ReviewInsects2025
An Overview of the Adverse Impacts of Old Combs on Honeybee Colonies and Recommended Beekeeping Management Strategies.
Review in Insects, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- A Review of the Physiological Responses and Toxicity Mechanisms of Honey Bees Under Lead Exposure.Insects · 2026Review
- Pesticides and Trace Element Residues in Honey from Northern Croatia.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Microbiome-Metabolome Analyses Reveal Compound Risks from Multiple-Generation Cocoon Accumulation in Honeybee Combs.Biology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
The honeybee comb serves as the primary site for all essential colony activities, and its structural and functional integrity plays a crucial role in colony development. As combs age through successive brood-rearing cycles, their physicochemical properties undergo significant changes, which can negatively affect colony health and productivity. This review synthesizes the current knowledge on the biological functions of combs, the aging process, and the negative impacts of old combs on cell structure, worker morphology, colony strength, and bee product quality. Additionally, it examines the adaptive strategies employed by honeybees and the recommended beekeeping management practices to mitigate these effects. Specifically, old combs undergo structural changes in cell dimensions and reduced spatial capacity, leading to the growth of smaller bees with diminished foraging and productivity. Furthermore, bee products, such as honey and beeswax, collected from old combs demonstrate compromised quality and higher levels of environmental contaminants. To counteract these challenges, colonies engage in hygienic behaviors, such as cell cleaning and comb rebuilding, while their enhanced immune and detoxification systems help mitigate comb-derived stressors. This review demonstrates that the systematic replacement of old brood combs is a critical management strategy to optimize bee health and ensure sustainable apiculture.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.