Effect of age of honeybee queens of Apis mellifera adansonii (Hymenoptera: apidae) on the rate of brood production in modern bee-hives

Abstract

The effect of age of honeybee queens of Apis mellifera adansonii on rate of brood production was studied using Langstroth hives. Brood productivity of young queens (24 days old) and old queens (18 months old) was investigated and compared by extrapolating the brood areas covered as equivalent to the number of eggs laid by the queens in artificial bee-hives within specific experimental period. It was observed that the 24-days-old queens laid 655.3 ± 6.6 eggs per day which was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the 403.0 ± 5.3 eggs laid by the 18-months-old queens. This was probably due to the fact that the physiological state of the body of the old queens diminishes with age coupled with loss of vitality to perform the unique function of continuous laying. The practical implication of this is that the profit-conscious bee farmers are expected to start or establish bee colonies with virile and vibrant young queens. They should also ensure the replacement of the old queens in their colonies with productive, virile young queens at appropriate time. This is to enhance colony productivity by increasing worker bees’ population which gathered nectar and pollen during nectar flow period for better yield to the advantage of the bee farmers.

Keywords: honeybee, brood production, queen’s age and bee-hives.