EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTAL FEEDING AT DIFFERENT PERIODS ON ACTIVITY AND BUILD UP OF HONEY BEE COLONIES | ||
| Assiut Journal of Agricultural Sciences | ||
| Article 9, Volume 39, Issue 2, June 2008, Pages 135-147 PDF (475.74 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ajas.2008.269705 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Mohamed A. Abdalla1; Mohammed M. Khodairy2; Adham M. Moustafa1 | ||
| 1Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt | ||
| 2Plant Protection Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, Assiut 71526, Egypt. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| The study was carried out in apiary at Sohag region during the period from December, 2006 to March, 2007. The influence of supple-mental feeding at different periods on activity and build up of honey bee colonies was studied. The feeding periods under experiment were 13-week, 11-week, 9-week, 7-week, 5-week and 3-week. The total consumption of supplemental feeding was recorded for all feeding periods. The greatest rate of consumed food was recorded at 13-week feeding period. Positive correlations were found between supplemental feeding and both of bee population size and brood-rearing activity. Bee colonies fed supplemental feeding at different periods produced significantly more bees and bee brood than unfed control colonies. The maximum average of both of bee population size (7047.3 bee/colony) and brood area (229.5 inch2/colony) was resulted by bee colony fed for 13-week period. The 13-week feeding period resulted 68.4% increment in bee population size and 121.1% increment in brood area. It can be recommended the beekeepers in Sohag region usage of supplemental feeding during the period of 13-week, for achieving the maximum development of honey bee colonies. This supplemental feeding benefit to increase the food storage of bee colonies, which important to build up colony populations for pollination and honey production, artificial swarm and queen rearing. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Honey bee; bee population; bee brood; supplemental feeding; feeding period | ||
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