LE3 .A278 2014

2014

Shutler, Dave

Acadia University

Master of Science

Masters

Biology

Biology

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are important commercial pollinators; however, North American honey bees have been suffering greater than normal overwintering losses since 2007. Contributing factors likely include a combination of pathogens, pesticides, and poor nutrition. I studied nutritional and pesticide status of commercial colonies in the Canadian Maritime Provinces. Honey bees collected a significantly higher proportion of pollen from apple flowers than from either blueberry or cranberry flowers. Honey bee-collected pollen from colonies in apples tended to have good nutrition and high pesticide richness, from blueberries had poor nutrition and high pesticide richness, from cranberries had good nutrition and low pesticide richness, and from uncultivated fields had poor nutrition and low pesticide richness. Floral surveys found the highest species richness in uncultivated fields, second most in cranberries, second least in apples, and least in blueberry sites. Results reveal differences among site types that could inform improved honey bee management.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:366