Impacts of Different Winter Storage Conditions on the Physiology of Diutinus Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Abstract Global decline in insect pollinators, especially bees, have resulted extensive research into understanding the various causative factors and formulating mitigative strategies. For commercial beekeepers United States, overwintering honey bee colony losses are significant, requiring tactics to overwinter bees conditions designed minimize such losses. This is important as overwintered responsible for expansion each spring, must survive sufficient numbers nurse spring brood forage until new ‘replacement’ workers become fully functional. In this study, we examined physiology of (diutinus) following storage conditions. Important physiological markers, i.e., head proteins abdominal lipid contents were higher that controlled indoor facilities, compared with held outdoors through winter months. Our findings provide insights outdoor environments implications improved beekeeping management.