This study investigates alternative approaches to locating bumble bee nests for scientific research. We present results from three trials designed to assess: 1. The comparative efficiency of two detection dogs; 2. The ability of a dog to locate nests when carrying out repeat searches of agricultural habitats through the season; 3. The efficiency of a dog compared with human volunteers at findin...

A molecular maker for authenticating species origin of the stingless bee (Trigona collina) was developed. Initially, amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis was made of 11 stingless bee species using 64 primer combinations. A 316-bp band found only in T. collina was cloned and sequenced. A primer pair (CUTc1-F/R) was designed and tested for species-specificity in 15 stingless bee specie...

Honey-making bee colonies in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park were investigated with Batwa Pygmies locating 228 nests of Apis and five stingless bees (Meliponini). The relative importance of predation, food supply, nesting site, and elevation affecting abundance were studied for meliponines in particular. Nest predation and overall nest abundance had no correlation with elevation along a 1400 ...

Microbial activity is known to have profound impact on bee ecology and physiology, both by beneficial and pathogenic effects. Most information about such associations is available for colony-building organisms, and especially the honey bee. There, active manipulations through worker bees result in a restricted diversity of microbes present within the colony environment. Microbial diversity in s...

Cleaning symbioses represent classic models of mutualism, and some bee mites are thought to perform cleaning services for their hosts in exchange for suitable environments for reproduction and dispersal. These mutual benefits, however, have not been rigorously demonstrated. We tested the sanitary role of bee mites by correlating mite loads with fungal contamination in natural nests of Megalopta...

Cleaning symbioses represent classic models of mutualism, and some bee mites are thought to perform cleaning services for their hosts in exchange for suitable environments for reproduction and dispersal. These mutual benefits, however, have not been rigorously demonstrated. We tested the sanitary role of bee mites by correlating mite loads with fungal contamination in natural nests of Megalopta...

The alfalfa leafcutting bee,Megachile rotundata (Fabricius), is used to pollinate alfalfa, Medicago sativaL., for seedproduction in theUnited States andCanada. It is difÞcult to reliably sustain commercialM. rotundata populations in theUnited States because of problemswith disease, parasites, predators, and unexplained mortality. One possible explanation for early immature mortality is that, re...

The biology of the nomadine bee, Epeolus compactus Cresson, is described based on composite notes taken from field, laboratory, and greenhouse studies of the host bee, Colletes kincaidii Cockerell. Details of Epeolus egg deposition are described and compared with other known noma dine bees. We document the release of a glandular secretion during egg deposition by E. compactus which dissolves th...