Microbial bioinsecticides are considered safer for the environment than traditional chemical pesticides. However, conducting the necessary studies to assess their impact on the honey bee is always essential. In this study, two bioinsecticides, Spinosad and Spinetoram, were examined and evaluated for their chronic exposure effects at sublethal concentrations on pollen consumption and the development of hypopharyngeal glands in two age groups: six-day-old and nine-day-old, caged honey bee workers under laboratory conditions. We found that Spinosad negatively affected pollen cumulative consumption and the glands’ volume, activity represented in histochemical structure, and nucleus area, with apparent effects observed in nine-day-old bees. As for Spinetoram, it did not affect pollen consumption or gland volume but showed a noticeable effect on gland histochemical structure and caused nucleus deformation in 9-day-old bees. Therefore, special attention needs to be paid to the sublethal effects of some microbial bioinsecticides on honey bees, and they should not be exempted from risk assessment analysis.

Sugar nutrition is essential for managing and maintaining healthy honey bee colonies, especially during nectar scarcity. This study aimed to evaluate the use of invert sugar as a nectar substitute, comparing its impact on the quality of stored honey and colony performance during overwintering to that of a traditional sucrose solution commonly used by beekeepers. Two separate field experiments were carried out. The first experiment took place in the spring under both isolated and free-flying conditions to assess the quality of honey caused by artificial feeding. Sealed honey was collected and analyzed to determine the percentage of sucrose, glucose, fructose and HMF. Also, the pollen density in honey samples was evaluated as another detector for honey quality. The second experiment was conducted during the winter and nectar scarcity to evaluate the effects of the two supplemental sugar feedings on the overwintering performance of honey bee colonies. We measured the sealed brood and the bee bread areas to indicate the colony's growth and development. The results showed that colonies fed sucrose solutions produced honey that fulfilled standard specifications regardless of whether they were placed under an insulator or free-flying colonies, with sugar percentages and HMF levels that comply with standard specifications and no significant difference in sugar content with honey collected from colonies provided with invert sugar. In contrast, colonies provided with invert sugar had higher HMF values in the produced honey when it was the only sugar source under isolation. However, when the colonies were fed invert sugar during the winter, they became more active in collecting pollen, which increased brood rearing and made them more ready for the beginning of the active season. Because it increases pollen-collecting activity, Invert sugar can be considered as a suitable sugar supplement to honey. It may be more successful than sucrose during periods of overwintering and nectar scarcity, resulting in more brood being raised and better preparation is made before the active season. However, care should be taken because overuse at times when natural nectar sources are available could increase the HMF level in the produced honey, causing low-quality honey production.

In the current study, a field experiment of two years (2023 and 2024) was conducted on acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle) to evaluate the effect of poultry litter (PL) amended with biochar (B) or zeolite (Z) in combination with mineral nitrogen fertilizer (MNF) on nutrient availability, growth, yield, and fruit quality of acid lime. This experiment was divided into five treatments, which included: (1) 50% of the recommended nitrogen (N) rate through MNF (50%MNF), (2) 100% of the recommended N rate through MNF (100%MNF), (3) 50% of the recommended N rate through MNF+poultry litter (PL+50%MNF), (4) 50% of the recommended N rate through MNF+ biochar-amended poultry litter (BPL+50%MNF), and (5) 50% of the recommended N rate through MNF+zeolite-amended poultry litter (ZPL+50%MNF). In the first season, applying ZPL+50%MNF significantly increased soil available nitrogen compared to the 100%MNF treatment. Soil available potassium significantly increased in the first season when BPL+50%MNF and ZPL+50%MNF were applied, compared with the rest of the treatments. Significant increase in soil available phosphorus in the first season with applying BPL+50%MNF compared to the 50%MNF, 100%MNF, and PL treatments. The highest acid lime yields were obtained from the BPL+50% MNF and ZPL+50% MNF treatments, recording 15.41 and 15.84 ton/ha, and 16.10 and 16.26 ton/ha in the first and second seasons, respectively. The highest values of total soluble solids, total acidity, and vitamin C content were observed when adding the BPL+50%MNF and ZPL+50%MNF treatments during two seasons. Based on these findings, the study suggests that the application of 10 kg of poultry litter amended with biochar or zeolite and 0.5 kg N as ammonium nitrate per acid lime tree enhances nutrient availability and fruit yield of acid lime while reducing reliance on nitrogen chemical fertilizers. It recommends considering poultry litter amended with biochar or zeolite for soil reclamation and as an alternative to traditional fertilizers.