Some Physiological Characteristics of Caucasian and Anatolian Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) Races and Their Crossbreeds

Authors: AHMET DODOLOĞLU, FERAT GENÇ

Abstract: The behavioral characteristics of Caucasian and Anatolian honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) races and their reciprocal crossbreeds were examined in this study. The average levels of food consumption in the Caucasian (K), Caucasian x Anatolian (K x A), Anatolian x Caucasian (A x K) and Anatolian (A) genotype groups were determined to be 9.09±0.68, 6.62±0.72, 7.93±0.57 and 7.29±0.97 kg/colony respectively. In addition, the average population decline in the groups mentioned above were 43.45±3.40, 43.53±3.71, 40.71±3.89 and 31.11±5.09%, respectively. The average number of frames covered with bees in genotype groups were 10.88±0.06, 11.36±0.05, 12.13±0.05 and 12.38±0.06 per colony, and the average brood area were found to be 3870.79±75.24, 4569.85±63.66, 4322.90±63.66 and 4091.88±75.24 cm^2/colony, respectively. The average weight gains of the colonies in genotypes during nectar flow were found to be 18.36±2.27, 16.69±1.36, 21.39±2.73 and 22.27±2.26 kg/colony. Also, the average numbers of flying bees per minute per colony were 88.71±11.18, 92.86±9.25, 98.00±14.62 and 104.14±16.92, and the average honey yields were determined to be 7.95±2.19, 8.43±1.50, 11.79±1.71 and 11.17±1.45 kg/colony, respectively.

Keywords: Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) genotypes, physiological characteristics.

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