Quantitative assessments of honeybee colony's response to an artificial vibrational pulse resulting in non-invasive measurements of colony's overall mobility and restfulness

Martin Bencsik; Adam McVeigh; David Claeys Bouuaert; Nuno Capela; Frederick Penny; Michael Ian Newton; José Paulo Sousa; Dirk C de Graaf

doi:10.1038/s41598-024-54107-8

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Quantitative assessments of honeybee colony's response to an artificial vibrational pulse resulting in non-invasive measurements of colony's overall mobility and restfulness

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Quantitative assessments of honeybee colony's response to an artificial vibrational pulse resulting in non-invasive measurements of colony's overall mobility and restfulness

Martin Bencsik, Adam McVeigh, David Claeys Bouuaert, Nuno Capela, Frederick Penny, Michael Ian Newton, José Paulo Sousa and Dirk C de Graaf

Scientific reports, Vol.14(1), 3827

2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54107-8

PMID: 38360892

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Abstract

Animals

Bees

Pilot Projects

Vibration

In this work we aim to provide a quantitative method allowing the probing of the physiological status of honeybee colonies by providing them with a gentle, short, external artificial vibrational shockwave, and recording their response. The knock is provided by an external electromagnetic shaker attached to the outer wall of a hive, driven by a computer with a 0.1 s long, monochromatic vibration at 340Hz set to an amplitude that occasionally yields a mild response from the bees, recorded by an accelerometer placed in the middle of the central frame of the colony. To avoid habituation, the stimulus is supplied at randomised times, approximately every hour. The method is pioneered with a pilot study on a single colony hosted indoors, then extended onto eight outdoors colonies. The results show that we can quantitatively sense the colony's overall mobility, independently from another physiological aspect, which is phenomenologically explored. Using this, a colony that is queenless is easily discriminated from the others.

Details

Title: Quantitative assessments of honeybee colony's response to an artificial vibrational pulse resulting in non-invasive measurements of colony's overall mobility and restfulness
Authors/Creators: Martin Bencsik - Nottingham Trent University
Adam McVeigh - Murdoch University
David Claeys Bouuaert - Ghent University
Nuno Capela - University of Coimbra
Frederick Penny - Nottingham Trent University
Michael Ian Newton - Nottingham Trent University
José Paulo Sousa - University of Coimbra
Dirk C de Graaf - Ghent University
Publication Details: Scientific reports, Vol.14(1), 3827
Publisher: Springer Nature
Grant note: 817622 / European Research Executive Agency
Identifiers: 991005638670007891
Murdoch Affiliation: Harry Butler Institute
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.32 Entomology; 3.32.750 Bee Ecology
Web Of Science research areas: Multidisciplinary Sciences
ESI research areas: Plant & Animal Science