Читать книгу Honey Bee Medicine for the Veterinary Practitioner - Группа авторов - Страница 41

In the next chapter we will learn that a honey bee colony is a superorganism. In other words, it is a highly integrated unit of function that has been shaped by natural selection to function as an integrated whole. One result of this high level of organization is that the immune system of a worker honey bee is relatively simple compared to those of non‐social bees. With this in mind, we should note that there the beekeeper and bee doctor can inadvertantly weaken the social immunity of the colony. Perhaps the most damaging is breaking and reducing the propolis envelope, which will impair the colony's social immunity and compromise honey bee health. Therefore, the number of times a hive is opened for inspections or manipulations should be reduced to a minimum. The layers of propolis lining the walls and inner cover are playing an important role and should be left intact. The beekeeper can stimulate his/her bees living in a hive to build a complete propolis envelope by using hives whose inner walls have been roughened or by lining the interior surfaces with propolis collection screens.