Effect of larval age and supplemental feeding on morphometrics and oviposition in honey bee Apis mellifera scutellata queens.
This article reports on a study undertaken at the Karura forest apiaries in Kenya
Abstract
The effects of age of grafted larvae, additional feeding, and mating have been studied on the honey bees of Europe and America, but these remain unknown for African bee races.
This article reports on a study undertaken at the icipe Karura forest apiaries in Kenya to determine the effects of larval age and additional feeding on external measurements and egg laying in the honey bee Apis mellifera scutellata queens. Results show that age of grafted larvae and additional feeding significantly affect the external measurements of the reared queens, while egg laying rate is more or less the same in naturally mated and artificially inseminated queens. The work was conducted with a view to using the information to select the best breed of honey bee subspecies in East Africa to improve queen rearing.
This is an output from ‘African Reference Laboratory (with Satellite Stations) for the Management of Pollinator Bee Diseases and Pests for Food Security’ project. It is partly funded by the UK Department for International Development, a core donor of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology.
Citation
Njeru L.K., Raina S.K., Kutima H.L., Salifu D., Cham D.T., Kimani E.J. and Muli E.M. (2017) Effect of larval age and supplemental feeding on morphometrics and oviposition in honey bee Apis mellifera scutellata queens. Journal of Apicultural Research 56, 183–189. https://doi.org/10.1080/00218839.2017.1307714