Dr. Dariusz Gerula

Research Institute of Horticulture, Skierniewice, Poland

Dr. Dariusz Gerula

Research Institute of Horticulture, Skierniewice, Poland

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Academic Career Length

15Years (2012-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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1 January 2014 in Journal of Apicultural Research

Journal Article

Population dynamics of European honey bee genotypes under different environmental conditions

Fani Hatjina

Cecilia Costa

Ralph Büchler

Aleksandar Uzunov

Marica Maja Dražić

Nikola Kezic

+19

IBRA, the world's longest established apicultural research publishers, promotes the value of bees by providing information on bee science and beekeeping worldwide. A not-for-profit organisation founded in 1949

1 January 2014 in Journal of Apicultural Research

Journal Article

Swarming, defensive and hygienic behaviour in honey bee colonies of different genetic origin in a pan-European experiment

Aleksandar Uzunov

Marina Meixner

+15

14 May 2021 in Applied Sciences

Journal Article

Evaluation of Two Commonly Used Field Tests to Assess Varroa destructor Infestation on Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Colonies

Assessment of colony infestation by Varroa destructor is a crucial part of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) applied to beekeeping. Natural mite fall, quantified by counting the mites on sticky sheets, is considered a reference method to estimate varroa infestation level in honey bee colonies. However, in recent years, alternative methods that can be used in field conditions have been investigated. In this paper, we report the results of the evaluation of two different methods to estimate the levels of varroa infestation. The experiment involved 151 honey bee colonies in nine apiaries of four countries (Algeria, Croatia, Italy, Poland). After the main honey flow, we compared the 10-day natural mite fall and the powdered sugar roll methods with the varroa population in each colony. According to our results, the powdered sugar roll method could be suggested to beekeepers as a suitable IPM tool for varroa control, while natural mite fall represents a more accurate method that could be adopted for selection/research purposes.

1 June 2019 in Journal of Apicultural Science

Journal Article

Maternal Inheritance in Hybrids of Three Honey Bee Subspecies

Małgorzata Bieńkowska

The identification of honey bee ( Apis mellifera ) subspecies is often based on the measurements of workers’ fore-wings. The interpretation of the measurements can be difficult because the phenotype of workers is affected by both genetic and environmental factors. Moreover, it is not clear how the phenotype is affected by maternal inheritance. We have used the methodology of geometric morphometrics to verify if hybrids of honey bee subspecies and their backcrosses are more similar to either the father or mother colony. The comparison was based on fore-wing venation of three honey bee subspecies: A. m. carnica, A. m. caucasica, A. m. mellifera . First generation hybrids and backcrosses of those subspecies were obtained through instrumental insemination. Workers of the hybrids were compared with their parental colonies. The shape of wing venation was more similar to the maternal than to parental colony. This phenomenon was particularly visible in first generation of hybrids but it was also present in backcrosses. There were also symptoms of genetic dominance of some subspecies but this effect interacted with maternal inheritance and was difficult to interpret.

1 December 2014 in Journal of Apicultural Science

Journal Article

Performance of Bee Colonies Headed by Queens Instrumentally Inseminated with Semen of Drones Who Come from a Single Colony or Many Colonies

Dariusz Gerula

Paweł Węgrzynowicz

Beata Panasiuk

Małgorzata Bieńkowska

Wojciech Skowronek

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of honey bee worker diversity within the colony on: development, honey productivity, and wintering. Two different levels of diversity within the colony were tested. The appropriate levels of diversity within the colony were obtained by selecting drones for inseminating the queens. Lower genetic diversity was obtained in the colonies headed by a queen inseminated with semen collected from drones originating from a single colony. Higher genetic diversity was obtained in the colonies with queens inseminated with semen from drones of 30 different colonies. Colonies with a higher genetic variation of workers in the colonies had greater levels of functional characteristics. However, apart from the number of dead bees in winter, the genetic diversity level of the workers on the colony development and honey production, did not have a significant influence. There was an averaging effect observed concerning that male component in the colonies with a higher genetic variation of workers - on honey yield, when compared to the non-additive effect of the best drones.

1 January 2015 in Archives of Biological Sciences

Journal Article

Microsatellite DNA polymorphism in selectively controlled Apis mellifera carnica and Apis mellifera caucasica populations from Poland

Stanimila R. Nikolova

Malgorzata Bienkowska

Dariusz Gerula

Evgeniya N. Ivanova

Genetic polymorphism in selectively controlled honeybee populations of A. m. carnica and A. m. caucasica in Poland, was characterized by microsatellite DNA analysis. All honeybee samples were analyzed for nine microsatellite loci: Ac011; A024; A043; A088; Ap226; Ap238; Ap243; Ap249 and Ap256, which were found to be polymorphic in both populations. The mean number of alleles per locus was 6.222 for A. m. carnica and 4.556 for A. m. caucasica. Average observed and expected heterozygosity values were calculated as 0.976 and 0.734 in A. m. carnica and as 0.933 and 0.603 in A. m. caucasica, respectively. For the nine microsatellite loci, a total of 76 alleles were found in both populations. Thirty-five private alleles were observed in A. m. carnica and 20 in A. m. caucasica. Information about allele frequencies, FST values and genotypic differentiation is given. Nei?s genetic distance between studied populations of A. m. carnica and A. m. caucasica was calculated as 0.384.

About Me

Dariusz Gerula, born on 21 February 1972, is a specialist in beekeeping and bee biology. He obtained his M.Sc. degree in animal science from the University of Agriculture in Lublin (1992–1997), followed by a Ph.D. from the Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture in Skierniewice (2006) and a post-doctoral degree (D.Sc./habilitation) from the Institute of Horticulture (2019). He commenced his scientific career in 1997 as a research assistant and subsequently assumed the role of assistant professor at the Department of Apiculture of the Institute in Puławy. Since 2023, he has held the position of Professor at the Institute, and as of February 1, 2025, he serves as the Head of the Department of Apiculture in Puławy. His research focuses on honey bee breeding and reproduction, ecological optimisation of apiary management, and the biology of pollinating insects. Gerula combines traditional research methods with modern technologies, significantly contributing to the development of horticulture and apiculture. Notably, he is a co-author of a system for subspecies identification of honey bees based on worker wing venation, which employs advanced computational techniques.

Dr. Dariusz Gerula

Dr. Dariusz Gerula

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About Me