Longevity of Neotropical African queen bees, Apis mellifera L.

Authors

  • Etelvina Conceição Almeida da Silva Instituto de Zootecnia, Divisão de Zootecnia Diversificada, Seção de Apicultura, Nova Odessa, SP
  • Maria Luísa Teles Marques Florêncio Alves Instituto de Zootecnia, Divisão de Zootecnia Diversificada, Seção de Apicultura, Nova Odessa, SP
  • Ronaldo Mário Barbosa da Silva Instituto de Zootecnia, Divisão de Zootecnia Diversificada, Seção de Apicultura, Nova Odessa, SP
  • Augusta Carolina de Camargo Carmello Moreti Instituto de Zootecnia, Divisão de Zootecnia Diversificada, Seção de Apicultura, Nova Odessa, SP

Keywords:

africanized bees, neotropical african bees, queen longevity, apis mellifera

Abstract

Queen bees from a Neotropical African local stock were reared through the Doolittle method, mated in flight, marked and introduced in 30 strong colonies at the experimental apiary of the Tropical Beekeeping Center, located in Pindamonhangaba, São Paulo State. The purpose of this trial was to assess the life span of that stock. As the queens were accepted, their performance and cause of disappearing were followed by hive inspections carried out at 30-60 day intervals until the death or disappearing of the last queen. The queens disappeared from the 6th up to the 40th month, averaging 21.57 ± 1.68 months old. Between the 2th and 3rd year, nine queens were lost with swarms and three with absconding colonies. Requeening interval of Neotropical African bee colonies would be them, no larger than two years but the best one would be one year, avoiding swarming and controlling 80% of the original queens.

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Published

2014-01-14

Issue

Section

FORAGE CROPS AND PASTURES

How to Cite

Longevity of Neotropical African queen bees, Apis mellifera L. (2014). Bulletin of Animal Husbandry, 48(1), 57-62. http://35.198.24.243/index.php/bia/article/view/885

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