Exploring the Strength Impact of Starter-Finisher Orphan Colonies and Rearing Season on Some Economic Characteristics of the Produced Queens in the Middle Delta Region, Egypt

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the effect of two worker’s population densities on the basic of comb number covered with bees (8 combs as high density and 5 combs as low density) within starter - finisher queen-less rearing colonies on the larval graft acceptance, sealing and queen emergence as well as weight of neonate queens during the variations between the spring, summer and autumn seasons of 2022 in the middle Delta region. The percentages of acceptance (85.8 vs. 70.1 %), sealing cells (84.9 vs. 68.8 %), and queen emergence (83.9 vs. 67.1 %) as well as newly virgin queen weight (160.8 ± 17.7 vs. 126.8 ± 8.1 mg.) were significantly higher in colonies of low population densities, respectively. Queen rearing during the summer season attained the highest percentages of acceptance, sealing cells and emergence (83.9, 82.9 and 81.9 %, respectively), followed by autumn (78.5, 77.8 and 77.1 %, respectively) then spring season (71.5, 69.8 and 67.7 %, respectively). On the contrary, the heavier queens were produced during the spring (159.8 ± 26.3 mg /queen), than both resulted during summer, (139.7 ± 14.8 mg / queen) and autumn (131.8 ± 15.3 mg / queen) seasons. In conclusion the queen-rearing colony should have a high density of workers to provide suitable food to queen larvae and building queen cells and choose the suitable times in which sources of nectar and pollen are abundant.