The Effect of Rearing and Mating Methods on Some Characteristics of Queen Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.)

Authors: Ahmet DODOLOĞLU, Ferat GENÇ

Abstract: This study was conducted to examine the effects of rearing and mating methods used for queen production on some characterists of queens. Queens raised by grafting (A) and from natural cells (B) were mated naturally in groups (A_1) and (B_1) and artificially inseminated in groups A_2 and B_2. A total of 60 larvae were grafted and acceptance was 95.00% and the emergence rates was 100.00%. The effect of rearing method on the pre-oviposition period of queens was not significant. Effect of the same factor was significant on the lenght of sealed queen cell and queen weight at emergence (P<0.05). The effect of rearing method on the diameter of spermatheca and the number of spermatozoa was significant (P<0.01). The effect of mating method on the number of spermatozoa was highly significant (P<0.01). Interaction of rearing method x mating method for the pre-oviposition period was not significant, but the same interaction for the number of spermatozoa was highly significant (P<0.01)). Positive and significant correlation jere found betjeen the lenght of sealed queen cell and the queen cell and the queen weight (r=0.84±0.27), the queen weight and the number of spermatozoa (r=0.64±0.31), the diameter of spermatheca and the number of spermatozoa (r=0.62±0.32).

Keywords: Queen honey bebe, queen rearing and mating methods, characteristics of queens, correlations