Field performance and behavioral studies on naturally mated and instrumentally inseminated honeybee queens (Apis mellifera L.).

摘要

Introducing new queen to queenless colony is a common and very important practice in honeybee yards. Successful introduction is not guaranteed as queenless workers become very excited and aggressive. They occasionally attack new queens, especially if they are introduced without cages. This rejection was reported to occur more toward instrumentally inseminated (II) queens than naturally mated (NM) queens. II queens were also reported to have lower survival rate and to produce less amount of brood and honey. In Chapter 1, NM and II queens were similar in their survival, brood and honey production. Chapter 2 investigates the queen mandibular pheromone (QMP) in NM and II queens. In a 1999 experiment, Three egg-laying periods in two seasons were compared. NM queens showed significant increase after three weeks of egg-laying in ±9-HDA whereas II queens showed significant increase one week earlier. Seasonal changes similarly affected QMP levels. NM queens levels of HOB and 9-ODA decreased nearly significant in Fall season whereas in II queens, only HOB decreased significantly. Contrary, levels of ±9-HDA slightly increased in both seasons.; In a 2000 experiment, only two egg-laying periods were examined and did not affect QMP levels. When all queens from each period were combined, NM queens showed significantly higher levels of 9-ODA, whereas II queens showed higher levels of (Z)-9-octadecenoic acid. In Chapter 3, tergal gland secretions (TGS) of NM and II queens were compared and five compounds were identified. TGS of NM queens showed higher levels of (Z)-9-hexadecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, and (Z)-9-octadecenoic acid, that was the major compound in both types of queens. Hexadecanoic acid and (Z)-9-octadecenoic acid levels did not change after two weeks of egg-laying period in NM queens, whereas all three compounds showed a significant drop in their levels at the same egg-laying period in II queens. We concluded that field performance of II queens can be comparable to that of NM queen when ideal treatment is given to II queens before and after insemination. The lower levels of semiochemicals in II queens at their early colony establishment might be correlated to their reported lower survival rates.