
Büchler RalphLandesbetrieb Landwirtschaft Hessen · Bee institute Kirchhain
Büchler Ralph
Master of Science
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182
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Introduction
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May 1990 - present
Publications
Publications (182)
Die parasitäre Varroa-Milbe ist nach wie vor die größte Bedrohung für
Honigbienenvölker weltweit. Trotz verschiedener chemischer Behandlungen verlieren Imkerinnen und Imker immer noch jedes Jahr viele ihrer Bienenvölker. In diesem Buch stellen die Autoren ihren Ansatz der naturnahen Imkerei, sowie praktische Schritte vor, um Bienenvölker langfristi...
The book "Summer Brood Interruption for Vital Honey Bee Colonies" describes three methods for combating Varroa mites without or with limited chemical treatment that beekeepers can choose between and incorporate to fit their beekeeping concept. It is written based on the authors' long-lasting, practical beekeeping experience and the results of their...
In 2017, the European Commission initiated the EurBeST study to explore the possibilities of using selective breeding of honey bees to increase Varroa resistance traits. One of the specific aims of the study was to assess the process of honey bee queen breeding through an economic analysis. The methodology for calculating the costs of queen product...
Here, we cover a wide range of methods currently in use and recommended in modern queen rearing, selection, and breeding. The recommendations are meant to serve as standards for scientific and practical beekeeping purposes. The basic conditions and different management techniques for queen rearing are described, including recommendations for suitab...
Resistance traits of honeybees (Apis mellifera) against their major parasite Varroa destructor have fascinated scientists and breeders for long. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying resistance are still largely unknown. The same applies to possible interactions between host behaviours, mite reproduction and seasonal differences. Two resistance t...
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) have a peculiar and complex reproductive biology, with queens being polyandrous and mating with several drones during one or more mating (nuptial) flights in so-called drone congregation areas. Observing the virgin queens' and drones' flight behaviour provides data to understand and interpret a portion of the honey bees'...
Simple Summary
Ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor with its associated viruses is a common global threat to the health of honey bee colonies. If colonies are not treated, the vast majority die in a 3-year period. Existing acaricides used for treatment are becoming less effective, and new approaches to honey bee protection are required. A reliable...
The parasitic mite Varroa destructor (Anderson & Trueman) spends the dispersal phase of its life cycle on adult honeybees ( Apis mellifera L.). The meaning of this phase for both bees and mites is still not well understood. This especially applies to prolonged dispersal phases as a result of brood interruptions. Hence, it is highly important to unr...
The selection of honeybee strains resistant to the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor is generally considered as one of the most sustainable ways of coping with this major bee parasite. Thus, breeding efforts increasingly focus on resistance parameters in addition to common beekeeping traits like honey yield and gentleness. In every breeding effo...
This article continues our series on the basics of honey bee breeding (Uzunov et al., 2017, 2022a, 2022b). Its purpose is to introduce the background and application of breeding values in honey bees to a readership that is not trained in quantitative genetics. Breeding values are currently not widely used in honey bee breeding. This is in contrast...
The study was conducted to explore alternatives for mating control as a part of honey bee breeding programs for genetic improvement & conservation of local honey bee (Apis mellifera) populations in Croatia (HR), Macedonia (MK) and Slovenia (SI). We observed nuptial flights of 87 virgin queens (30 in HR, 35 in MK and 22 in SI) on potential sites. Ma...
Honeybee health and the species’ gut microbiota are interconnected. Also noteworthy are the multiple niches present within hives, each with distinct microbiotas and all coexisting, which we termed “apibiome”. External stressors (e.g. anthropization) can compromise microbial balance and bee resilience. We hypothesised that (1) the bacterial communit...
This article mainly focuses on the challenges associated with implementing mating control and is the next in line of the series on the concepts of honey bee breeding programs that puzzle many beekeepers around the globe (Uzunov et al., 2017, 2022).
A few years after initiating a breeding program, the honey bee breeders and beekeepers mastered the...
Zusammenfassung Die Milbe Varroa destructor ist ein global vorkommender, bienenspezifischer Ektoparasit und eine der größten Bedrohungen der westlichen Honigbiene (Apis mellifera L.). Die Ameisensäure ist eine der effektivsten organischen Säuren in der Varroamilbenbekämpfung, allerdings muss ihr Einsatz nach Wegfall der Standard-zulassung in Deutsc...
As usual in science, where one answer raises new questions, following our attempt to demystify the basic concept of honey bee breeding with our article The Basic Concept of Honey Bee Breeding
Programs (Uzunov et al., 2017) questions were raised on details about the implementation of a breeding program.
Aspects, such as prioritisation of the traits...
EurBeST — A Pilot Study Testing Varroa-resistant Bees Under Commercial Beekeeping Conditions.
Different brood interruption methods combined with chemical treatment may successfully remove most V. destructor from the honey bee colonies. Further, the timely brood reduction or break may positively impact nectar intake and is occasionally used by beekeepers during the main spring flow to increase honey production. However, the experience and da...
EURBEST KSIĄŻKA METOD OCENY PSZCZELARZE PROWADZĄCY OCENĘ STACJONARNĄ PT Uzunov et., 2021
EURBEST KSIĄŻKA METOD OCENY PSZCZELARZE PROWADZĄCY OCENĘ TERENOWĄ Uzunov et al., 2021
Please check the video on the following YouTube link: https://youtu.be/VbGjYm2hrsM
Please check the video on the following YouTube link: https://youtu.be/FYKdV4iVHTc
Please check the video on the following YouTube link:
https://youtu.be/Imm5Hi-YChU
Abundance and diversity of pollinating insects are decreasing. Intensification of agricultural bioenergy production is presumed to accelerate the decline of pollinators. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a promising bioenergy crop. Enhanced dual‐purpose type cultivars have been developed and tested for suitability for bioenergy cropping in Ger...
Sublethal doses of pesticides affect individual honeybees, but colony-level effects are less well understood and it is unclear how the two levels integrate. We studied the effect of the neonicotinoid pesticide clothianidin at field realistic concentrations on small colonies. We found that exposure to clothianidin affected worker jelly production of...
Sublethal doses of pesticides affect individual honeybees, but colony-level effects are less well understood and it is unclear how the two levels integrate. We studied the effect of the neonicotinoid pesticide clothianidin at field realistic concentrations on small colonies. We found that exposure to clothianidin affected worker jelly production of...
Developing resistance to the varroa mite in honey bees is a major goal for apicultural science and practice, the development of selection strategies and the availability of resistant stock. Here we present an extended literature review and survey of resistant populations and selection programs in the EU and elsewhere, including expert interviews. W...
Infestation with Varroa destructor is a serious cause of bee colony (Apis mellifera) losses on a global level. However, the presence of untreated survivor populations in many different regions supports the idea that selection for resistance can be successful. As colony survival is difficult or impossible to measure, differences in mite infestation...
Infestation with the parasitic mite Varroa destructor is a serious cause of bee colony (Apis mellifera) losses on a global level. However, the presence of untreated survivor populations in many different regions indicates that selection for resistance might lead to a long-term solution. The success of selection depends on suitable testing criteria....
In the fight against the Varroa destructor mite, selective breeding of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) populations that are resistant to the parasitic mite stands as a sustainable solution. Selection initiatives indicate that using the suppressed mite reproduction (SMR) trait as a selection criterion is a suitable tool to breed such resistant bee pop...
Agrochemicals and biocides are suspected to cause a dysbiosis of honey bee microbiota, decreasing colonies ability to respond to the environment. As a first step to investigate agriculture and beekeeping impact, hives bacteriomes from an anthropized environment (Agri-env) were compared to that of pristine’s (Prist-env). 16S rRNA sequencing evidence...
Most Varroa induced colony losses occur during the autumn or winter season as a consequence of an elevated Varroa infestation level and an insufficient health status of the adult bees. Even with an initial low Varroa infestation in early spring, critical mite and virus infection levels can be reached before winter if colonies continuously rear broo...
Modern techniques of selective breeding show high potential to improve economically important traits of honey bees. However, breeding may neglect fundamental rules of natural selection. The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of selection and local adaptation on some relevant breeding traits of Apis mellifera carnica. We compared ope...
Solitary bees are frequently exposed to pesticides, which are considered as one of the main stress factors that may lead to population declines. A strong immune defence is vital for the fitness of bees. However, the immune system can be weakened by environmental factors that may render bees more vulnerable to parasites and pathogens. Here we demons...
Varroa destructor is probably the most serious cause of European honey bee (Apis mellifera) losses on a global level. However, the presence of untreated survivor populations in many different regions support the idea of selecting resistant stock. Recently, the European Commission requested a study on the present status of breeding activities regard...
It was brought to our attention that a preprint version of a refutation to our paper titled “Rapid parallel evolution overcomes global honey bee parasite” was posted through PeerJ recently. This is our formal response to the refutation, which can be found through this link:
https://peerj.com/preprints/27938/
Here we have broken down the arguments o...
Most Varroa induced colony losses occur during the winter season in consequence of insufficient health status of the winter bee population. Even with low mite infestation in early spring critical infection levels can be reached until the period of winter bee production if colonies continuously rear brood throughout the whole season. Under natural c...
Nowadays the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is present worldwide, wherever beekeeping is possible, though its native habitat spreads out across Europe, Africa and parts of Western Asia. About 26 different subspecies evolved through time, each adapted by natural selection to cope with the local environmental conditions. During the past 2 centuri...
Varroa destructor is probably the most serious cause of European honey bee ( Apis mellifera ) losses on a global level. However, the presence of untreated survivor populations in many different regions support the idea of selecting resistant stock. Recently, the European Commission requested a study on the present status of breeding activities rega...
Ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor, today is one of the main reasons for colony losses worldwide. This study deals with relationships between measurements of resistance characteristics and measurements of bee infestation. During the trial, 105 Apis mellifera carnica colonies were tested according to AGT (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Toleranzzucht) breedi...
Clothianidin is a commonly used systemic insecticide in seed treatments. Residues of clothianidin can occur in nectar and pollen as a result of within-plant-translocation. Foraging bees can collect contaminated nectar or pollen. Concerns have been brought forward that exposure to pesticide residues might affect colonies especially if they are weake...
Apis mellifera ruttneri is the endemic honey bee of Malta where more than 4000 colonies are managed on the main islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino. It is believed that beekeeping has been practiced in Malta since the Punic times. Ancient Roman apiaries dating over 2000 years are a living evidence of such practices which are well preserved to this da...
In eusocial insect colonies nestmates cooperate to combat parasites, a trait called social immunity. However, social immunity failed for Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) when the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor switched hosts from Eastern honey bees (Apis cerana). This mite has since become the most severe threat to A. mellifera world-wide....
The Bee institute in Kirchhain has been longtime devoted to the development of
alternative (chemical-free) methods for Varroa control. A special emphasis is given
to brood interruption methods, in particular to the pragmatic application of the
methods such as complete brood removal, trapping frame and queen caging.
In July 2017 an experiment for as...
Every third spoonful of food on Earth depends on bees or, more precisely, on pollination. The more the meadows are polluted and the more frequently they are mown, the smaller the number of bees. Do we even realize what that means for our future and for us?
The three authors behind the book No bees, no life are well aware of this. It is our mission...
Method of screening for suppressed mite reprodcution (SMR) and recapping of brood cells (REC) in European honey bees developed by members of Research Network for Sustainable Bee Breeding (RNSBB).
TR Performans test protokolü Avrupa Balarısı Üreticileri için bir rehber
In cases of acute intoxication, honeybees often lay in front of their hives for several days, exposed to sunlight and weather, before a beekeeper can take a sample. Beekeepers send samples to analytical laboratories, but sometimes no residues can be detected. Temperature and sun light could influence the decrease of pesticides in bee samples and th...
Queen health is crucial to colony survival of honeybees, since reproduction and colony growth rely solely on the queen. Queen failure is considered a relevant cause of colony losses, yet few data exist concerning effects of environmental stressors on queens. Here we demonstrate for the first time that exposure to field-realistic concentrations of n...
International Bee Research Association - IBRA
September 1
“Selective honey bee breeding is a phenomenon that fascinates beekeepers around the world. They often regard it as one of the most enigmatic and complex aspects of beekeeping. Indeed, according to our experiences in participating in many international projects, both beekeepers and bee expe...
The cover image, by Reinhold Siede et al., is based on the Research Article Performance of honey bee colonies under a long‐lasting dietary exposure to sublethal concentrations of the neonicotinoid insecticide thiacloprid†, DOI: 10.1002/ps.4547.
性状测定方法 欧洲养蜂者工作指南 SMARTBEES 2015
SMARTBEES פרוטוקול לבדיקת ביצועים תרגום
Водич за европске пчеларе - одгајиваче матица
Sprievodca pre európskych šľachtiteľov včely medonosnej
Protokol za testiranje lastnosti čebeljih družin - Vodič za vzrejevalce
Un ghid pentru, apicultori, crescători de mătci și amelioratori din Europa
Um guia para os criadores de rainhas Europeus
Przewodnik dla europejskich hodowców pszczoły miodnej