A insect feeding assembly includes a pedestal that may be positioned on a support surface. A plurality of watering units is provided and each of the watering units is coupled to the pedestal. Each of the watering units may be mounted by an insect and each of the watering units contains water for drinking by the insect. A feeder is coupled to the pedestal and the feeder is selectively mounted by an insect. The feeder contains a fluid food thereby facilitating the insect to consume the fluid food. Additionally, the pedestal is positioned in a high traffic area with respect to the insects thereby facilitating the insects to rest on the feeder and the watering units during pollination.

A insect feeding assembly includes a pedestal that may be positioned on a support surface. A plurality of watering units is provided and each of the watering units is coupled to the pedestal. Each of the watering units may be mounted by an insect and each of the watering units contains water for drinking by the insect. A feeder is coupled to the pedestal and the feeder is selectively mounted by an insect. The feeder contains a fluid food thereby facilitating the insect to consume the fluid food. Additionally, the pedestal is positioned in a high traffic area with respect to the insects thereby facilitating the insects to rest on the feeder and the watering units during pollination.

A beehive including: a plurality of honeycombs; and a disinfecting unit that heats one or more cells in at least one of the honeycombs.

A beehive including: a plurality of honeycombs; and a disinfecting unit that heats one or more cells in at least one of the honeycombs.

Provided herein are agents, compositions, and methods for agricultural use, e.g., for altering the level, activity, or metabolism of one or more microorganisms resident in a host nematode or arthropod (e.g., honeybee or silkworm), the alteration resulting in an increase in the fitness of the host. The invention features a composition that includes an agent (e.g., phage, peptide, small molecule, antibiotic, or combinations thereof) that can alter the host's microbiota in a manner that is beneficial to the host. By promoting favorable microbial levels, microbial activity, microbial metabolism, and/or microbial diversity, the agents described herein may be used to increase the fitness of a variety of beneficial nematodes or arthropods, such as bees and silkworms, utilized in agriculture and commerce.

The present invention provides for a probiotic composition for enhancing a subject's, such as an insect's, resistance to a pesticide comprising: (a) a microorganism capable of expressing one or more enzymes for metabolizing the pesticide, and (b) at least one feed ingredient for a subject. The present invention also provides for a method for enhancing a subject's, such as an insect's, resistance to a pesticide comprising administering to a subject the probiotic composition.

The present invention provides for a probiotic composition for enhancing a subject's, such as an insect's, resistance to a pesticide comprising: (a) a microorganism capable of expressing one or more enzymes for metabolizing the pesticide, and (b) at least one feed ingredient for a subject. The present invention also provides for a method for enhancing a subject's, such as an insect's, resistance to a pesticide comprising administering to a subject the probiotic composition.

An artificially-created honey-yielding environment is established, including a hive and an associated flora cell, within which first and second plant populations cohabit. Within the cell, honey-producing insects from the hive are permitted to forage. One of the populations has been artificially introduced. The other may be indigenous to the cell. The first plant population serves as a primary source of nectar which yields bioactive honey and the second serves as a source of a nutrient, such as protein, which is not abundantly available from the first species at a nutritionally adequate level for sustaining the metabolism and energy of the foraging honey-producing insects for returning to the hive. The first flora population may be a Leptospermum species. An example of the second is Corymbia maculata.

An artificially-created honey-yielding environment is established, including a hive and an associated flora cell, within which first and second plant populations cohabit. Within the cell, honey-producing insects from the hive are permitted to forage. One of the populations has been artificially introduced. The other may be indigenous to the cell. The first plant population serves as a primary source of nectar which yields bioactive honey and the second serves as a source of a nutrient, such as protein, which is not abundantly available from the first species at a nutritionally adequate level for sustaining the metabolism and energy of the foraging honey-producing insects for returning to the hive. The first flora population may be a Leptospermum species. An example of the second is Corymbia maculata.

Embodiments include methods, systems, and computer program products for generating a designer nutrition supplement for insect transport is provided. Aspects include receiving a target location and target commercial activity for an insect. Aspects include determining an arrival time window for the target location. Aspects include receiving a base nutrition supplement formula for the insect. Aspects include determining a commercially-based nutrition modification to optimize the target commercial activity. Aspects include generating a designer nutrition supplement specification based at least in part upon the commercially-based nutrition modification.