Effect of antenna on queen behavior inside and outside of their hive.

Abstract

The present study was carried out during season 2014 using honey bee colonies headed with open mated local Italian queens, Apis mellifera lugustica, at the apiary belonging to Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, to explain the role of antennae of queens in controlling or managing their behavior. The experiment was done by using 12 virgin or mated queens. Each of them was divided equally into four treatment i.e queens with only one flagellum, queens without the last segments of both flagella, queens without both flagella and control. The results showed that the virgin queens with one (single) flagellum could be mated and laid eggs regularly but the virgin queens without flagellum did not leave their hive. On the other hand, when the last segment of both flagella was cut in virgin queens, they could not return to their hive and may be lost. The mated queens with one (single) flagellum and without the last segment (No 10) of flagellum could lay their eggs regularly in combs as the control but mated queens without flagellum stopped laying eggs for one week then began to lay eggs unregularly in the comb, lay two eggs in the same cell and put the drone’s eggs in small cells (25 cells/ inch2). The number of sealed brood cells in the first and second treatments was significantly as the same as control (mated queen with single flagellum and mated queens without the last segment of flagellum). On contrast, the mated queens without both flagella had significantly less numbers of brood cells than other treatments.