Domestication of Meliponinae in log hive or simple box has often been used in Africa. However, colonyloss in these two hive types due to pest infestation after honey harvesting still occurs. We hypothesized that the two hive types were the probable causes for the infestations.We designed and assessed the hive acceptance andpostharvest colony losses of three Afrotropical Meliponinae namely Plebeina hildebrandti, Meliponula bocandei and two M. ferruginea morpho-speciesin a vertical compartmented hive (called the icipe-4M), as an alternative. We observed that P. hildebrandti had the lowest acceptance rate compared to the other species. However, all the bee species occupied the different hive compartments (brood and honey chamber) of the hive. Postharvest loss was lower in M. bocandei and the reddish brown M. ferrugineamorpho-species. Average honey yieldand honey composition were also evaluatedper species. Annually, M. bocandei produced more honey followed by M. ferruginea morpho-speciesandP. hildebrandti. Honey composition also varied among the species.We recommend that rural communities switch to using the icipe-4M hive to domesticate these stingless bee species, to decrease the losses of brood to pests, and increase the yields of harvested honey in domestication.

Tools are provided to assess the health status of managed honeybee colonies by facilitating further harmonisation of data collection and reporting, design of field surveys across the European Union (EU) and analysis of data on bee health. The toolbox is based on characteristics of a healthy managed honeybee colony: an adequate size, demographic structure and behaviour; an adequate production of bee products (both in relation to the annual life cycle of the colony and the geographical location); and provision of pollination services. The attributes ‘queen presence and performance’, ‘demography of the colony’, ‘in-hive products’ and ‘disease, infection and infestation’ could be directly measured in field conditions across the EU, whereas ‘behaviour and physiology’ is mainly assessed through experimental studies. Analysing the resource providing unit, in particular land cover/use, of a honeybee colony is very important when assessing its health status, but tools are currently lacking that could be used at apiary level in field surveys across the EU. Data on ‘beekeeping management practices’ and ‘environmental drivers’ can be collected via questionnaires and available databases, respectively. The capacity to provide pollination services is regarded as an indication of a healthy colony, but it is assessed only in relation to the provision of honey because technical limitations hamper the assessment of pollination as regulating service (e.g. to pollinate wild plants) in field surveys across the EU. Integrating multiple attributes of honeybee health, for instance, via a Health Status Index, is required to support a holistic assessment. Examples are provided on how the toolbox could be used by different stakeholders. Continued interaction between the Member State organisations, the EU Reference Laboratory and EFSA is required to further validate methods and facilitate the efficient use of precise and accurate bee health data that are collected by many initiatives throughout the EU.

The derivatives market of the hive and its sub products have had a recent boom in marketing, with products of cosmetology, pharmacology and food observed in apiculture exhibition that exist in different areas the México. This paper describes the design of the formulation of jelly gum with honey, addition with essences of mint and eucalyptus with sensory variation by artificial flavor. Sensorial, physicochemical and microbiological analysis of the product obtained are determined, the level of sensory pleasure be established through comparison with the existing market. It is necessary to standardize the ingredients for the product obtained had the same characteristic sensorial, predominating taste of honey-mint and honey-eucalyptus enriched with strawberry essence, so stipulated by not habitual consumer of honey products through sensory evaluation. Jelly gum obtained with strawberry essence, physicochemical has adequate moisture for storage, is slightly acidic and a range of 58-62 Brix. It was obtained jelly gum with honey-mint and honey-eucalyptus, have a color red, flavor a honey and soft rubbery texture, with good sensory acceptance. Physicochemical and microbiologically the jelly gum with honey-eucalyptus-strawberry and honey-mint-strawberry comply with the official’s standard, also ingestion no risk to health. | A La comercialización de los productos y subproductos de la colmena en cosmetología, farmacéutica y alimentos han aumentado en el mercado nacional, se observa en diferentes ferias apícolas en México. Este artículo describe el diseño de formulaciones de goma con miel adicionado con esencias de menta y eucalipto, modificados con sabor-color artificial. Evaluación sensorial, Análisis Fisicoquímico y Análisis microbiológico son determinados al producto obtenido, la cual se valora sensorialmente en comparación con gomitas comerciales. Es necesario estandarizar los ingredientes y la miel para el producto obtenido posea las mismas características sensoriales, predominando el sabor miel-menta y miel eucalipto enriquecido con esencia de fresa, considerando a personas que no consumen productos de miel a través de una evaluación sensorial. Las gomitas con esencia de fresa, fisicoquímicamente tiene humedad adecuada para el almacenamiento es ligeramente ácido y un rango de 58-62 grados Brix. Se obtuvo la gomita de miel-eucalipto y miel-menta, poseen un color rojo, sabor a miel y suave textura elástica, con buena aceptación sensorial. Fisicoquímicamente y microbiológicamente los productos obtenidos miel- eucalipto-fresa, miel-menta-fresa cumplen con las Normas Mexicanas además no presentan ningún riesgo para la salud en caso de ingestión.