Young Honeybee (Apis Mellifera Bandasii) Queens Perform Better than Old Ones

Abstract

A productivity of queen bee depends on several factors. Queen age is one of the most important factors affecting queen’s, as well as colony performance. The study was conducted to determine the effects of queen ages on performances of honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies. The queens were reared from local honeybee, Apis mellifera bandasii (A. m. bandasii); nuclei colonies were formed and then transferred to standard Langstroth hives when all the frames of the nuclei boxes were occupied with brood and adult bees. Performances of the colonies headed by the new queens were evaluated over three years. Brood area, number of queen cell cups started and swarm queen cells constructed, number of empty cells/100 cells/per colony (brood solidness) and honey yield per harvest were determined every active season for three consecutive years. Colonies headed by 1-, 2- and 3-year-old queens produced 4721.43 ± 511.85, 5523.08 ± 490.07 and 3433.82 ± 413.83 cm² sealed brood, and constructed 0.07 ± 0.07, 2.23 ± 0.52 and 9.90 ± 1.89 queen cell cups and swarm cells/colony with 1.86 ± 0.38, 2.40 ± 1.65 and 8.85 ± 2.52 empty cells/100 cells/per colony, respectively. Honey harvested from 1- and 3-year-old queen colonies averaged 13.34 ± 1.11 and 10.50 ± 2.04 kg/colony/harvest, respectively. The colonies headed by 1-, and 2-year-old queens had more brood areas, better brood solidity, less number of queen cells but no significant differences in honey production compared to colonies headed by 3-year-old queens. Our results indicate that queen age has a significant effect on colony performances, suggesting that requeening every three years is adequate for our local honeybee colonies.

Keywords: Apis mellifera, Queen age, Brood rearing, Swarm queen cells, Queen cell cups

DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/10-13-05

Publication date:July 31^st 2020