Nutritional Preference and Attraction of Honey Bee Workers to Some Pollen Substitutes and Liquid and Dry Dietary Supplements to Nourish the Colonies and Increase Their Activity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56286/y591hz48Keywords:
Attraction, Cheese Whey, Palm Pollen, Super Protein, Honey Bees, nutritional preferenceAbstract
The study was conducted at an apiary in Nineveh Province during the summer of 2023-2024. The results indicated that all liquid and dry alternatives and supplements of honey and pollen had an attractive effect on worker bees, with varying degrees of attraction to all the liquid materials and supplements. The super protein treatment, the mixture, and whey showed the highest attraction rates, especially on the third day of feeding during the evening, with averages of 4355, 3127, and 2525 workers/two hours, respectively. In contrast, the whey treatment recorded an average attraction of 369 workers/two hours, compared to the sugar solution treatment, which recorded the lowest attraction rate with an average of 115 workers/two hours. The results also confirmed that all dry food materials and supplements attracted worker bees to varying degrees, with treatments of palm pollen, the mixture, soybeans, and reishi mushrooms recording the highest averages of 451.7, 376.7, 246.3, and 128 workers/two hours, respectively, compared to the commercial pollen treatment, which attracted fewer bees with an average of 95.3 workers/two hours. The results indicated that evening feeding times recorded higher attraction rates than morning times, with averages of 184.8 and 159.3 workers/two hours, respectively.
References
Al-Lahibi, M. (2023). The Deterioration of Honey Bee Farming and Apiary Management in Muqdadiyya District and the Factors Affecting it After 2014 AD. Diyala Journal of Human Research, 1(97), 476-494.
Galajda, R., Valen?áková, A., Su?ik, M., and Kandrá?ová, P. (2021) Nosema Disease of European Honey Bees. Journal of Fungi, 7(9), 714.?
Taha, S. B., Taha, G. S., and Al-Tikriti, S. S. A. (2023) Studying the Effect of Feeding Honey Bees with Natural Materials and Pollen Supplements on the Chemical Composition and Amino Acid Ratio in the Worker Body. Journal of Genetic and Environment Resources Conservation, 11(1), 1-6.?
Horak, R. D., Leonard, S. P., and Moran, N. A. (2020). Symbionts Shape Host Innate Immunity in Honeybees. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 287(1933), 20201184.?
Bendelja Ljolji?, D., Kalit, S., Kazalac, J., Dolen?i? Špehar, I., Mihaljevi? Žulj, M., Maslov Bandi?, L., and Tudor Kalit, M. (2023). The Potential of Using Istrian Albumin Cheese Whey in the Production of Whey Distillate, Fermentation, 9(2), 192.
Ghani , S.Y. Hassan, S.M.& Mohammed, J.I. (2023). The Effect of Feeding on Rapeseed and Bee Bread Plants on the Biological Activity and Productivity of Honey Bee Colonies Apis Mellifera, journal of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences ,3(3),124-128.
Ghramh, H. A., and Khan, K. A. (2023). Honey Bees Prefer Pollen Substitutes Rich in Protein Content Located at Short Distance from the Apiary, Animals, 13(5), 885.
Al-Sayegh, M. and Mustafa, A. (2003) Introduction to beekeeping. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations - Iraq, Agricultural Program of the Security Council Resolution, 298-986.
Al-Zubaidy, K. M. D., and Al-Falahy, M. A. H. (2016) Principle and Procedures of Statistics and Experimental Design. Duhok University Press, Iraq, 395.
Shaher, K. and Al-Jourani, R. (2010). The Attraction of Honey Bee Workers to Pollen Substitutes and Supplements and their Effect on Increasing the Activity of Honey Bee Colonies. Anbar University Conference , 276-284.
Al-Zubaidi, A. (1998) Feeding Honey Bees with Alternatives and Supplements to Honey and Pollen and their Effect on Brood Production and Honey and Pollen Collection. Doctoral thesis, College of Agriculture, University of Baghdad.
Manjy, M. S., and Ali, E. (2021) Attractiveness of Honey Bee Workers Apis Mellifera L. to Some Food Alternatives and their Effect on Increasing Honey Bee Colonies Activity. Journal of Al-Muthanna for Agricultural Sciences, 8(4).
Al-Jamali, N., Saad K., Taher M., and Jamal F. (2005) Studying the effect of pollen substitutes on some different honey bee activities. Journal of Plant Protection , 23(2) 70-75.
Al-Zubaidi, A., Muhammad A., Abd al-Baqi M. (2006) The effect of some plant products on the preference for food materials by honeybees, Apis Mellifera L. Karbala University Journal, 4: 174-178.
Al-Atbi, M. (2009) The Effect of Feeding Different Amounts on Some Aspects of the Life Performance of Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.) Colonies in Basra Governorate. Master's thesis, College of Agriculture, University of Basra.
