spp. on Apple Flowers in a subtropical environment. New York Science Journal 3, 71-76.
    41. Kather R, Drijfhout FP, Martin SJ (2011): Task group differences in cuticular lipids in the honey bee Apis mellifera. Journal of Chemical Ecology 37, 205-212. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    42. Keitt GW (1941): Transmission of fire blight by bees and its relation to nectar concentration of apple and pear blossoms. Journal of Agricultural Research 62, 745-775.
    43. Kirk WDJ, Ali M, Breadmore KN (1995): The effects of pollen beetles on the foraging behaviour of honeybees. Journal of Apicultural Research 34, 15-22. Go to original source...
    44. Klein BA, Seeley TD (2011): Work or sleep? Honeybee foragers opportunistically nap during the day when forage is not available. Animal Behaviour 82, 77-83. Go to original source...
    45. Kralj J, Fuchs S (2006): Parasitic Varroa destructor mites influence flight duration and homing ability of infested Apis mellifera foragers. Apidologie 37, 577-587. Go to original source...
    46. Kralj J, Fuchs S (2010): Nosema sp. influences flight behavior of infected honey bee (Apis mellifera) foragers. Apidologie 41, 21-28. Go to original source...
    47. Kumar SS, Govindaraj M (2013): A detailed study about foraging behavior of artificial bee colony (ABC) and its extensions. International Journal of Engineering and Technology 5, 992-997.
    48. Liang ZS, Nguyen T, Mattila HR, Rodriguez-Zas SL, Seeley TD, Robinson GE (2012): Molecular determinants of scouting behavior in honey bees. Science 335 (6073), 1225-1228. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    49. Mackenzie KE (1994): The foraging behavior of honey bees (Apis mellifera L) and bumble bees (Bombus spp.) on cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.). Apidologie 25, 375-383. Go to original source...
    50. Malerbo-Souza DT (2011): The corn pollen as a food source for honeybees. Acta Scientiarum Agronomy 33, 701-704. Go to original source...
    51. Mattu VK, Raj H, Thakur ML (2012): Foraging behavior of honeybees on apple crop and its variation with altitude in Shimla hills of western Himalaya. International Journal of Science and Nature 3, 296-301.
    52. Mayer DF, Lunden JD (1988): Foraging behavior of honey bees on Manchurian crabapple and red delicious apple. Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia 83, 67-71.
    53. Mishra A, Afik O, Cabrera ML, Delaplane KS, Mowrer JE (2013): Inorganic nitrogen derived from foraging honey bees could have adaptive benefits for the plants they visit. PLoS ONE 8(7), e70591. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0070591. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    54. Mostajeran MA, Edriss MA, Basiri MR (2006): Analysis of colony and morphological characteristics in honey bees (Apis mellifera meda). Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences 9, 2685-2688. Go to original source...
    55. Mott CM, Breed MD (2012): Insulin modifies honeybee worker behavior. Insects 3, 1084-1092. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    56. Nest BNV, Moore D (2012): Energetically optimal foraging strategy is emergent property of time-keeping behavior in honey bees. Behavioral Ecology 23, 649-658. Go to original source...
    57. Page RE, Waddington KD, Hunt GJ, Fondrk MK (1995): Genetic determinants of honey bee foraging behaviour. Animal Behaviour 50, 1617-1625. Go to original source...
    58. Paleolog J (2009): Behavioural characteristics of honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies containing mix of workers of divergent behavioural traits. Animal Science Papers and Reports 27, 237-248.
    59. Pankiw T (2004): Brood pheromone regulates foraging activity of honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Journal of Economic Entomology 97, 748-751. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    60. Pankiw T (2005): The honey bee foraging behavior syndrome: quantifying the response threshold model of division of labor. Proceedings of Swarm Intelligence Symposium, 8-10 June, 1-6. Go to original source...
    61. Pankiw T, Page RE (2000): Response thresholds to sucrose predict foraging division of labor in honeybees. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 47, 265-267. Go to original source...
    62. Pankiw T, Tarpy DR, Page RE (2002): Genotype and rearing environment affect honeybee perception and foraging behaviour. Animal Behaviour 64, 663-672. Go to original source...
    63. Pearce FCR, Couvillon MJ, Ratnieks FLW (2013): Hive relocation does not adversely affect honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) foraging. Psyche 2013, 1-8. Go to original source...
    64. Pernal SF, Currie RW (2010): The influence of pollen quality on foraging behavior in honeybees (Apis mellifera L.). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 51, 53-68. Go to original source...
    65. Picard-Nizou AL, Pham-Delegue MH, Kerguelen V, Douault P, Marilleau R, Olsen L, Grison R, Toppan A, Masson C (1995): Foraging behaviour of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) on transgenic oilseed rape (Brassica napus L. var. oleifera). Transgenic Research 4, 270-276. Go to original source...
    66. Pilling E, Campbell P, Coulson M, Ruddle N, Tornier I (2013): A four-year field program investigating longterm effects of repeated exposure of honey bee colonies to flowering crops treated with thiamethoxam. PLoS ONE 8(10): e77193. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0077193. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    67. Reyes-Carrillo JL, Eischen FA, Cano-Rios P, RodriguezMartinez R, Camberos UN (2007): Pollen collection and honey bee forage distribution in Cantaloupe. Acta Zoologica Mexicana 23, 29-36. Go to original source...
    68. Riley JR, Smith AD (2002): Design considerations for a harmonic radar to investigate the flight of insects at low altitude. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 35, 151-169. Go to original source...
    69. Riley JR, Chapman JW, Reynolds DR, Smith AD (2007): Recent applications of radar to entomology. Outlooks on Pest Management 18, 62-68. DOI: 10.1564/18feb00. Go to original source...
    70. Scheiner R, Abramson CI, Brodschneider R, Crailsheim K, Farina WM, Fuchs S, Grunewald B, Hahshold S, Karrer M, Koeniger G, Koeniger N, Menzel R, Mujagic S, Radspieler G, Schmickl T, Schneider C, Siegel AJ, Szopek M, Thenius R (2013): Standard methods for behavioural studies of Apis mellifera. Journal of Apicultural Research 52(4). DOI:10.3896/IBRA.1.52.4.04 Go to original source...
    71. Schneider CW,Tautz J, Grünewald B, Fuchs S (2012): RFID tracking of sublethal effects of two neonicotinoid insecticides on the foraging behavior of Apis mellifera. PLoS ONE 7(1). e30023. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0030023. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    72. Schulz DJ, Barron AB, Robinson GE (2002): A role for octopamine in honey bee division of labor. Brain, Behavior and Evolution 60, 350-359. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    73. Sharma VP, Kumar NR (2010): Changes in honeybee behaviour and biology under the influence of cellphone radiations. Current Science 98, 1376-1378.
    74. Siegel AJ, Freedman C, Page RE (2012): Ovarian control of nectar collection in the honey bee (Apis mellifera). PLoS ONE 7(4). e33465. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0033465. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    75. Silva DP, Moisan-De-Serres J, Souza DC, Hilgert-Moreira SB, Fernandes MZ, Kevan PG, Freitas BM (2013): Efficiency in pollen foraging by honey bees: time, motion, and pollen depletion on flowers of Sysirinchium palmifolium (Asparagales: Iridaceae). Journal of Pollination Ecology 11, 27-32. Go to original source...
    76. Simone-Finstrom M, Gardner J, Spivak M (2010): Tactile learning in resin foraging honeybees. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 64, 1609-1617. Go to original source...
    77. Steffan-Dewenter I, Kuhn A (2003): Honeybee foraging in differentially structured landscapes. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 270, 569-575. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    78. Sushil SN, Stanley J, Hedau NK, Bhatt JC (2013): Enhancing seed production of three Brassica vegetables by honey bee pollination in north-western Himalayas of India. Universal Journal of Agricultural Research 1, 49-53. Go to original source...
    79. Tan K, Yang S, Wang Z, Radloff SE, Oldroyd BP (2012): Differences in foraging and broodnest temperature in the honey bees Apis cerana and A. mellifera. Apidologie 43, 618-623. Go to original source...
    80. Tan K, Hu Z, Chen W, Wang Z, Wang Y, Nieh JC (2013): Fearful foragers: honey bees tune colony and individual foraging to multi-predator presence and food quality. PLoS ONE 8(9). e75841. DOI:10.1371/journal. pone.0075841. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    81. Thuijsman F, Peleg B, Amitai M, Shmida A (1995): Automata, matching and foraging behavior of bees. Journal of Theoretical Biology 175, 305-316. Go to original source...
    82. Visscher P, Crailsheim K, Sherman G (1996): How do honeybees (Apis mellifera) fuel their water foraging flights? Journal of Insect Physiology 42, 1089-1094. Go to original source...
    83. Vries H, Biesmeijer JC (1998): Modelling collective foraging by means of individual behaviour rules in honeybees. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 44, 109-124. Go to original source...
    84. Wang Y, Mutti NS, Ihle KE, Siegel A, Dolezal AG, Kaftanoglu O, Amdam GV (2010): Down-regulation of honey bee IRS gene biases behavior toward food rich in protein. PLoS Genetics 6(4). e1000896. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1000896. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    85. Weaver N (1965): The foraging behavior of honeybees on hairy vetch. Insectes Sociaux 12, 321-326. Go to original source...
    86. Weidenmuller A, Tautz J (2002): In-hive behavior of pollen foragers (Apis mellifera) in honey bee colonies under conditions of high and low pollen need. Ethology 108, 205-221. Go to original source...
    87. Whitfield CW, Cziko A, Robinson GE (2003): Gene expression profiles in the brain predict behavior in individual honey bees. Science 302, 296-299. DOI: 10.1126/ science. 1086807. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    88. Yang EC, Chuang YC, Chen YL, Chang LH (2008): Abnormal foraging behavior induced by sublethal dosage of imidacloprid in the honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Journal of Economic Entomology 101, 1743-1748. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    89. Young HJ, Dunning DW, Von Hasseln KW (2007): Foraging behavior affects pollen removal and deposition in Impatiens capensis (Balsaminaceae). American Journal of Botany 94, 1267-1271. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    90. Yucel B, Duman I (2005): Effects of foraging activity of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) on onion (Allium cepa) seed production and quality. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences 8, 123-126. Go to original source...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content