REPRODUCTIVE ACTIVITY OF QUEEN BEES IN DIFFERENT HONEY HARVESTING CONDITIONS

Abstract

For effective use of the biological potential of the bees in obtaining various types of products, especially honey, in addition to the use of modern technological facilities, taking into account family heredity, now experts have resorted to more intensive attraction of additional feed resources through the introduction of migrations. However, the exploitation of bees to honey collection during the spring-summer period, leading to a decrease in the rate of brood rearing, slowing the development of families. The result is a weakening of family before and during the wintering, is complicated care of bees in the spring, decreasing their productivity in the next season. Therefore, there is a need for research of features development of bee colonies in terms of their use in the honey harvest during the spring-summer period.

The paper deals with the reproductive activity of Ukrainian breed queen bees for various honey collection conditions. Established that before flowering white acacia colonies have a sufficient number of individuals working to provide a large number of brood care. The presence productive honey collecting of white acacia, warm and sunny weather also had a positive development appear on bee colonies. On examination of colonies was found that the strength of bee families ranged from 11 to 15 combs, before the honey collecting. The average number of working bees reached the 30.5 thousand individuals in the colonies. The differences in the strength of family research, despite that they formed a basis for analogies can be explained by the fact that after winter worker bees in their nests have different levels of physiological exhaustion.

In the first half of the third decade of June, after transportation to the families of arrays of buckwheat seed, colonies came to maximum level of development, which they held until the second half of July. During this period, their strength reached the average of 17-19 combs and, further, slowed, and then decreased gradually began. Attracting bees to honey collecting of sunflower significantly slowed the pace of growing brood nests in families. In fact, since the end of July queen bee gradually and then abruptly began to reduce laying egg.

Spend account the average egg-laying queen bees breed Ukrainian amount of brood in the nests of bee colonies in the productive period of honey collection. In the nests of bees at the end of flowering white acacia egg laying queens averaged 1497.9 eggs per day. But within the overall sample the difference between the minimum and maximum values (Lim) this indicator was at 158 eggs per day. With the completion of productive honey collection buckwheat egg laying queens in the nests of families declined, in contrast to previous accounting for 25.4%. At the same time the rate of reproductive queens the maximum index fell to the level of 1383 eggs per day, or 22.7%, and the minimum – 242 eggs or 26.9%. At the end of honey collection sunflower average egg laying queens accounted for only 373 eggs per day. Some bee queens during the days of lay 297 to 412 eggs. That is, compared with the first productivity honey collection productive queens declined by 75.1%, and the second (honey collection buckwheat) – by 70.6%. The coefficient of variation egg-laying queens in this period was the highest (9.6%) in contrast to previous accounting. The highest reproductive capacity of queens Ukrainian breed was found in the first accounting (2517 eggs per day), which is two weeks before the start of white acacia productive honey collection.

Established that an average of all colonies Ukrainian breed throughout the season characterized by different rates growing brood. During the build-up, ie the accumulation of reserve young bees to productive honey collection of white acacia in the nests of families has focused most sealed brood. The average it took 189.2 squares and critical metrics (Lim) were within 116-302 squares. With the completion flowering white acacia number of brood decreased by 5.2%. Usually this period colonies still continue to intensively grow brood. After pumping honey and transportation to families arrays buckwheat bees again continued their active work on preparation of feed. In the absence of a pause in the collection and processing of feed bee reduced rates growing brood. Compared to the first date of accounting, the number of brood in families decreased by 19.7% from the end of second productive honey collection. Throughout the period of flowering buckwheat colonies growing brood limited to 15.2%. In fact, these percentages indicate a loss in the number of families working individuals during subsequent honey collection, and accordingly reduce their productivity. The most active colonies began to reduce the growing brood after their transportation to the masses sunflower. This culture is not characterized by high productivity honey, but because it sown over large areas bees are able to provide daily and bring to the nest 1-12 kg or more nectar. Load on bees is the largest for the entire spring and summer in the harvesting and processing of sunflower nectar. We have found that completion honey collection colonies were 76.7% lower compared to the first brood date accounting (control).

It was determined that the rate of brood rearing decreases with intensive use of bee colonies in the productive honey collection. It was found that the use uninterrupted migrations need to make adjustments to the system of care for the bees to strengthen the growing brood in their nests. The necessity of the development of measures for the rational use of the bees, which will contribute to improving level of preparation to the families of each subsequent honey harvest, improve conditions for wintering bees and development of their spring.