THE INFLUENCE OF COLONY POPULATION AND BROOD REARING INTENSITY ON THEACTIVITY OF DETOXIFYING ENZYMES IN WORKER HONEY-BEES

Cohorts of worker honey bees from a single parental hive, cross-foster ed into colonies which differed in population and other colony paramet ers, were assessed for activities of enzymes involved in metabolic det oxication. Activities of glutathione S-transferase and mixed-function oxidase enzymes were negatively correlated with foster colony populati on, but positively correlated with the ratio of larvae (brood)/adult w orkers. Worker bees which had begun foraging had enzyme activity level s higher than any found in bees which were still performing in-hive du ties. Elevated levels of detoxifying enzymes in colonies with low popu lations and high ratios of larvae/adults may be a protective mechanism to prevent poisoning of larvae by toxins brought to the colony by for agers.